The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music

The lavish and much-anticipated London production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC comes to New Zealand in September. The show will open at Wellington's St James Theatre on 12 September for a strictly limited season then move to The Civic in Auckland, opening on 3 October. Tickets for the Wellington season go on exclusive pre-sale tomorrow, with public sales commencing on 3 June. The waitlist for this production is already extensive so fans are urged to book early.

This acclaimed production of the legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein musical premiered at the home of West End musical theatre – the London Palladium – where it celebrated a record-breaking 954 performances and was seen by well over 2 million people, before going on to enjoy sell-out performances internationally.

Reprising her West End role especially for the New Zealand tour is the UK’s international star LESLEY GARRETT as the Mother Abbess. Britain’s most popular soprano, Lesley Garrett CBE has found fame on the stage, on TV and as a recording artist, winning both critical acclaim and the affection of many fans and music lovers.

Lesley’s operatic career includes lead roles with the Royal Opera at Covent Garden in London, English National Opera at the London Coliseum, the internationally renowned Glyndebourne Festival Opera, the Welsh National Opera as well as Opera North. Internationally she has performed in operas or in concert throughout Europe, the USA, Australia, Russia, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. Her major television appearances include Lesley Garrett…Tonight, The Lesley Garrett Show, The Singer, Sacred Songs and Lesley Garrett – Desert Dreams for the BBC. Lesley has 14 solo CDs to her credit.

Maria will be played by Bethany Dickson, who is currently performing the role in Johannesburg. Bethany was last in New Zealand playing the lead role Sandy in the box office smash-hitGrease. Her stage credits also include Carousel, High School Musical and Sunset Boulevard.

Joining the 30-strong international cast will be a total of 18 talented young New Zealand actors playing the roles of six of the seven von Trapp children, in the opportunity of a lifetime. Following recent auditions, the cast will be announced later next month.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC features an unforgettable score that includes some of the most famous songs ever performed on the musical stage including “My Favorite Things”, “Edelweiss”, “Do-Re-Mi”, “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”, “The Lonely Goatherd”, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”, and the title song “The Sound of Music”.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC tells the uplifting true story of Maria, the fun-loving governess who changes the lives of the widowed Captain von Trapp and his seven children by re-introducing them to music, culminating in the family’s escape across the mountains from Austria.

The musical originally premiered on Broadway 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.

Since the turn of the 21st century, the enduring magic of THE SOUND OF MUSIC has lead to major productions around the world, giving testament to its title as “The World’s Most Popular Musical”. For the London Palladium production, Andrew Lloyd Webber cast the role of Maria following a hugely popular 2006 BBC reality television show called How do You Solve a Problem like Maria?, which made its winner Connie Fisher into a star.

Producer and CEO of Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, James Cundall, said “To bring a musical of this calibre and popularity to New Zealand is a dream come true for me. THE SOUND OF MUSIC is an iconic musical, and contains all the elements which make a show magical.

”It’s thrilling that New Zealand audiences will see a production of this quality which has entertained so many people at the London Palladium This show continues our vision of bringing the best of the West End and Broadway to New Zealand.”

The pre-sale for the Wellington season will begin tomorrow (Thursday, 29 May) with Ticketek and the Lunchbox Theatrical Productions members club. General public will have access to these in-demand tickets on Tuesday, 3 June. Tickets to the Auckland season go on sale on 23 June via Ticketmaster.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC is produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Company and David Ian Productions, and is presented in New Zealand by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and David Atkins Enterprises.

TICKETING AND SHOW INFORMATION

WELLINGTON –

PRE-SALE STARTS TOMORROW 29 MAY.

TICKETS ON SALE TO GENERAL PUBLIC NEXT TUESDAY, 3 JUNE

Season: From 12 September – St James Theatre

BOOKINGS 0800 TICKETEK (0800 842 538) or ticketek.co.nz

Groups 10+ SAVE! Call Group Bookings on 04 384 3842

AUCKLAND –

TICKETS ON SALE 23 JUNE.

WAITLIST NOW www: soundofmusic.co.nz

Season: From 3 October – The Civic

LESLEY GARRETT, CBE

Lesley Garrett, CBE, is Britain’s most popular soprano, regularly appearing in both opera and in concert, on television and CD; she has won both critical acclaim and the affection of many fans and music lovers.

As a recording artist, she has 14 solo CDs to her credit; Soprano in Red received the Gramophone Award for 'Best-selling Classical Artist of the Year', Diva! A Soprano At The Movies, Prima Donna, Simple Gifts, Soprano in Red, Soprano in Hollywood and I Will Wait for You all received silver discs and A Soprano Inspired and Lesley Garrett both achieved gold discs. Recent albums are Travelling Light, The Singer, So Deep is the Night, When I Fall in Love, and Amazing Grace. She was also a featured artist on the platinum sellingPerfect Day single released by the BBC in aid of Children in Need. Her most recent classical recording was the role of Despina for Sir Charles Mackerras's recording of The Magic Flute.

Lesley's major television appearances include Lesley Garrett…Tonight, The Lesley Garrett Show, The Singer, Sacred Songs and Lesley Garrett – Desert Dreams for the BBC. Other BBC appearances have included the documentary Jobs for the Girls with Linda Robson and Pauline Quirke, Viva la Diva and The Lily Savage Show. Lesley was also the subject of aSouth Bank Show on LWT.

Internationally Lesley has performed throughout Europe, the USA , Australia, Russia, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. Lesley was awarded a CBE in the 2002 New Year's Honours List for Services to Music and is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and an RAM Governor.

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