Stage Door News

London, ON: The Grand Theatre presents “The Sound of Music” November 19-December 29

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

When it comes to enjoying the holiday season in London, Ontario, it’s as easy as “Do-Re-Mi!” The Grand Theatre is proud to present The Sound of Music as its 2024 holiday production, November 19 to December 29 on the Spriet Stage.

Marking her London, Ontario, directorial debut on The Sound of Music is Grand Theatre Artistic Director, Rachel Peake, who selected the title as part of her first programmed season as Artistic Director. “It didn’t take long to decide that The Sound of Music would be my first Grand Theatre holiday production. I am as thrilled to see it connect with those who grew up with this cherished story as I am to introduce it to anyone who may have missed it in their life so far. Directing this show is a delight and, honestly, a dream come true!”

Based on the Tony Award-winning musical, and the 1965 Academy Award-winning film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, The Sound of Music can be credited with the popularity of such classic songs as “My Favourite Things”, “Do-Re-Mi”, “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”, “So Long, Farewell”, and “Something Good.”

Storied musical theatre writing duo Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II adapted the true story of Maria Augusta Trapp and her family into a musical that has stood the test of time, becoming a frequently cited favourite among both theatre and film circles. “The Sound of Music is a cultural icon and a cultural phenomenon,” says the show’s Music Director, Alexandra Kane. “For a lot of us, it is a core memory of our childhoods, and for many of us it will invite us back to a place where we remember how beautiful it is to be a child.”

The musical’s story centers around Maria (played by Dominique LeBlanc, last seen at the Grand Theatre in Controlled Damage), a would-be nun, with a habit of abandoning her studies to sing songs in the Austrian mountainside. For a change of scenery, Maria is assigned as the new governess for widower Captain Georg von Trapp (played by Adam Stevenson, last seen at the Grand Theatre in Million Dollar Quartet) and his seven children. While the family is initially no match for Maria’s unstoppable love of music and whimsy, it isn’t long until the power of song brings welcome harmony, romance, and the promise of a bright future, into the von Trapp home. But, against the political unrest of the annexation of the state of Austria into the German Reich in 1938, the von Trapps’ newfound joy becomes threatened. Will the hills that offered Maria her musical solace also become the family’s road to refuge?

“For those familiar with The Sound of Music, the story could reasonably end with the family coming together. But that isn’t the case. The happy ending that we think we have arrived at hangs in the balance of an unthinkable historical moment.” explains Peake. “And so, The Sound of Music places audiences into the position of realizing that the concepts of home, family and safety, have not been guaranteed throughout history. I believe that this acknowledgment is one of the reasons why the show resonates with audiences, not just in childhood, but throughout the entirety of their lives.”

The creative team of the London, Ontario, production of The Sound of Music are: Rachel Peake (Director), Alexandra Kane (Music Director), Ainsley Hillyard (Choreographer), Lorenzo Savoini (Set & Lighting Designer), Jessica Oostergo (Costume Designer), Emily Porter (Sound Designer) and Anita Nittoly (Fight and Intimacy Director).

Grand audiences will be in the company of a large cast of both local and Canada-wide talent, with 19 Grand Theatre debuts, and a selection of returning artists, including: Janelle Cooper (Fall On Your Knees), Jeff Culbert (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Megan Dallan (Grow), Mark Harapiak (Beauty & The Beast), Dominique LeBlanc (Controlled Damage), Clea McCaffrey (Grow), Heather McGuigan (The Spitfire Grill, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Adam Stevenson (Million Dollar Quartet, Hair!), Raya Campbell (Elf: The Musical), Neela Noble (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda The Musical).

The cast of The Sound of Music includes a double-cast Young Company, who will be sharing the roles of the 6 youngest von Trapp children.

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

Directed by Rachel Peake

NOV 19 to DEC 29 (Opening Night NOV 22)

The Sound of Music plays on the Spriet Stage from November 19 to December 29, 2024. Single tickets range from $24-$101, and are available at www.grandtheatre.com, by phone at 519.672.8800, or at the Box Office, 471 Richmond Street. There is a Canada Life Pay-What-You-Can performance on Sunday, November 24 at 1:00 p.m. (Pay-What-You-Can tickets become available online at midnight on the day of the performance, with a selection of tickets held for in-person purchase one hour prior to the performance at the Grand Theatre Box Office). There is an Open Caption performance on Saturday, November 30, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. There is a Relaxed Performance on Sunday December 15, 2024, at 1:00 p.m.

As it has been doing for the past seven seasons, the Grand Theatre is, once again, partnering with the London Food Bank Business Cares program to help support those facing food insecurity in the city. Since launching in 2017, the campaign has raised a seven-year cumulative total of $451,845 through donations made by Grand Theatre audiences, artists, volunteers, and staff at the annual holiday show.