THE SOUND OF MUSIC Comes to Virginia!

Virginia Arts Festival and Virginia Opera present The Sound of Music Music by Richard Rodgers Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II Book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse Suggested by "The Trapp Family Singers" By Maria Augusta Trapp May 13-15, 2022 Ticket Link: secure.vafest.org/the-sound-of-music Co-produced by Virginia Arts Festival and Virginia Opera Rob Fisher, conductor, Matt Krunkel, stage director Beth Crandall, choreographer Virginia Symphony Orchestra Cast: Maria Rainer - Mikaela Bennett Captain Georg von Trapp - Edward Watts Mother Abbess - Aundi Marie Moore Elsa Schraeder - Carlyn Connolly Max Detweiler - David Foley Jr. Liesl von Trapp - Kiara Lee Friedrich von Trapp - Stephen Culpepper Louisa von Trapp - Alitheia West Kurt von Trapp - Rhys West Brigitta von Trapp - Avelyn Bollen Marta von Trapp - Rainier Treviño Gretl von Trapp - Stormie Treviño Rolf Gruber - Conor Crowley One of the most beloved musicals of all time, The Sound of Music became a Broadway legend when it opened in 1959, capturing five Tony Awards including Best Musical; the film version released in 1965 won five Academy Awards including Best Picture. Set in 1938 and based on the story of the Trapp Family Singers, the musical is about a young Austrian postulant nun, Maria, who is sent to the villa of a retired naval officer and widower to be governess to his seven children. In the shadow of the Nazi invasion of their country, Maria brings love and music to the family. The score, which generations of fans can sing by heart, includes such memorable songs as "My Favorite Things," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "The Sound of Music," "Do-Re-Mi" and more. The beloved Broadway classic leaps to life this spring with a new full production that joins the creative forces of three of Virginia's most respected performing arts powerhouses: the Virginia Opera, whose annual performances in Norfolk, Richmond and Fairfax have won it the designation as the Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia; Virginia Arts Festival, whose yearly presentations include some of the greatest artists of music, ballet and theatre and draw tens of thousands of fans from across the region and the U.S., as well as internationally; and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, whose performances in Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg touch the lives of more than 100,000 adults and students each season. The new production, part of the Virginia Arts Festival's 25th season celebration, will be conducted by Rob Fisher, renowned on Broadway, television, and in recordings for his "nimble baton" that draws "attention to the intricacy and wit of the orchestrations" (The New York Times). Fisher's conducting on the Chicago Lyric Opera's 2014 production of The Sound of Music won rave reviews. Don't miss this exciting performance! THE SOUND OF MUSIC is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. www.concordtheatricals.com