The Sound of Music

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

The final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein was destined to become the world’s most beloved musical. When a postulant proves too high-spirited for the religious life, she is dispatched to serve as governess for the seven children of a widowed naval Captain. Her growing rapport with the youngsters, coupled with her generosity of spirit, gradually captures the heart of the … Read More

2013 NBC Live!

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

This soundtrack recording from the hugely successful NBC live broadcast starring country singer Carrie Underwood reached #2 on the Billboard Soundtracks Chart and #17 on the Billboard 200. The first live musical seen on television in decades, The Sound of Music Live! aired on December 5, 2013, featuring Audra McDonald, Stephen Moyer, Christian Borle and Laura Benanti, under the music … Read More

2006 London Palladium Cast

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

This recording is from the 2006 London production, which was produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It was the first time the lead performer in a musical was chosen by a reality television show. Connie Fisher won “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?” and kept the Palladium Theatre sold out for her entire run, with Alexander Hanson co-starring as … Read More

1998 Broadway Revival

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

On this 1998 Broadway Revival Cast Recording, Rebecca Luker stars as Maria Rainer opposite Michael Siberry as Captain von Trapp. The production played at the Martin Beck (now Al Hirschfeld) Theatre and was nominated for Best Revival of a Musical.

1965 Motion Picture

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

The Motion Picture Soundtrack of The Sound of Music was released on RCA Records the same day as its New York premiere: March 2, 1965. It was made in four different formats: long-play phonograph record, audio cassette, 8-track cartridge and on 1/4″ reel-to-reel. The record went Gold on April 10, 1965, selling more than 250,000 albums. In November 1965, the record … Read More

1961 Original London Cast

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

The Original London Cast album of The Sound of Music was recorded on May 28, 1961. The show was a huge success, holding the record for the longest-running Broadway show on the West End for many, many years. The cast featured Jean Bayless as Maria, Roger Dann as the Captain and Constance Shacklock as Mother Abbess.  The production was a … Read More

2013 NBC Live!

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

The notion of broadcasting a live performance of a musical on network television hadn’t been considered in decades. But NBC, under Robert Greenblatt, took the plunge with this highly anticipated television event of the season. The Sound of Music LIVE! was broadcast across America on December 5, 2013 into the homes of over 18 million viewers. Lead by country music star … Read More

2006 West End Revival

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

For the first time ever, a leading role in a stage production was chosen by the people of the U.K., tuning in weekly to a popular BBC reality TV show “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?”  Show producer Andrew Lloyd Webber was one of the judges, guiding the contest – but it was the British people who chose … Read More

1998 Broadway Revival

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

For its first Broadway revival, The Sound of Music opened at the Martin Beck (now Al Hirschfeld) Theatre, on March 12, 1998 and ran for over a year, led by three-time Tony Award nominee Rebecca Luker as Maria and Michael Siberry as Captain von Trapp. During the run, Richard Chamberlain took over the role of Captain von Trapp, playing opposite a … Read More

1981 West End Revival

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

The first major London revival was led by pop singer and actress Petula Clark, best known for her international hit single “Downtown.” It played at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre, produced by Ross Taylor, and opened on August 17, 1981 under the direction of John Fearnley.

1965 Motion Picture

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

In 1965 the 20th Century Fox motion picture version of The Sound of Music was released in theatres. Directed by Robert Wise, with a screenplay by Ernest Lehman, it boasted a dream cast: Julie Andrews as Maria, Christopher Plummer as the Captain, Eleanor Parker as Elsa and Peggy Wood as the Mother Abbess. The film made Hollywood history; after the premiere … Read More

1961 West End Premiere

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

On May 18, 1961, The Sound of Music made its debut at the Palace Theatre in London’s West End, starring Jean Bayless as Maria. This landmark premiere transfer ran almost twice as long as the New York production, boasting a staggering 2,386 performances. It was the longest run of a Broadway show in London at the time; the production was … Read More

1961 First National Tour

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

Originally led by Florence Henderson, the first national touring company of The Sound of Music began at the Riviera Theatre in Detroit on February 27, 1961. The tour completed its run, 35 cities and more than two-and-a-half years later, at Toronto’s O’Keefe Center on November 23, 1963, with Barbara Meister in the lead.

1959 Original Broadway Production

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

Starring Mary Martin as Maria and Theodore Bikel as Captain von Trapp, the original Broadway production of The Sound of Music premiered at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 16, 1959, where it won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Leading Actress. It later moved to the Mark Hellinger, where it would end its lauded run on June 15, 1963 after … Read More

Something Good

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

As the Captain and Maria confess their unexpected love to each other, they quietly agree that their good fortune is due to having done “Something Good” in their pasts. Written by Richard Rodgers alone for the 1965 film, “Something Good” is a beautiful, quiet duet for Maria and the Captain. Replacing “An Ordinary Couple” from the Broadway version, this song … Read More

Edelweiss

Rodgers & HammersteinThe Sound of Music

“Edelweiss,” a musical tribute to his homeland, is sung by Baron von Trapp at the concert. Evoking an authentic Austrian folk ballad, the song serves as subtle protest against the Nazi annexation of the Captain’s beloved Austria. The stage musical makes reference to the song having been sung earlier, but the scene is not depicted. In the film, that scene … Read More