Steven Houghton & More to Join Danielle Hope in THE SOUND OF MUSIC 2015 UK Tour

One of the greatest musicals of all time, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, returns to the stage in a magnificent new production which opens on Thursday 15 January at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley ahead of a major national tour.

Playing the iconic role of Maria von Trapp is DANIELLE HOPE, who captured the hearts of the country when she won BBC Television's Over the Rainbow and made her professional debut as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium. Danielle has since played Eponine in LES MISERABLES in London's West End and Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Joining the company as Captain von Trapp is much-loved stage and television star STEVEN HOUGHTON. Well-known for his longstanding television roles in Coronation Street and London's Burning, Olivier-Award nominated actor Steven has taken on leading roles in Spend Spend Spend, Blood Brothers, White Christmas, Martin Guerre and Grease.

Produced by Bill Kenwright, directed by Martin Connor, choreographed by Olivier Award winner Bill Deamer, musical direction by David Steadman, this wonderfully lavish new staging of the classic musical coincides with the 50th anniversary of the film version - the most successful movie musical in history.

It all began with the story of the Trapp Family Singers and Baroness Maria von Trapp's 1949 autobiography, which inspired Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse to create a Broadway musical in 1959. The Sound of Music tells the true story of the world-famous singing family, from their romantic beginnings and search for happiness, to their thrilling escape to freedom as their beloved Austria becomes part of the Third Reich at the start of WWII.

The unforgettable score features some of the most memorable songs ever performed on stage, including 'Edelweiss', 'My Favorite Things', 'Do-Re-Mi', 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain', 'So Long, Farewell' and of course, the title song, 'The Sound of Music'.

Joining Danielle and Steven are West End stars Jan Hartley (Phantom of the Opera and West Side Story) and Sarah Soetaert (Chicago) who will play the Mother Abbess and Baroness Elsa Schrader, respectively, with Howard Samuels as Max, Grace Chapman as Liesl, Luke George as Rolf, Kate Milner Evans as Frau Schmidt and Martin Dickinson as Admiral Von Schreiber.

Completing the cast are Madeline Banbury, Lewis Barnshaw, Ellie Botterill, Zoe Ann Bown, Colin Burnicle, Elana Cerversi, Grace Chapman, Jessica Daley, Philip Day, Lynden Edwards, Cole Emsley, Grace Gardner, Libby Griffiths, Lewis Jamieson, William Keeler, Noah Key, Zach Loizou, Mia Long, Ava Merson-O'Brien, Isabelle Methven, Tilly Murray, Zaiya Omamon, Katie Shearman, Isabella Taylor, Joshua Warden, Liberty Wilson and Hanna Zienkiewicz.