We sat down with Mohamed Ismail, who plays the role of Max Detweiler in our upcoming production of The Sound of Music, to talk about the expanded role Max has in the stage play (with two songs that are not sung in the movie), where we’ve seen him most recently, how he got started, and how he and his real-life wife Jessica Whittemore are looking forward to playing opposite one another in this outing. He tells us why he doesn’t look like his headshot, introduces us to the large cast, and makes an urgent plea to each of us to come see the show from Sept. 27 – Oct. 18, 2025. Tickets are going quickly at SouthBayMT.com or 408-266-4734. Watch the six-and-a-half minute video below, or read the transcript.

Hi, my name is Mohamed, and I’m playing Maximilian Detweiler. Max is a self-described Minister of Education and Culture. He’s somebody who likes the lavish lifestyle, but isn’tactually rich himself. So he’s used to mingling with the upper class and fitting in with his charm and being able to sort of live the life he wants by being somebody that people like to be around.

How is the role of Max different in the stage play vs. the movie?

One way that Max is different in the stage play than the movie is that he’s a singer. There are actually two songs that Max sings in in the show that aren’t part of the movie. And so I’m really looking forward to being able to play a “singing Max” this time around.

What songs does Max sing?

One of the songs that Max sings is “How Can Love Survive?” He’s jokingly talking to Elsa Schraeder and Captain von Trapp and trying to get them to playfully recognize that they can still be in love even though they’re both rich and don’t have anything to struggle against and band together to withstand, like so many other love stories. The other song that Max sings is in Act Two and it’s called “No Way to Stop It.” And in Act Two, things have taken a little bit of a turn. There’s an impending rise of fascism and authoritarianism, and different characters are dealing with it differently. The Captain is sticking to his ideals. Other characters are leaning into the changes that are happening. And Max, as an ordinary guy, is trying to figure out, you know, with his survival instincts, like how can he continue to live the life that he wants to live and, you know, weather the storm. So in that song, the Captain and Frau Schraeder and Max are all approaching the impending political changes with different attitudes. So, it’s a really interesting part of the show where you get to see different characters responding to the world events in different ways.

Is this your first show with SBMT?

This is actually my first full musical with SBMT. I did participate in the Titanic: in Concert production that happened earlier this spring. So, I’m having a really fun time trying to find and uncover who Max is and how I want to play him.

How are you approaching the role of Max

One thing I’m experimenting with is even my facial hair. You know, in my headshot I have a full beard, but I just shaved it off. And I’m going to have just my mustache for this show. And so, I’m really exploring both from a character motivation and a character appearance standpoint, who Max is and how I want to play him. And he’s going to be impeccably dressed. So if you’re looking for a really stylish guy, come check me out in this show.

Tell us about your theatre background

My background in theatre is I started in seventh grade when my older sister asked me to join our junior high production of Damn Yankees. It was the first musical I ever did. And she helped teach me how to match pitches and sing when I was 12. And I just got shepherded into the musical theatre world thanks to my sister.

What drew you to audition for this show?

What inspired me to audition for this show is, I’ve always loved The Sound of Music growing up. I remember watching the movie a lot as a kid. My aunt really, really loves the movie, and so we used to watch it all the time. And we had this idea where Jessica, my wife, and I could audition together and the characters that we were going for have a lot of interaction on stage and get to sing together. And so we thought that would be a really cool opportunity if we both got cast in the show. So, it was a mixture of looking forward to the fun that we could have together and sort of honoring the childhood memories I had of watching the movie on repeat.

Have rehearsals been fun?

One thing that’s been really fun about rehearsals is, it’s a really big cast. We have 16 nuns. We have a lot of the named characters, and then we have actually two separate casts of children. the von Trapp children. So, at some of these rehearsals, it’s just a lot of people in not a lot of space and we’re all working together to make the show work and get to know each other and have some fun. So it’s been really fun because it’s a very large cast and there are really young kids. There are what I would call more seasoned kids in the show, and so it’s just been fun to be part of such a large group putting this together.

Why should I come to see this show?

There are a ton of reasons why you should come see this show. Number one, it’s as relevant today as when it first came out many years ago. It’s going to be a really great show. We have really talented kids. We have the best nuns I’ve ever heard in my life. I mean, it’s really… you’re going to be sad that you missed it. So, you might as well get those tickets now. You can go to… I think it’s SouthBayMT.com. I mean, they’ll probably scroll the link right here. (indicates a lower-third title that flashes on the screen). But please get your tickets before they sell out and you’re not going to regret it.

(Title card and company logo)

Post credits scene

Hey, come here. Come here. Come get your tickets to South Bay Musical Theatre’s production of The Sound of Music at the Saratoga Civic Theater. We run September 27th to October 18th. Tickets are going fast. SouthBayMT.com. I’ll see you there.