Riverdale Repertory Company to Present THE SOUND OF MUSIC, 3/7-15

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of one of the world's most beloved films, Riverdale Repertory Company and Riverdale Rising Stars join forces to present the original stage version of the classic musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC for six performances only, from March 7 to March 15, 2015.

Featuring adult, teenage, and child performers from Riverdale, Yonkers, Upper Manhattan, and beyond, performances of THE SOUND OF MUSIC­ will be held at the Riverdale YM-YWHA, located at 5625 Arlington Avenue (just off of Riverdale Avenue and West 256th Street), in Riverdale, Bronx, NY.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for seniors and students if purchased online at www.RiverdaleRisingStars.com/soundofmusic, or $22 for adults and $14 for seniors and students if purchased at the door prior to showtime. Tickets may also be purchased by phone 24/7 by calling Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006 and selecting option 1.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC is inspired by the true story of a young nun who becomes a governess to the seven children of a naval officer widower in pre-World War II Austria. Against the rising tide of world events, Maria opens her new family's hearts with the sound of music.

The show features an evergreen score with music by Richard Rodgers and music by Oscar Hammerstein II, with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by "The Trapp Family Singers" by Maria von Trapp. THE SOUND OF MUSIC includes an astonishing number of standards, including "Edelweiss," "Climb Every Mountain," "My Favorite Things," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," "Do-Re-Mi," "So Long, Farewell," and of course, the iconic title number. The film soundtrack spent 70 weeks at the top of the American charts, and became the best-selling recording of the 1960s in the United Kingdom.

The original stage production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC premiered on Broadway in 1959 in a production starring Mary Martin, and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The show was revived on Broadway in 1998. The film version starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer was released in 1965 and won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film was shown annually on television beginning in the 1970s, and a live television production starring country singer Carrie Underwood premiered to record ratings in 2013.

The Riverdale Repertory Company/Riverdale Rising Stars production is directed Betsy Silverman, with choreography by Emily Walton and music direction by Justin Fischer. The design team consists of Jenna Lyons and Eric Zoback (Scenery) Penelope Margeotes (Costumes), David Pentz (Lighting), and Denise Eberly (Sound).

The cast includes Robin Aleman, Amelia Axelrod, Julian Bar-Ilian, Lily Bayrock, Sam Backer, Ronnie Becher, Esther Cohen Bezborodko, Sigal Bezborodko, Sarah Bolensky, Elizabeth Brierty, Hayden Briklin, Wylie Cohen, Sara Crowe, Jim DeBlasi, Elizabeth DiMeo, Rosemary Essig, Ann Feldman, Abby Fisher, Eliza Fisher, Davi Frank, Neri Frank, Leila Haller, Elaine Helmrich, Michaela Jonas-Giugni, Josh Judin, Philip Meranus, Aviva Michaeli, Keila Muñoz, John Palacio, Marilyn Raider, Katie Rhoades, Barbara Salant, Nava Schorsch, Jacob Schorsch, Judah Shapiro, Kyra Siegel, Ayelet Spevack, Joanie Varela, and Leora Zackon.