The Sound of Music

A musicial based on a book by Maria von Trapp, telling the story of the Von Trapp Singers and their escape from Nazi Germany. The stage version had music by Richard Rogers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. First produced in New York in 1959 to record-breaking advance ticket sales, where it won eight Tony Awards - including “Best Musical”. The show opened in London in 1961 and became the longest-running American musical of its generation.

The 1965 Hollywood film, which starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, won five Oscars, including “Best Picture”, and quickly became the highest-grossing film in history. Even today, The Sound of Music remains the most successful movie musical in history.

South African productions
1963: First produced in South Africa by Brian Brooke with Heather Lloyd-Jones at the Brooke Theatre, also starring Michael Newell as "Rolf".

1964: Produced at the Lyric Theatre by Des Morley with David Horner and Marcelle Mitchell.

1972: Staged by the Port Elizabeth Shakespearean Festival by Helen Mann.

1976: Brickhill-Burke and PACT revival of The Sound of Music at His Majesty's Theatre in June 1976. Direction and choreography were taken care of by Joan Brickhill and Louis Burke, the latter of which also starred in this production together with Judy Page, Jarmilla Tellinger, Terry Lester and Diane Todd.

1984: Staged by the Port Elizabeth Gilbert & Sullivan Society

1996: Staged by the Port Elizabeth Gilbert & Sullivan Society

1996 Staged by Artscape(?*) with Angela Kilian.

2002: Staged by the Port Elizabeth Gilbert & Sullivan Society

2003: Staged by the Cape Town Gilbert and Sullivan Society in 2003.

2005: Directed by Ralph Lawson at The Playhouse Opera, Durban, starring Angela Kilian, Peter Butler, Dale Wesson, Frances Currie, Claire Mortimer, Garth Anderson, David Chevers, Tamar Meskin and others.

2014 Andrew Lloyd Webber's 2013 production brought to South Africa by Pieter Toerien, David Ian and The Really Useful Group, with André Schwartz as Captain von Trapp and Bethany Dickson as Maria. The season: Cape Town - Artscape Opera, 19 February 2014 – 29 March 2014; Johannesburg - The Teatro at Montecasino, 5 April 2014 – 8 June 2014. Directed by with Andre Schwartz as Captain von Trapp and Bethany Dickson as Maria, as well as Janelle Visagie as Mother Abbess, Tarryn Sudding as the Baroness Schraeder, James Borthwick as Max Detwieler, Carmen Pretorius as Liesel von Trapp, Rhys Williams as Rolf Gruber, Malcolm Terrey as Franz, Rika Sennett as Frau Schmidt, Genna Galloway as Sister Berthe, Monique Weich as Sister as Margaretta and LJ Neilson as Sister Sophia. Pauline du Plessis, Ami Rose Barber, Sebe Leotlela, Pisto Msongelna, Claire Simonis, Mike Huff, Richard White, Adam Pelkowitz, Mark Sykes, Duane Alexander, Ryan Flynn, Torah Rapoho and Claire Taylor are the ensemble cast.

Adaptations
1994: An immensely popular skit on it, called Almost the Sound of Music, was created by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder  for Artscape in  1994. Directed by Mark Graham with Anthea Thompson, Christine Weir and Heinrich Reisenhofer.

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