Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre to Open 20th Anniversary Season with THE SOUND OF MUSIC

The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre will be kicking off its 20th Anniversary Platinum Season on January 17th when the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic, The Sound of Music, returns to the theatre. It will be the first show in a blockbuster line-up in a year that will celebrate Way Off Broadway's two decades of bringing Live Theatre to the stage.

The final collaboration between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein was destined to become one of the most beloved musicals ever. Not a day goes by when there is not a production of The Sound of Music playing somewhere around the world. And the motion picture version remains the most popular movie musical of all time.

When a postulant proves too high-spirited for the religious life, she is dispatched to serve as governess for the seven children of a widowed naval Captain. Her growing rapport with the youngsters, coupled with her generosity of spirit, gradually captures the heart of the stern Captain, and they marry. Upon returning from their honeymoon they discover that Austria has been invaded by the Nazis, who demand the Captain's immediate service in their navy. The family's narrow escape over the mountains to Switzerland on the eve of World War II provides one of the most thrilling and inspirational finales ever presented in the theatre.

The Sound of Music opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in November 1959 starring Mary Martin, who had starred in Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific on Broadway and in London, as Maria and Theodore Bikel as Captain von Trapp. The original production ran for nearly four years and over 1,400 performances, winning five Tony Awards including best Actress in a Musical (Martin) and Best Musical. The national tour that followed crisscrossed the country for two years and opened with Florence Henderson starring as Maria.

It was six years after the Broadway premier that The Sound of Music made its way to the silver screen. The motion picture adaption starred Julie Andrew as Maria and Christopher Plummer as Captain von Trapp. At the 38th Academy Awards, the film received ten nominations and took home five awards, including Best Picture.

While the musical was produced locally and regionally on a regular basis, and the movie was frequently seen on television, it was not until 1998, 39 years after it first opened in New York, that Broadway hosted a revival of the popular Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. The production ran for over 570 total performances and received a Tony nomination for Best Revival of a Musical and four Outer Critics Circle nominations.

As Way Off Broadway was preparing for its 20th Anniversary Season, everyone agreed that the season-opener had to be something "big." Looking back at the theatre's 20 years, The Sound of Music has had two unbelievably successful runs and is still one of the most requested shows by audience members. So Way Off Broadway's Platinum Anniversary Season will open with a brand new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's enduring classic.

The cast will be lead by Melissa Ann Martin, who made her Way Off Broadway debut as Brooke Wyndam in 2013's production of Legally Blonde, and WOB veteran Steve Steele as Captain von Trapp. They will be joined on stage by Maria-Giulia Bruni as Mother Abbess, Mary Ellen Cameron as Elsa Schraeder, Charles Cizek as Rolf, Josephine Patane as Liesl, and Jordan B. Stocksdale as Max Detweiler. Also in the cast are Chelsea Bondarenko, Matthew Crawford, Johnna Leary, Matt Mastromatteo, Hannah Pecoraro, Jospeh Waeyaert, Tori Weaver, and Tiara Whaley.

The von Trapp children will be played by Cavin Davis and Luke Szukalski as Friedrich, Macy Armagost and Megan Jacobs as Louisa, Abel Hart and Daniel Puckett as Kurt, Annie Krop and Sarah Szukalski as Brigitta, Katharine Ford and Audrey Kilgore as Marta, and Charlotte Kilgore and Serena Parrish as Gretl.

The Sound of Music has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Way Off Broadway's production is directed by Samn Huffer with music direction by Jordan B. Stocksdale.

The Sound of Music will play from January 17 - March 15, 2014, with performances every Friday and Saturday evening and matinees on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sunday of each month. A special Sing-a-Long performance will be held on Sunday, March 2nd.

Tickets are $43 for Friday evenings and Sunday matinees; and $47 for Saturday evenings. Tickets are now on sale to the general public and can be purchased by contacting the Box Office at (301) 662-6600.

For additional information about the show or any of Way Off Broadway's productions, including it Children's Theatre productions and special event, visit the theatre online at www.wayoffbroadway.com.