Contra Costa Civic Theatre Concludes 55th Anniversary Season with THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Contra Costa Civic Theatre (CCCT) ends its 55th season with one of the world's most beloved musicals, The Sound of Music, directed by CCCT Artistic Director Marilyn Langbehn with music direction by Kevin Roland and choreography by Rick Wallace, from June 12 through July 19. Performances will be Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm at the theatre.

"I have loved this show since I was a little girl," says Langbehn, "and I've never done a production of it. CCCT's 55th anniversary just happened to coincide with both the 55th anniversary of the original stage production and the 50th anniversary of the film, so the timing felt perfect for us to present it. My hope is that a new generation will fall in love with the story and the incredible music the same way I did."

The final partnership of the legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein, with book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, The Sound of Music has captivated audiences for decades with its memorable characters and unforgettable score, including the title song, "Do Re Mi", "My Favorite Things", "Climb Every Mountain", and "Edelweiss." The now-familiar story of a young postulant who gives up the religious life when she falls in love with "a Captain with seven children" includes one of the most thrilling and inspirational finales in musical theater, as the family bids farewell to their native Austria and narrowly escapes the Nazis on the eve of World War II.

The cast includes Sarah Sloan as Maria and Mark Manske as Captain von Trapp, with Marie Plette as Mother Abbess, Maggie Tenenbaum as Baroness Elsa Schrader, Ron Pickett as Max Detweiler, Joe Metheny as Rolf, Christian McCooey as Franz, Kelcey Poe as Frau Schmidt, Paul Hogarth as Herr Zeller, and Bob Stratton as Admiral von Schreiber. The von Trapp children will be portrayed by Grace Lorenzana(Liesl), Tommy Huebner (Friedrich), Casey Moore (Louisa), Isaiah Johnson (Kurt), Maya Martinez-Krams(Brigitta), Kyra Chee (Marta), and Charlotte Curtin (Gretl). The nuns of Nonnberg Abbey are Chloë Angst(Sister Margaretta), Daria Bauer (Sister Berthe), Natalie Buck-Bauer (Sister Sophia), Christina Boothman, Mary Coleston, Joy Craig, Gracie Guichard, Mariah Heath, Genevieve Saldanha, Kelcey Poe, and Peggy Stratton.

The production features set design by George Ledo, costume design by Lisa Danz, lighting design by Hamilton Guillén, and sound design by Michael Kelly.

Single tickets for The Sound of Music are available online at www.ccct.org or by phone at 510.524.9132. Adult tickets are $29 in advance, or $35 at the door; youth tickets for ages 16 and under are $15 in advance, or $20 at the door. Discounts available for groups of 15 or more. All performances take place at CCCT's intimate and fully accessible theatre in the Flynn building located at 951 Pomona Avenue (cross street Moeser) in El Cerrito. Free parking is provided in the adjoining lot. For more information, visit www.ccct.org.

ABOUT CONTRA COSTA CIVIC THEATRE

Contra Costa Civic Theatre, established in 1959 by Louis and Bettianne Flynn and a group of dedicated volunteers and now under the artistic direction of Marilyn Langbehn, is a non-profit community theatre with its permanent home in El Cerrito, CA. Our mission is to provide affordable, high-quality entertainment to residents throughout the East Bay and provide training in performing arts for children and adults. We are proud to be an independent, self-sufficient organization presenting five Main Stage and thirteen youth productions annually in our intimate two hundred seat theatre.