The hills of the Hollywood Bowl were indeed filled with "The Sound of Music" over the weekend, when thousands of people (the final count was somewhere in the range of 16,750) dressed in their Austrian best and came together to try and "solve a problem like Maria" at "The Sound of Music" sing-a-long.

What the singers lacked in musical prowess (and I count myself in that group), they made up in (occasionally alcohol-induced) enthusiasm.

The event, which included a two-hour preshow, was hosted by Melissa Peterman of "Reba." Charmian Carr, the actress who played Liesl, the oldest of the von Trapp children, treated the audience to a snippet of "Sixteen Going on Seventeen." Now a grandmother of three, she sounded amazing, just like she did in the 1965 movie.

I said there were 15,000 gay men at the event, but that's actually a bit of an exaggeration. Really. While there were quite a few men dressed as nuns, Maria, Frau Schmidt and the Baroness, the sing-a-long is actually a family-friendly event. I've never seen so many "girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes."

The costumes are such a big part of the event that the evening kicks off with a costume parade and contest.

The creativity of the costumes is amazing. Not only are there the aforementioned nuns (of both sexes) and "girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes," there were entire families dressed in play-clothes made of curtain-like material. (The group I was with had very cute headscarves, but that was as far as we went, although one of the women with us was channeling Maria and brought along her guitar case. No guitar, though. She swapped it for wine.)

There was a boy dressed as Capt. von Trapp's whistle. He's the son of last year's contest winner. (The picture to right right is Whistle-boy on one of the Bowl's big screens. Click it for a bigger image.)

There were a ton of cuties decked out as "raindrops on roses" and "whiskers on kittens." There were "brown paper packages tied up with strings," and lots of other favorite things.

One couple -- both men -- was stunningly decked out as the Captain and the Baroness.

And Marias abounded. Some were in the "ugliest dress I've ever seen." Others were in abbey attire, complete with curlers under the wimples. And there were even a few brides -- one bride AND chapel.

There were goatherds and goats and even "one little girl in a pale pink coat."

There was a jar of spiders. (Maria: "How ever did you climb up here?" Liesl: "It's how we always got into this room to play tricks on the governess. Louisa can make it with a whole jar of spiders in her hand.")

One person was a pinecone, and a duo came as a pinecone on a chair. That would be the one Fräulein Maria sits on at her fist dinner with the von Trapp family. ("Rheumatism," she explained, after she jumped from her chair.)

The contest winner, who walked away with a seven-day Mexican cruise, was "a moonbeam in your hand," as in, "How do you hold..." from the song "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" I'll admit it took me a minute to figure that one out, but every time the line came up in the movie, the crowd sent up a lusty cheer.

Audience participation is a huge part of the event, and I'm not just talking about the costumes.

During the song "Edelweiss," thousands of cell phones (much easier than lighters these days) glowed in the night. It was way cool. (I tried to grab a picture, but it didn't come out. You'll just have to trust me when I say was quite a sight.)

There are all kinds of "scripted" responses to the movie. The audience, each of whom was provided with a little bag of handy props, awwwed at little Gretl, hissed at the Baroness, barked at Rolf and shot off poppers when the Captain and Maria shared their first kiss.

And then there were the ad-libs, which ranged from hilarious asides to ... well, let's just there was some alcohol involved.

There were even several movie-goers armed with laser pointers, making their feelings about the "bad guys" (read: the Baroness, Herr Zeller and the Nazis) known. It was pretty funny.

The sing-a-long is something you have to experience to truly appreciate, kind of like "Rocky Horror Picture Show." I can tell you all about it, but that just won't do it justice.

There are sing-a-longs at all kinds of venues throughout the country and even the world, but Southern California's Hollywood Bowl is an experience in itself.

Famous for its concerts under the stars, the Bowl, one of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, is a can't-miss for many Angelenos, and is definitely something out-of-towers should try. (Just ask Patti. She went to the John Williams concert there last summer.)

In addition to being the summer home of the L.A. Philharmonic since 1922, the Hollywood Bowl has had its own signature ensemble since 1991. They are incredible.

I love the Hollywood Bowl. Love it! Saturday night was my first sing-a-long, but I've been to other concerts there, and they're always amazing. Of course, the closer to the stage you are, the better, but huge screens strategically placed in the upper levels bring the action on stage up to the nosebleed seats.

People gather hours before the show to picnic with old friends and new acquaintances. You can bring your own food or buy from stands there.

It's people watching at its best.

You can't not have a good time at the Bowl, especially when "the hills are alive with the sound of music."