Northern Stage Presents Fresh Take On THE SOUND OF MUSIC

The Vermont hills will come alive with the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music at the Barrette Center for the Arts in White River Junction for the holidays, November 20 - January 5. For tickets and information, call (802) 296-7000 or visit northernstage.org. Tickets start at $34 for adults and $19 for students. More than half of all available tickets for this production are already sold and Northern Stage anticipates many sold out performances. Early ticket purchasing is highly recommended.

The musical follows the personal journey of young Austrian postulant Maria Rainer. She is a free spirit who has trouble abiding by the regulations of Nonnberg Abbey. Commissioned by the Mother Abbess to serve as governess for the seven motherless children of Captain Georg von Trapp, Maria transforms the home from a place of stern rules into one filled with joy, laughter, and music. Based on the true story of the Trapp Family Singers, The Sound of Music highlights the hope and strength found in family and music despite the chaos and horror leading up to World War II.

Directing the play is BOLD Resident Director Maggie Burrows (Northern Stage: Buyer & Cellar, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, among others; Broadway: Associate Director of My Fair Lady), who says of The Sound of Music's relevance, "My mentor Bart Sher always says musical revivals have a way of coming around when we need them the most. Plot-wise The Sound of Music is about finding your vocation, something that applies to all people in all places around the world. Spiritually, The Sound of Music is about hope and resolve in the face of darkness and complicity. In a world where hate is creeping into our headlines everyday, these ideas are deeply worthy of exploration."

Kerstin Anderson makes her Northern Stage debut after appearing on Broadway as the Eliza Doolittle understudy in My Fair Lady and as Maria in the National Tour of The Sound of Music. She is joined by Matt Faucher (Broadway: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) as Captain Georg von Trapp, Alyson Cambridge (Broadway: Rocktopia) as the Mother Abbess, Gina Lamparella (Broadway: The Phantom of the Opera, A Little Night Music, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) as Elsa Schraeder, and James Beaman (National Tour: Monty Python's Spamalot) as Max Detweiler. Northern Stage also welcomes Kelsey Anne Brown, Kate Budney, Justine Goggin, Katie Kitchel, Jenn Langhus, Michael Maerlender, Rob O'Leary, Yvonnne Strumecki, and Nathan Quay Thomas. Northern Stage welcomes back Dorothy Stanley (Once, A Christmas Carol, Mary Poppins, among others), Christopher Flockton (Only Yesterday), Paul West (Oslo, A Christmas Carol), Owen O'Leary (Mamma Mia!), and Irene Green (A Christmas Carol).

Twelve local students complete the cast, alternating as six of the von Trapp children: Macy Bettwieser, Willa Dana, Judson Dunne, Shea Hill, Alexander Hoyt, Rei Huston, Flynn Moreno, Ty Nolon, Sayuri Rios, Yuvraj Sathe, Clementina Siri, and Jillian Stucker.

The Sound of Music features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse, and was suggested by "The Trapp Family Singers" by Maria Augusta Trapp. The creative team includes Kevin A. Smith (Music DIrector), Katie Rose McLaughlin (Choreographer), Carolyn Mraz (Scenic Design), Hunter Kaczorowski (Costume Designer), Mary Ellen Stebbins (Lighting Designer), Z Worthington (Sound Designer), Mary Schilling-Martin (Wig Designer), Virginia Ogden (Assistant Director), Brian R. Sekinger (Production Stage Manager), and Aaron A. Watson (1st Assistant Stage Manager). In addition to Music Director Kevin A. Smith (Keys 1), the band includes Matthew Everingham (Assistant Music Director/Keys 2), Katie Siegmund (Rehearsal Assistant Music Director), Michael Rosen & Luke Meyer (Reed 1), Anna Rosen (Reed 2), Tim Wendt (Trumpet), Carlo De Biaggio (Bass), and Scott Cho (Trombone).

The 2019-20 Season is underwritten by Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital. The Sound of Music is sponsored by Global Rescue and the Upper Valley Aquatic Center. The Opening Night Celebration after the performance on November 23 will be hosted by Trail Break Taps + Tacos and will feature Von Trapp Brewery. Post-show conversations will take place November 24, November 30 (following the evening performance), and December 8. $19 student tickets and $5 Access for All tickets (for EBT cardholders) are available for any performance, and $34 tickets are available during preview performances, November 20 - 22. Adult ticket prices range from $34 - $69.

Northern Stage (northernstage.org) is a regional non-profit LORT-D professional theater company located in White River Junction, VT. Northern Stage actively engages its audiences with world-class productions and extensive educational programs in its new home, the Barrette Center for the Arts. Founded in 1997, the company has offered more than 150 professional productions of new works, classics, and musicals. Now in its 23rd season, Northern Stage serves over 50,000 people. In 2014, the company launched a new play festival that has cultivated seven world premiere productions and three Off-Broadway transfers. A robust educational program focuses on professional training in a nurturing and supportive environment for students of all ages. Offerings include student acting ensembles, a summer musical theater intensive, and an expansive theater-in-the-schools residency program. Northern Stage's breadth of programming supports the company's mission to "change lives, one story at a time..."

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