The Sound of Music at Westchester Broadway Theatre

The Sound of Music, the final collaboration of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II, will open on June 13, 2013, at the Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford and run through August 11. Ticket prices range from $52 to $80 plus tax per person and include dinner for evening or lunch for matinee performances.

The play's plot revolves around Maria, a young governess to widowed Naval Captain Georg von Trapp's seven children. She is reluctantly accepted by but becomes loved by the children as she teaches them how to sing. Maria subsequently marries the captain but Nazi occupancy of their Austrian homeland during World War II threatens the family's happiness.

The WBT revival stars Aubrey Sinn as Maria, Matthew Shepard as Captain von Trapp, Karen Murphy as Mother Abbess, Michelle Dawson as Elsa, Cameron Bartell as Rolf, Molly Emerson as Leisl, Jamison Stern as Max, Bruce Rebold as Franz, Duane McDevitt as Herr Zeller, and Melinda Tanner as Frau Schmidt.

The original Broadway cast starred Mary Martin as Maria and Theodore Bikel as Captain von Trapp.

The play is based on Maria Von Trapp's memoir entitled "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers." The film version of The Sound of Music captivated audiences and won an Academy Award in 1965 for Best Picture. It starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.

Hammerstein died from stomach cancer nine months after The Sound of Music opened on Broadway on November 16, 1959; He is buried in the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale.

The score includes the Sound of Music, Maria, Climb Every Mountain, Do-Re-Mi, My Favorite Things, Sixteen Going on Seventeen, So Long, Farewell, and  Edelweiss (the last song written by Hammerstein before his death).

Oklahoma, Rogers and Hammerstein's first combined effort, opened on Broadway in 1943 and was followed by Carousel, The King and I, South Pacific, Allegro, Me & Juliet, Pipe Dream, and Flower Drum Song. Hammerstein also teamed with other composers including Jerome Kern (Show Boat).

The WBT ensemble includes Joseph Cullinane, Allyson Kaye Daniel, Alec James, Crystal Kellogg, Sarah Krauss, Heather Patterson King, Carol Kuykendall, Leisa Mather, Eileen Patterson, Joel Pellini, and Roger Preston Smith
 
The revival is directed by Jonathan Stahl, the Associate Director is Leisa Mather, the Musical Director is Leo Carusone, the Set Designer is Steve Loftus, the Lighting Design is Andrew Gmoser, and the Sound Designer is Jonathan Hatton. The Production Stage Manager is Victor Lukas, Lisa Tiso is the Associate Producer, and Properties are by Grumpy Props. The Costume Designer is Loren Shaw, a 2013 Drama Desk Award nominee for Outstanding Costumes.

Ticket prices for most performances are $80 but depend on the day and time chosen. Beverage service and tips are not included in the ticket price. Discounts are offered for children, students, and senior citizens at selected performances.

Show times:

• Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Matinees: Lunch at 11:30 a.m. and show at 1 p.m.
• Thursday, Friday and Saturday Evenings: Dinner at 6:30 p.m. and show at 8 p.m.
• Sunday Matinees: Lunch at noon and show at 1:30 p.m.
• Sunday Evenings: Dinne at 5:30 p.m. and show at 7 p.m.

For reservations, call 914-592-2222. Reservations can also be made at  www.BroadwayTheatre.com. For group discounts for 20 or more people, call 592-2225. For luxury box information (private parties of six to 22 can be accommodated), call 592-8730.  

Westchester Broadway Theatre, 1 Broadway Plaza (175 Clearbrook Road), Elmsford. Box office: (914) 592-2222.