The full company has been announced for Adam Penford’s new production of The Sound of Music, running at Chichester Festival Theatre from 10 July – 3 September, with a press night on Monday 17 July.
Gina Beck, whose performance as Nellie Forbush in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific in 2021 was also acclaimed in London and on a UK tour, returns to play Maria. Making their Chichester debuts are Edward Harrison (A Christmas Carol, Skellig) as Captain von Trapp and opera singer Janis Kelly (Rufus Wainwright’s Prima Donna, many appearances at Glyndebourne/Royal Opera House/ENO) as Mother Abbess. Returning to Chichester are Ako Mitchell (Caroline, Or Change, The Color Purple) as Max Detweiler, and Emma Williams (Half A Sixpence, Love Story) as Elsa Schraeder.
Joining them are Elliott Baker-Costello, Wendy Carr, Lauren Chia, Lauren Conroy (as Liesl), Wendy Ferguson, Hana Ichijo, William Ilkley, Rebekah Lowings, Liam Marcellino, Dylan Mason (as Rolf), Julia J Nagle, Minal Patel, Matt Pettifor, Rebecca Ridout, Tony Stansfield, Annabelle Williams and Penelope Woodman.
The roles of the von Trapp children will be shared by Jesamine-Bleu Gibbs, Barnaby Halliwell, Audrey Kattan, Arrabella McDermott, Gabriel Payne, Mia Raggio, Erin Rushidi, Maya Sewrey, Vishal Soni, Dylan Trigger, Felicity Walton and Sasha Watson-Lobo.
Austria, 1938. Free-spirited nun Maria is sent away from her abbey to become governess to the widowed Captain von Trapp’s seven children. She brings music and laughter back to his unfeeling household, but the future holds more joy and jeopardy than she ever dreamed possible.
The Sound of Music was Rodgers & Hammerstein’s last and perhaps most treasured musical, and is being produced at Chichester for the first time. The glorious score is a box of delights, from Climb Ev’ry Mountain, My Favorite Things and Edelweiss to Do-Re-Mi and The Sound of Music itself.
This brand new production of the original stage musical is directed by Adam Penford, Artistic Director of Nottingham Playhouse, where his productions include Piaf and The Madness of George III; and designed by Robert Jones (Murder on the Orient Express, The Unfriend, Oklahoma!).
The choreographer is Lizzi Gee; the musical supervisor, Gareth Valentine; musical director Matt Samer; original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett; orchestral adaptation by Larry Blank and Mark Cumberland; lighting designer, Johanna Town; sound designer, Paul Groothuis; video designer Hayley Egan; casting director Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion Casting; and children’s casting director Verity Naughton CDG.
The Sound of Music is sponsored by R.L. Austen and Greenwood Wealth Solutions.
