06/23/2026
BREAKING NEWS: Get ready to CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN once again as the legendary classic family favorite The Sound Of Music is officially returning to Broadway this season via Lincoln Center Theater. Under the direction of Tony winner Lear deBessonet (Ragtime) and choreography by Tony winner Christopher Gattelli (Newsies and Schmigadoon) new projection of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s timeless musical will be coming to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, following the limited run of the Tony winning revival of Ragtime.
Previews will begin March 23rd, 2027 and will officially open on April 15th, 2027.
That’s not all, the production has CONFIDENCE before you can sing DO-REI-MI as it’s 2 principal stars have been announced consisting of….
Tony Award nominated standout powerhouse Jasmine Amy Rogers) Broadway’s Boop and last seen in the Off Broadway revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) in the lead role of the iconic, spirited postulant-turned-governess herself “Maria Rainer Von Trapp”. She will also be the first Black actress to play the role on Broadway as well.
&
Tony and Emmy nominated stage and screen star Patrick Wilson (Broadway’s The Full Monty and the 2002 revival of OKLAHOMA! along with the film versions of The Phantom of the Opera and Angels in America) in the role of the strict protective patriotic Austrian naval officer “Captain Georg Von Trapp”.
Additional casting will be revealed later.
For those not familiar. THE SOUND OF MUSIC is set in Austria in the late 1930’s. It is loosely based on the true story of an exuberant aspiring nun, who becomes governess to the seven children of a stern widowed retired naval officer, which she gives them the power of music and family back into their strict household. Along the way, the woman and the captain fall in love, marry, and embark on the ultimate journey as they flee their homeland to escape the N***s on the eve of World War II. With an iconic score by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, plus a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Notable songs include THE SOUND OF MUSIC, DO-REI-MI, MY FAVORITE THINGS, EDELWEISS, CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN, and more.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC was first conceived in 1956. After watching a German film about the life of the Von Trapp Family Singers, stage director Vincent J. Donehue envisioned it as a musical written for Broadway star Mary Martin. Producers Leland Hayward and Richard Halliday (Martin’s husband) agreed. Originally, it was developed as a straight play written by the playwriting team of Howard Lindsay and Robert Crouse. It would include music from the real Von Trapp family’s singing repertoire plus adding 2 original songs by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (who already were huge with many of their hits including OKLAHOMA!, The King and I, South Pacific, and more. However, the whole team agreed in the end that the story should be a full-scale original musical. From there, the work began. Rodgers & Hammerstein along with Lindsay and Crouse started researching more about the era of the story. Facts on the Von Trapp’s family history was altered including the musical’s climactic dramatic ending where they all walk up the Austrian mountains to Switzerland on foot.
The show had its world premiere out-of-town tryout in October 1959 in New Haven, CT at the Shubert Theater. After a brief 8 performance engagement, it then made its way to Boston, MA at their Shubert Theatre as well the following month.
Both runs were met with mixed reviews. “Enlist” critics felt the original score and book were too saccharine, old-fashioned, and lacking the edge expected by Broadway theatergoers. However, co-creator Oscar Hammerstein II famously dismissed the harsh early reviews, predicting that the musical's universal themes of goodness would resonate heavily with the public. Luckily, that proof came in by the time the show reached NYC in November 1959.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC made its Broadway debut at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre before later transferring to the Mark Hellinger Theatre.
The critics and audiences alike praised the new musical and really took Hammerstein II’s notes seriously. While the acting and music were praised, reviewers felt the book and storyline were a little bit saccharine. Despite these critiques, the show became a commercial hit!!
The original production ran on Broadway for 5 PREVIEWS and 1,143 REGULAR PERFORMANCES. Under the direction of Vincent J. Donehue, the cast was led by….
Mary Martin (later Martha Wright, Jeannie Carson, and Nancy Dussault) as “Maria Rainer Von Trapp”,
Theofore Bikel (later Donald Scott) as “Captain George von Trapp”,
Patricia Neway (later Lizabeth Pritchett and Elizabeth Howell) as “Mother Abyss”,
Marion Marlowe (later Lois Hunt) as “Elsa Schraeder”,
Kurt Kasznar as “Max Detweiler”,
Brian Davies as “Rolf Gruber”,
Lauri Peters as “Liesl Von Trapp”,
& more.
The original production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC was nominated for 9 Tony Awards in 1960. It took home 5 wins consisting of….
BEST MUSICAL,
BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Mary Martin),
BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Patricia Neway),
BEST CONDUCTOR / MUSICAL DIRECTOR (for Frederick Dvonch),
&
BEST SCENIC DESIGN (for Oliver Smith).
THE SOUND OF MUSIC would also be a very bittersweet show especially for the legacy of Rodgers & Hammerstein, marking it the final collaboration before Oscar Hammerstein II’s passing from Stomach cancer 9 months later. He was 65 years old. The very last song he ever wrote with Richard Rodgers was the musical’s haunting anthem EDELWEISS during rehearsals.
With the success of the original production, THE SOUND OF MUSIC went on to CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN around the world. The show debuted overseas in London’s West End at the Palace Theatre where it beat Broadway, running the longest for 2, 385 performances. It would later be revived there TWICE both in 1981 at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and then recently in 2006 at The London Palladium (produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and included a reality show to help find a newcomer for the role of “Maria”).
THE SOUND OF MUSIC was last revived here on Broadway in 1998. It played at the Martin Beck Theatre (now the Al Hirschfeld Theatre).
Critics gave this production mixed reviews as a faithful, traditionally staged production. Critics largely agreed that while it lacked the "magical" spark and cultural edge to reinvent the classic, it was a solid, well-sung, and nostalgic adaptation that benefited from a talented cast and an authentic, historically grounded setting.
It ran for 38 PREVIEWS and 533 REGULAR PERFORMANCES. Under the direction of Susan H. Schulman, the cast was led by….
The late Rebecca Luker (later Laura Benanti) as “Maria Rainer Von Trapp”,
Michael Siberry (later Richard Chamberlain and Dennis Parlato) as “Captain Georg von Trapp”,
Patti Cohenhour (later Jeanne Lehmann) as “Mother Abyss”,
Jan Maxwell (later Kay McClelland) as “Elsa Schraeder”,
Fred Applegate (later Patrick Quinn and Lenny Wolpe) as “Max Detweiler”,
Dashiell Eaves (later Ben Schaeffer) as “Rolf Gruber”,
Sara Zelle as “Liesl Von Trapp”,
& more.
That recent 1998 revival was nominated for only 1 Tony Award that year for BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL. However, it lost the category.
Today, THE SOUND OF MUSIC continues to be performed all around the world. It has been done in schools, community, regional theaters, several touring productions still happening around the world, and even various concert productions.
One of the show’s notable concert versions happened in the Big Apple back in 2012. It was held as a one night only production at New York’s famed Carnegie Hall. Under the direction of Gary Griffin, the cast was led by….
Laura Osnes as “Maria Rainer Von Trapp”,
Tony Goldwyn as “Captain Georg Von Trapp”,
Stephanie Blythe as “Mother Abyss”,
Brooke Shields as “Elsa Schraeder”,
Patrick Page as “Max Detweiler”,
Nick Spangler as “Rolf Gruber”,
Mary Michael Patterson as “Liesl Von Trapp”,
And more.
Along with its success on stage, THE SOUND OF MUSIC was captured 3 TIMES on film. The first version is the legendary original movie that we all know in love from 20th Century Studios released in 1965. Costing $1.25 million for the licensing to produce the film, it went on to become one of the highest grossing films of all time surpassing 1939’s GONE WITH THE WIND breaking records in 90 different countries. The movie itself was known for filming BOTH in Los Angeles, CA and on location in Salzburg, Austria itself. Under the direction of Robert Wise, the cast legendary starred….
Julie Andrews as “Maria Rainer Von Trapp”,
Christopher Plummer (with Bill Lee’s singing voice) as “Captain Georg von Trapp”,
Peggy Wood as “Mother Abyss”,
Eleanor Parker as “Elsa Schraeder”,
Richard Haydyn as “Max Detweiler”,
Daniel Truhitte as “Rolf Gruber”,
Charmian Carr as “Liesl Von Trapp”,
& more.
The film went on to win various Awards including 2 Golden Globes and 5 Oscars….taking home the top prize for BEST PICTURE.
Today the original movie is still popular in households. It’s shown on Television TWICE a year including on ABC and Freeform both a week before Christmas and Easter.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC’s previous times on screen happened TWICE as successful live televised productions. This was a huge stomping ground as TV was starting to bring back the old holiday tradition from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s of doing live televised productions of classic Broadway musicals.
The first LIVE TV version of the musical happened here in the States back in 2012 on NBC. Filmed live on soundstage in Long Island, NY, directed by Rob Ashford and Beth McCarthy Miller plus produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, it featured an all-star cast of stage, screen, and music favorites plus newcomers. The cast was led by….
Carrie Underwood as “Maria Rainer Von Trapp”,
Stephen Moyer as “Captain Georg von Trapp”,
Audra McDonald as “Mother Abyss”,
Laura Benanti (alumni of the 1998 revival) as “Elsa Schraeder”,
Christian Borle as “Max Detweiler”,
Michael Campayano as “Rolf Gruber”,
Ariane Reinhart as “Liesl Von Trapp”,
& more.
At first when this NBC Live production was announced, there was some backlash and controversy over the casting of Carrie Underwood as “Maria”. Mainly known from American Idol and being one of the most successful country singers, a lot of people (including still alive members of the original Von Trapp family believed) she didn’t have that Musical Theater training taking on an iconic role. However with advice from Julie Andrews, Underwood gave it her all wowing viewers with her performance. Reviews on the production were mixed.
NBC’S THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE was seen by 18.62 million viewers during that holiday season. It also went on to be nominated for several Emmy Awards in 2013 taking home 1 for OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION, CAMERAWORK, VIDEO CONTROL FOR A MINI SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL.
3 years later, the UK did their own live televised version of the musical. This version was aired on the British channel ITV in December of 2015. Filmed live on a soundstage in London and directed by Coky Giedroyc and Richard Valentine, this cast was led by…
Kara Tointon as “Maria Rainer Von Trapp”,
Julian Ovendon as “Captain Georg von Trapp”,
Maria Friedman as “Mother Abyss”,
Katherine Kelly as “Elsa Schraeder”,
Alexander Armstrong as “Max Detweiler”,
Jon Tracy as “Rolf Gruber”,
Evelyn Hoskins as “Liesl Von Trapp”,
& more.
This version was in the UK with 3.82 million viewers. In addition, this UK version of THE SOUND OF MUSIC would eventually be seen here in the US on PBS as part of its Award winning Great Performances series.
The spirit and legacy of THE SOUND OF MUSIC still lives on!!
Isn’t this musical so timeless?!!
Who is excited to see this beloved musical back?!
