A brand new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic THE SOUND OF MUSIC launched its national tour at the Center Theatre Group / Ahmanson Theatre last night, September 30 at 8 p.m. Directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien, the production closes in Los Angeles on October 31, 2015, and will then tour North America for multiple seasons, playing multi-week and week-long engagements. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night curtain call and festivities below!
Ben Davis (Broadway's "Violet," "A Little Night Music," "La Bohème") plays Captain Georg von Trapp and Ashley Brown(Broadway's "Mary Poppins," NBC's "The Sound of Music") plays The Mother Abbess with Merwin Foard as Max Detweiler, Teri Hansen as Elsa Schraeder, Dan Tracy as Rolf and Paige Silvester as Liesl. The von Trapp children are played by Erich Schuett (Friedrich), Maria Knasel (Louisa),Quinn Erickson (Kurt), Svea Johnson(Brigitta), Mackenzie Currie (Marta) and Audrey Bennett (Gretl). Jack O'Brien introduces his brand new discovery,Kerstin Anderson, as Maria Rainer. A current student at Pace University, Anderson won the coveted role from hundreds who auditioned. This is her first national tour.
The ensemble includes Carey Rebecca Brown, Ronald L. Brown, Ca?itli?n Burke, Christopher Carl, Kyla Carter, Austin Colby, Daniella Dalli, Elisabeth Evans, Donna Garner,Meghan Hales, Jenavene Hester, Adam Hill, Jeremy Michael Lanuti, Darren Matthias, Kelly McCormick, Julia Osborne, Andrea Ross, Brent Schindele, Jim Schubin and Aviva Winick.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by "The Trapp Family Singers" by Maria Augusta Trapp. This new production is directed by Jack O'Brien (credits include "Hairspray," "The Full Monty," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," "The Coast of Utopia"), and choreographed by Danny Mefford ("Fun Home," "The Bridges of Madison County," "Bloody BloodyAndrew Jackson").
The design and production team is comprised of Douglas W. Schmidt, set design (Tony Award® nominee: "42nd Street," "Into the Woods"); Jane Greenwood, costume design (2014 recipient of Special Tony Award® for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre); Natasha Katz, lighting design (five-time Tony Award® winner: "An American in Paris," "Once," "Aida," "The Coast of Utopia," "The Glass Menagerie"); and Ken Travis, sound design ("Aladdin," "Newsies," "Memphis").
Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

Kerstin Anderson and Ben Davis during the curtain call for the opening night performance THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

Ben Davis and Kerstin Anderson

Audrey Bennett, Mackenzie Currie, Svea Johnson, Quinn Erickson, Maria Knasel, Erich Schuett and Paige Silvester

THE SOUND OF MUSIC ensemble

Right, CTG Producing Director Douglas C. Baker addresses the company backstage after the opening night performance.

Actress Janine DiVita

Actress Janine DiVita

YouTube personality Colleen Evans

YouTube personality Colleen Evans

Actor Michael Urie

Producer Ted Chapin

Personality Kelly Hu

Actress Shirley Jones and Producer Ted Chapin

Actress Suzanne Cryer and son

Actor Aaron Takahashi

Actress Jennifer Paz and musician Anthony Fedorov

Actress Victoria Moroles

Musicians Liam Attridge, Emery Kelly and Ricky Garcia

Actress Chloe Lukasiak

Actress Landry Bender

Original movie cast member Kym Karath

TV personality Petri Hawkins-Byrd and Tiffany C. Adams

Actor Obba Babatunde

Actor Obba Babatunde

Actors Benjamin Royer and Matthew Royer

Nicholas and Pamela Guest

Disney composer Richard Sherman and wife Elizabeth Sherman

Cast members Teri Hansen and Merwin Foard

Cast members Teri Hansen and Merwin Foard

Associate director Matt Lenz with cast members Ben Davis, Ashley Brown, Kerstin Anderson, and music supervisor Andy Einhorn

Associate director Matt Lenz with cast members Ben Davis, Ashley Brown, Kerstin Anderson, and music supervisor Andy Einhorn

Cast members from THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Ali Kocyigit, cast member Teri Hansen and Tekin Girgin

Cast members Paige Silvester and Dan Tracy

Cast members Paige Silvester and Dan Tracy

Cast member Ben Davis

Cast member Ben Davis

Cast member Kerstin Anderson

Cast member Kerstin Anderson

Cast members Kerstin Anderson and Ben Davis

Cast members Kerstin Anderson and Ben Davis

Disney composer Richard Sherman (center) with cast members Paige Silvester and Dan Tracy

Cast member Ben Davis (center) and CTG Artistic Director's Circle members Eileen and Ken Kaplan

Musician Liam Attridge, cast member Merwin Foard, musicians Ricky Garcia and Emery Kelly

Cast member Jeremy Michael Lanuti, Disney actors Matthew Royer, Benjamin Royer and cast member Quinn Erickson

Cast member Ashley Brown and Disney composer Richard Sherman

Original movie cast member Kym Karath (center) talks to the tour cast members

Kym Karath (center), who was the original 'Gretl' in the movie, poses with the national tour 'Gretls', Kyla Carter and Audrey Bennett

Original movie cast member Kym Karath (center) poses with cast members Mackenzie Currie, Aviva Winick, Audrey Bennett and Kyla Carter

Cast members Aviva Winick, Kyla Carter and Mackenzie Currie

CTG Producing Director Douglas C. Baker, cast member Kerstin Anderson and Producer Ted Chapin
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