Top 10 reasons to attend a "Sing-Along Sound of Music"

Ten reasons why you might want to go to the "Sing-Along Sound of Music" at the 5th Avenue Theatre this weekend:

10. Because you'll be participating in a decadelong tradition. The story goes that the first official movie singalong took place at a nursing home in Inverness, Scotland, in the 1990s, where the nurses passed out song sheets before a rec-room screening of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." Staffers at the London Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, hearing of such jollity, arranged for a subtitled singalong screening of "The Sound of Music" during their 1999 festival. It was such a hit, the Prince Charles Cinema in London began regular singalong screenings that year (which continue to this day), in which costumes and audience participation are encouraged, and the subtitled print has toured the world. At the Seattle screenings, John Curley of "Evening Magazine" will host the event.

9. Because being in a vast roomful of elaborately costumed people, all of whom are trying to stretch their vocal cords to the limit in order to sing along with Peggy "Mother Abbess" Wood in the final notes of "Climb Every Mountain" (" ... TILL YOOOOO FIND [pause, as everyone including Peggy gathers strength] YOOOOOOUR ... DREEEEAAAM!!! ... ") is exhilarating, to say the least.

8. Because, really, what other chance are you going to get to gather your friends and dress up as Wild Geese That Fly With The Moon On Their Wings? (How do they keep the moon on there, anyway?)

7. Because the subtitles are very, very thorough. If you've yearned, throughout your life, to see the lyrics written out for the Latin chant performed by the nuns in the early scenes, now's your chance. Notice how, as the chant begins, all those people who were lustily singing along with Maria's opening song ("The hills are aliiiive ... ") fall awkwardly silent, or just hum.

6. Because there's a goody bag, containing props to be used throughout the screening; among them a sprig of edelweiss to be waved during the "Edelweiss" song. You will find that being part of a crowd of people clutching tiny artificial flowers and swaying in unison is strangely calming.

5. Because underneath your wimple, you can wear curlers in your hair. And perhaps you should; wimples are hell on hair.

4. Because there will be a costume contest, which always features lots of lederhosen and at least one appearance of Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String.

3. Because you can boo the villains (the Nazis, natch, and the ice-cold Baroness), cheer the heroes (all the von Trapps, and that woman who keeps bowing at the music festival), pop a Champagne cork (yes, it's in the goody bag) when a kiss fills the screen, and yell out comments. None of these things can be done at regular movies, much as we might wish to.

2. Because, for heaven's sake, just listening on headphones to 30 seconds of "The Lonely Goatherd" on Amazon at my desk at work had my toes tapping and me coming dangerously close to bursting into song on "Men in the midst of a table d'hote heard,... " which would have alarmed my colleagues at The Times no end.

1. Because, for good or ill, this movie means a lot to many of us who first saw it as small children and grew up listening to the soundtrack. And because gathering in a darkened theater and singing together is a communal and joyous event, anytime.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com