Arts News
Summer Strallen to join The Sound of Music
By Amy Somensky
Feb 2, 2008, 2:11 GMT

London: Summer Strallen is set to join the West End production of The Sound of Music. The actress will begin performances as Maria on February 26th. Original star and How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria winner, Connie Fisher, will play her final performance on the 23rd.

Strallen's West End credits include The Drowsy Chaperone, Guys and Dolls, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Cats, and Scrooge.

The musical opened November 15, 2006 at the London Palladium. The production also stars Margaret Preece as Mother Abbess, Simon Burke as Captain Von Trapp, Fiona Sinnott as The Baroness, Paul Grunert as Max, Amy Lennox as Liesel, and Luke Fredericks as Rolf.

The Sound of Music has music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp. The creative team features direction by Jeremy Sams, choreography by Arlene Phillips, design by Robert Jones, sound by Mick Potter, and lighting by Mark Henderson.

The musical originally premiered on Broadway in 1959, when it won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The show first opened in London in 1961 and its last London revival was in 1981, both productions having record-breaking runs. The 1965 Hollywood film, which starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, won five Oscars, including Best Picture.

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