28^th Festival Season - 2007

The Sound of Music

By: Musical in 2 acts by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse

Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Music by Richard Rodgers

Premiere: Lunt-Fontanne Theater, New York, 16 November 1959

Maria is a nun at an abbey in 1938 Austria, but her personality doesn't fit the lifestyle practiced within its walls. The Mother Abbess sends her to be governess for the recently widowed Captain von Trapp. Although she quickly wins over his seven children, awakens romantic feelings in him, and strange new feelings in herself, she is confused by these emotions and flees back to the convent. The children are very distraught, especially as their father is to wed the wealthy, not very kind, Elsa Schräder. The Abbess decides that Maria should not use the convent as an escape from the world and orders that she return as governess. Elsa, meanwhile, breaks off her engagement to Von Trapp because of his refusal to accept the encroaching German position. Maria and Von Trapp are married, but when offered a commission in the German Navy, he realizes that he and his family can no longer remain in Austria. Under the pretense of an entertainment at a local festival, the family manages to escape the clutches of Nazi soldiers and, with the help of nuns in the abbey and the conscience-stricken former boyfriend of the oldest Von Trapp daughter, to find its way to safety through the mountains into Switzerland.

The Sound of Music, in its inexhaustible and timeless melodies and romantic setting during one of history's darkest hours, remains one of the gemstones of American theatre. Hit songs include Maria, My favorite things, Do-re-mi, Sixteen going on seventeen, Climb ev'ry mountain, Edelweiss, as well as several tunes not included in the 1965 film version.

Production Team
Conductor	Michael Borowitz
Director	Julie Wright
Choreographer	Carol Hageman
Set Designer	Tymberley Wittrig
Costume Designers	Charlene Gross and Myron Elliott
Lighting Designer	Shannon Schweitzer
Assistant Conductor	Nathaniel Motta
Assistant Director	Sandra Ross

Cast
Maria Rainer, a Postulant at Nonnberg Abbey	Kemper LeCroy-Florin Analisa Leaming
Sister Berthe, Mistress of Novices	Sahara Glasener-Boles
Sister Margaretta, Mistress of Postulants	Stina Eberhardt
The Mother Abbess	Carissa Kett
Sister Sophia	Kathryn McCreary
Captain Georg von Trapp	Ted Christopher
Franz, the butler	Brian Tanner
Frau Schmidt, the housekeeper	Jessie Wright Martin
The Children of Captain von Trapp
Liesl, age 16	Karla Hughes Amanda Opuszynski
Friedrich, age 14	Thomas Fitz Gibbon Michael Lucas
Louisa, age 13	Jennica Dotson Ali Jaeb
Kurt, age 10	Harper Baddley Scott Perkins
Brigitta, age 9	Anna Kitzmiller Amanda Vogel
Marta, age 7	Ella Hayward-Lara Rachel Lynn
Gretl, the youngest	Taylor Mills Jennifer Vicknair Jillian Vicknair
Rolf Gruber, age 17	Benjamin Robinson
Elsa Schraeder	Robin Farnsley Julie Wright
Ursula	Diana Becker
Max Detweiler	Mark Snyder
Herr Zeller	Paul Hindemith
Baron Elberfeld	Seth Kershisnik
Baroness Elberfeld	Amanda Kingston
A Postulant	Laura Riggs
Admiral von Schreiber	Nicholas Hartley
Festival Performers	Brian Tanner Jessie Wright Martin Seth Kershisnik