After obtaining permission to marry from the abbess back at the convent, Maria becomes the Baroness von Trapp. The family's priest, Dr. Wasner (Josef Meinrad), encourages Maria and the children to sing for charity, and soon they develop a large following. After the Nazis annex Austria, the baron loses his fortune and is summoned to serve in the German navy. Unwilling to live under the Nazi regime, the von Trapp family emigrate to the United States, where they perform their music in the new world. But their troubles are far from over when a naive Maria tells the immigration inspector they want to stay forever, when he asks how long they will be visiting the United States.