THE SOUND OF MUSIC Begins Previews at Drury Lane Theatre

Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, will extend THE SOUND OF MUSIC, the Tony Award and Academy Award-winning musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, through January 8, 2012 due to popular demand. The production opens October 27.

A captivating love story featuring some of Broadway's most popular music, THE SOUND OF MUSIC is directed and choreographed by multi-Jeff Award winner Rachel Rockwell (Sweeney Todd, Ragtime and Miss Saigon at Drury Lane Theatre), who was named "Best Director" by Chicago Magazine in 2010. THE SOUND OF MUSIC features an all-star cast led by five-time Jeff Award nominee Larry Adams as "Captain von Trapp" (the Broadway production and National Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, Drury Lane Theatre's Ragtime and The Music Man, and The Merry Widow at The Lyric Opera of Chicago), Tony Award-nominee Patti Cohenour as "Mother Abbess" ("Mother Abbess" in the 1997 Broadway revival of The Sound of Music, "Christine" in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, and The Light in the Piazza at the Lincoln Center) and introducing Jennifer Blood as "Maria" (Falling for Eve Off-Broadway).

Set in Austria in the late 1930s, THE SOUND OF MUSIC is the enchanting story of Maria, a spirited young nun who leaves the convent to become a governess for the seven children of the widowed Captain von Trapp. Maria endears herself to the mischievous children by teaching them to sing and leading them on adventures through the Austrian countryside, eventually capturing the stern Captain's heart. After Maria and Captain von Trapp marry, the Nazi Party orders him to join a naval unit, forcing the family to flee the Nazi regime by escaping across the Alps on foot. Based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers," THE SOUND OF MUSIC features classic songs including My Favorite Things, Climb Every Mountain, Sixteen Going on Seventeen, Edelweiss, and The Sound of Music.

The original 1959 Broadway production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, Book, and Score, and ran for 1,223 performances. The production was the final collaboration between the legendary team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Since its original Broadway premiere in 1959, the musical has been nominated for a multitude of awards and has been presented on stages around the world including hit London and Broadway productions. The acclaimed 1965 film version of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, won five Academy Awards including Best Picture.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC also stars Jeff Award-nominee McKinley Carter as "Elsa"; Jeff Award-winner David Girolmo as "Herr Zeller" (Drury Lane Theatre's Sweeney Todd, Candide on Broadway, Passion at Ravinia); Jeff Award-nominee Peter Kevoian as "Max" (The Screwtape Letters at The Mercury Theater); Jeff Award-winner John Reeger as "Franz" ("Scrooge" in A Christmas Carol at Drury Lane Theatre, Sunset Boulevard at Marriott Theatre, Amadeus at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Jeff Award-winner Paula Scrofano as "Frau Schmidt" (Broadway Bound at Drury Lane Theatre, The Most Happy Fella at Ravinia Festival, The Wizard of Oz at Chicago Shakespeare, and Sunday in the Park with George at Goodman Theatre); Jeff Award-nominee Craig Spidle as "Admiral von Schrieber" (Over the Tavern at The Mercury Theater) and Brandon Springman as "Rolf" (Drury Lane Theatre's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers).
Julia Baker and Marie Claire Popernick ("Gretl"), Arielle Dayan and Ingrid Lowry ("Brigitta"), Katie Huff ("Liesl"), Zachary Keller ("Friedrich"), Emily Leahy and Hannah Whitlock ("Marta"), Ethan Lupp and Ben Parkhill ("Kurt"), and Laura Nelson and Dana Paulo ("Louisa") play the von Trapp children. The ensemble includes Michael Accardo, Audrey Billings, Gary Carlson, Jeff Diebold, Michael Ehlers, Natalie Ford, James Lee Glatz, Cory Goodrich, Sophie Grimm, Catherine Lord, Emilie Lynn, Leisa Mather, Ann McMann, Liz Pazik, Genevieve Perrino, and Jennie Sophia.

Amber Mak (Sweeney Todd, Ragtime and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Drury Lane Theatre) serves as Assistant Director of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, with Musical Direction by Jeff Award winner Roberta Duchak (Sweeney Todd, Ragtime, Spamalot, Miss Saigon, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Drury Lane Theatre). The set by Jeff Award winner Kevin Depinet (Sweeney Todd, Ragtime and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Drury Lane Theatre and set designer for the film Public Enemies) transports audiences to the gorgeous Austrian countryside and stately von Trapp family home. Vivid lighting is by Jeff Award winner Jesse Klug (Sweeney Todd and Spamalot at Drury Lane Theatre and The Screwtape Letters National Tour). Costume Design is by Theresa Ham (Drury Lane Theatre's Sweeney Todd, Dirty Blonde at Theatre Wit); Sound Design is by Garth Helm (Drury Lane Theatre's Sweeney Todd): and Wig Design is by Rick Jarvie (Drury Lane Theatre's Sweeney Todd).

THE SOUND OF MUSIC has been called "Blissful!" by the Los Angeles Times; "Wonderfully endearing!" by the New York Post; and "Brilliant! Perfect entertainment for the entire family!" by The Houston Chronicle. "Triumphant! The virtues of this enchanted musical are truly iconic!" raved The Toronto Star and The Washington Times enthused that "Even after all these years, the sheer number of fabulous music moments in this show simply boggles the mind!"

The performance schedule for THE SOUND OF MUSIC is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. ($35), Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. ($35) and 8 p.m. ($40), Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ($45), Saturdays at 5 p.m. ($45) and 8:30 p.m. ($46) and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. ($45) and 6 p.m. ($40). Lunch and dinner theater packages range from $49.75 to $68 depending on the day of the week. Student tickets start as low as $20 and Senior Citizen tickets start as low as $29 for matinees and $43.75 for a matinee luncheon package. For reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111, call TicketMaster at 800.745.3000, or visit www.drurylaneoakbrook.com.

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