Ashley Brown and Tom Hewitt Lead St. Louis Muny's THE SOUND OF MUSIC, 7/26-8/1

The St. Louis Muny's upcoming production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC will feature some Broadway talent. Ashley Brown (MARY POPPINS, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) will play Maria von Trapp opposite Tom Hewitt (CHICAGO, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, THE LION KING) as Baron von Trapp, Playbill.com reports. The production opens July 26 and runs through August 1.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC will be directed by Marc Bruni, with choreography by Liza Gennaro, musical direction by Ben Whiteley, set design by Michael Anania, and lighting design by F. Mitchell Dana.

The rest of the cast includes Lewis J. Stadlen as Max Detwiler, Jessica Grové as Liesel, Matthew Howard as Kurt, Berklea Going as Louisa, Leslie Denniston as Elsa Schrader, Julia Schweizer as Brigitta, John Contini as Franza, Laura Ackermann as Frau Schmidt, James Anthony as Oberst Von Scheriber, Linda Mugleston as Mother Abbess, Elizabeth Teeter as Marta, Maria Knasel as Gretl, Rich Pisarkiewicz as Herr Zeller, Christian Probst as Freidrich, Justin Scott Brown as Rolf, Madeline Trumble as Sister Sophia, Jane Pisarkewicz as Sister Berthe and Lynn Humphrey as Sister Margaretta. The ensemble includes Amy Blackman, Jen Brissman, RJ Brown, Will Burton, Audrey Cardwell, Nick Cosgrove, Katherine Cuba, Neal Frederiksen, Erik Heitz, Lynn Humphrey, Andy Jones, Samantha Massell, Kent Overshown, Mary Michael Patterson, Jane Pisarkiewicz, John Riddle, Michelle Rombola, Patrick Ross and Madeline Trumble.

For her portrayal of Mary Poppins, Ashley Brown received Drama League, Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle nominations for Best Actress. Brown was first discovered by Disney Theatrical Productions in 2004, shortly after her graduation from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Just a few months out of college, she landed the leading role of Kristen in a workshop of the touring production of Disney's On the Record. She then was offered the role when the world premiere production launched later that year. Shortly after ending her run with On The Record, Brown was offered the chance to star in Beauty and the Beast and made her Broadway debut as Belle in September 2005.

A Broadway regular, Tom Hewitt received Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations for his unforgettable performance as Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Show. His other Broadway credits include Dracula, The Musical; The Boys form Syracuse; Disney's The Lion King (Scar); School for Scandal and The Sisters Rosenzweig. His national touring credits include Urinetown and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, for which he received a Touring Broadway Award. He has been seen Off-Broadway in Jeffrey, Beau Jest (Outer Critics Circle nomination), Richard III and Othello.