One of the things we definitely missed during the height of the pandemic is seeing live theater on stage. That’s why aside from our “revenge travels,” now is the best time to catch the productions that have now returned to the stage, whether it’s a local play or an international one.
One such production is Broadway International’s The Sound of Music, which has now arrived in Manila and will run until March 26 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. The Tony Award-winning musical from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II is brought to the Filipino audience by the Broadway International Group in partnership with GMG Productions.
The Sound of Music follows the true story of Maria, who changed the lives of the widowed Captain von Trapp and his seven children by bringing music back into their lives, and culminating their flight across the Austrian mountains as the impending World War II looms. The cast includes Jill Christine-Wiley, Trevor Martin, Lauren Kidwell, Josh La Force, and Lauren O’Brien, with Karylle Tatlonghari and Markki Stroem joining them during its Manila run.
Just before their Gala Performance this March 10, members of the Philippine press were given a sneak peek of the iconic performances from the musical, including The Sound of Music, Do-Re-Mi, Sixteen Going On Seventeen, How Can Love Survive?, and Climb Ev’ry Mountain. Check out some photos and clips below:
Jill Christine-Wiley and Trevor MartinJosh La Force and Karylle TatlonghariMarkki Stroem and Lauren O’BrienLauren Kidwell
The Sound of Music opened at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati last March 7 and will run until March 26, 2023. The production is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a 20-minute interval between the two acts. Tickets are now on sale via ticketworld.com.ph, with prices ranging from around P1,500 to P6,800.
Broadway International Group and Broadway Asia are pleased to announce that Karylle Tatlonghari and Markki Stroem will be joining the International Touring cast for its Manila Season of The Sound of Music.
Karylle Tatlonghari who is taking on the role of Baroness Elsa von Schraeder; the beautiful, cosmopolitan woman who has her eyes set firmly on the Captain. Markki Stroem will be playing the handsome Rolf, the delivery boy who has his eyes on the beautiful Liesl in “Sixteen Going On Seventeen”.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Karylle and Markki into the company.” says producer Marc Routh, “Having done many shows in Manila over the years with stars like Lea Salonga in Cinderella, Filipinos are known around the world over for their spectacular talents – so we when the opportunity for us to cast two roles out of the Philippines, how could we say no?” he continues, “…we are so excited to see them both step into these iconic roles. We have so much confidence in their abilities as performers and we are really looking forward for Filipino audiences to come and see them on stage.”
“When I found out that I got in, I started tearing up in front of my colleagues at the radio station – Tears of joy!… One of my greatest dreams is manifesting in front of my eyes. I am so excited to learn and grow from the International touring cast”, shares Markki. “My love of musicals began when I watched the movie Sound of Music as a 4-year-old, it was aspirational, I memorized all of the songs and dreamed of one day being part of this wonderful classic. “
Karylle and Markki will begin rehearsals in Manila over the next couple of weeks, and will be joined by the rest of the touring company at the end of the month.
“Imagine how I feel right now, I cannot contain my excitement.” Karylle says when asked about how she feels “I guess when a childhood memory becomes a reality, you are transported back to that time when you first fell in love with musicals – this is the moment when my childhood dreams and reality meet… in the most Bongga way!”
“I’ll be performing with Markki Stroem who I feel is equally thrilled. We’ve been planning our jogs around Circuit Makati to be in tiptop shape. And of course, the international touring cast, a first for me. I feel so good about it especially seeing the excitement of everyone who is excited to experience The Sound of Music to keep that child in them happy.”
Karylle and Markki will be joining Touring company members Jill-Christine Wiley as Maria Rainer, Trevor Martin as Captain von Trapp, and Lauren Kidwell as Mother Abbess, and Lauren O’Brien as Liesl. The Von Trapp children starring in the musical will join the company for the first time during the Manila production.
To enable more Filipinos to enjoy this highly acclaimed production, starting February 15, BPI credit cardholders can get up to 15% off on tickets to Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday evening performances. The following discounts apply for every card variant: 15% discount for BPI Visa Signature Card; 10% discount for BPI Platinum Rewards Mastercard and BPI Amore Platinum Cashback Card; and 5% discount for BPI eCredit Mastercard, BPI Blue Mastercard, Petron-BPI Mastercard, BPI Edge Mastercard, BPI Amore Cashback Card, BPI Gold Mastercard, and BPI Corporate Mastercard. These offers are valid until March 6, 2023.
“BPI is supportive of the arts and its many forms. Not only does it give immediate gratification for the senses, but it also enhances our relationships with ourselves and with our loved ones. The availability of these offers to our clients is one way of rewarding them,” said Jenny Lacerna, BPI’s Head of Unsecured Lending and Cards Sales and Products.
Tickets are available online at ticketworld.com.ph and TicketWorld outlets.
Theinternational tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s THE SOUND OF MUSIC, is presented by Broadway International Group, Broadway Asia, AMA Group of Companies, in association with GMG Productions.
The Sound of Music will be arriving soon in Manila from March 7th to March 26th 2023. The brand new international production is set to be staged at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati.
The Manila season is supported by BPI, Seda Residences Makati and Ayala Malls.
Are you ready to see the Von Trapp family on stage?
One of the most iconic and celebrated Broadway musicals, The Sound of Music, is heading to Manila this March. And before its official tour, the lead cast of the production met with the Philippine media in a press conference to invite everyone to see the beloved musical on stage.
Happening from March 7 to March 26, 2023 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati, The international tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music is brought to the Filipino audience by the Broadway International Group in partnership with GMG Productions.
(L-R) Producer Marc Routh and cast members Jill Christine-Wiley, Trevor Martin, and Lauren Kidwell
To the uninitiated, The Sound of Music follows the true story of the joyful and vibrant governess Maria Reiner who changed the lives of the widowed Captain von Trapp and his seven children by bringing music back into their lives, and culminating their flight across the Austrian mountains as tensions rise due to an impending World War II.
With music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, the musical won five Tony Awards including Best Musical, and the Grammy Award for Best Show Album. Some of the most beloved songs from the musical include Do-Re-Mi, Sixteen Going On Seventeen, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, and The Sound of Music to name a few. Next year, the show is also celebrating its 65th birthday, so now’s the best time to appreciate it on stage!
Q&A with the cast of The Sound of Music
During the recent press conference last January 19, producer Marc Routh and the production’s stars Jill Christine-Wiley (Maria Reiner), Trevor Martin (Captain von Trapp), and Lauren Kidwell (Mother Abbess), shared some of their thoughts about the timeless musical.
“The variety of music from the songs of the children to The Sound of Music to Climb Ev’ry Mountain and Edelweiss, it’s just a great great score,” producer Marc Routh tells the media about what makes The Sound of Music such a successful musical.
“And then on top of that, you have a very accessible story that really is universal and is something that we can all relate to. It’s a story about self-discovery, a story about a really deep romantic love at the heart of it, and also about supporting these children who are growing up in this sort of a harsh environment and giving them love and doing that through the medium of song, which is a such a wonderful methodology, if you will. It’s very theatrical, so I think that’s one of the reasons why it’s such a successful musical. It actually uses the art form of music to basically unlock the story,” the producer adds.
Meanwhile, Jill Christine-Wiley shared her personal experience with the show, revealing that The Sound of Music was the first theater show she’d seen live on stage when she was 5 years old, and after meeting the person who played Maria, and it seemed to have inspired her to pursue the path of a theater performer, and she soon played Marta in her first The Sound of Music casting.
“I feel like I do the show every night for the little 5-year-old Jill sometimes, just for my little Jill heart that is very proud of coming so far and being here today. And looking at the Von Trapp children that we have at our show, and see that reflection of it, I was like I was once where they were and perhaps one day, little Marta or Gretl or whomever, [they’ll] step into Maria’s shoes. It’s very exciting, full circle,” said the actress.
As for Lauren Kidwell, she told the press what she loves most about playing Mother Abbess in the show: “What I love about The Sound of Music more than anything is its juxtaposition of an incredible story and a wonderful, fantastic Rogers and Hammerstein’s score, both of those things combined together. For me, I love singing with Jill, my favorite thing is actually between Mother Abbess and Maria, and so being able to access my own character in a way that I think is surprising to a lot of people who have gone to see our show, and just getting to play and access a fun, child-like enjoyment of music through my own character is something I really really love discovering every night on stage.”
Trevor Martin also shared his insights on the political themes surrounding the story:
“[The Sound of Music] was written 70 years ago about a very specific time and a very specific country, but the themes of the story are accessible through today. The same situations happen over and over again. Not just within the family, dealing with grief and trying to come to some kind of reconciliation within that which happens obviously all the time… But the political climate, the undertone that becomes the main story at the end of the show is something that’s still happening today in many countries. I think that that part of it for me makes it feel fresh and new every single time. Because every time someone gets to watch it, they can replace any of the actors, or any of the stories or country names with many different situations and make it mean something to them, right there at that moment.”
Catch The Sound of Music at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati from March 7 to 26, 2023. The production runs for approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a 20-minute interval between the two acts. Tickets are now on sale via ticketworld.com.ph, with prices ranging from around P1,500 to P6,800.
The international tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s THE SOUND OF MUSIC, produced by Broadway International Group will arrive in Manila from March 7th to March 26th 2023. The brand new international production is set to be staged at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati. Tickets are now on sale and available online at ticketworld.com.ph and TicketWorld outlets.
This highly acclaimed original production tells the uplifting true story of Maria, the fun-loving governess who changed the lives of the widowed Captain von Trapp and his seven children by re-introducing them to music, and culminating the family’s flight across the Austrian mountains as tensions rise prior to the outbreak of World War II.
One of the most popular Broadway musicals in the international marketplace, THE SOUND OF MUSIC is celebrating its 65th birthday in 2024, having won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and the GRAMMY Award for Best Show Album, for its original run. It has since entertained generations of audiences in live productions across the world, as has the classic film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, which won five Oscar Awards, including Best Picture. THE SOUND OF MUSIC features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp. The tour highlights the original creative work of three-time Tony Award® winning director Jack O’Brien, Broadway choreographer Danny Mefford, and Musical Supervision by Andy Einhorn as well as an established award-winning Broadway creative, design, and production team. Matt Lenz, Original Tour Restaging; James Gray, Original Choreography Restaging, Douglas Schmidt, set design; Jane Greenwood, costume design; Natasha Katz, lighting design; and Shannon Slaton, sound design. Eric Cornell serves as General Manager for Broadway Asia International. Simone Genatt, Marc Routh and Broadway International Group are Producing, along with Co-Producers Roy Furman, Broadway Asia Group, Cornice Productions and Gabrielle Palitz, in association with GMG Productions. THE SOUND OF MUSIC is presented in special arrangement with Concord Theatricals, NETWorks Presentations and Broadway Asia Company. For more information, please visit www.broadwayasia.com
About Broadway International Group and Broadway Asia(Producer)
Broadway International Group and Broadway Asia Company are among the largest production, management, and distribution companies of live entertainment throughout the global markets with focus in New York, London, Europe and Asia. Its founders, Simone Genatt and Marc Routh, are two of the most active commercial Broadway and West End producers. Over the last 25 years, theatrical productions by the Broadway International Group partners have performed in over 60 countries and garnered over 56 Tony, Olivier, Grammy Awards and many other global theatrical accolades through its many collaborations. Select live entertainment productions and attractions include: An American in Paris, The Sound of Music, Back to the Future, The Producers, Hairspray, Anastasia, Amelie, Legally Blonde, The Great Comet, Stomp, COOKIN/NANTA, Shear Madness, The Addams Family, Nice Work If You Can Get It, The King and I, Cinderella, West Side Story, 42nd Street, Rock of Ages, Immersive Great Gatsby, Immersive Doctor Who, Neverland, the Peter Pan Immersive, Murder Ballad, Tape Face, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Little Shop of Horrors, Jay Chou’s THE SECRET, Manual Cinema, ICE AGE LIVE: A Mammoth Adventure, SpongeBob SquarePants Live, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Madagascar Live, Fuerzabruta and many more. Select forthcoming productions and attractions include: Immersive Great Gatsby in New York at the Gatsby Mansion and multiple Asian territories, Anastasia and Beetlejuice in Japan, Marilyn Monroe Hollywood Experience: The Global Tour, and Journey, an immersive technology dining attraction in New York. Broadway Asia, co-founded by Simone and Marc, is a pioneer and a leader in the field of international licensing and touring with shows and attractions in over 400 cities across 5 continents.
About Jack O’Brien (Original Director)
Jack O’Brien has won three Tony Awards for his direction of Hairspray, Henry IV, and The Coast of Utopia. His other recent Broadway credits include Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, Carousel, The Front Page, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, It’s Only a Play, Macbeth, The Nance, Dead Accounts, Catch Me If You Can, Impressionism, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Tony nom.), Imaginary Friends, The Invention of Love (Tony nomination and Drama Desk winner),The Full Monty (Tony nom.), More to Love, Getting Away with Murder, The Little Foxes, Damn Yankees, Two Shakespearean Actors (Tony nom.) and Porgy and Bess (Tony nom.).Off- Broadway credits include Tom Stoppard’s The Hard Problem, Pride’s Crossing, and Hapgood (Lucille Lortel Award). Other productions include Il Trittico at the Metropolitan Opera, Guys and Dolls at Carnegie Hall, Much Ado About Nothing for The Public’s Shakespeare in the Park, Love Never Dies and Hairspray (Olivier nom.) in London, which saw a revival at the Coliseum in London last summer. Mr. O’Brien was the Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre from 1981 till 2007. He has directed six programs for PBS’s American Playhouse. His book, Jack Be Nimble, is published by Farrar, Strauss and Giroux and his next volume, Jack in the Box: or, How to Goddamn Direct, will also be published by FSG. www.broadwayasia.com
About Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
After long and highly distinguished careers with other collaborators, Richard Rodgers (Composer, 1902-79) and Oscar Hammerstein II (Librettist/Lyricist, 1895-1960) joined forces in 1943 to create the most successful partnership in American Musical Theatre. Prior to joining forces, Rodgers collaborated with lyricist Lorenz Hart on musical comedies that epitomized wit and sophistication (Pal Joey, On Your Toes, Babes In Arms, and more), while Hammerstein brought new life to operetta and created the classic Show Boat with Jerome Kern. Oklahoma!, the first Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, introduced an integrated form that became known as “the musical play.” Their shows that followed included Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. Collectively, the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals have earned Tony, Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, Pulitzer, and Olivier Awards. The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization is a Concord Company, www.concord.com.
About GMG Productions
GMG Productions have its headquarters in Manila servicing the Asia Pacific region, as well as regional bases in New Zealand, Singapore and the UK.Having strong existing relationships with some of the world’s most acclaimed Producers, GMGP is dedicated to bringing prestigious productions to the region. The GMGP founders and management team comprise some of the entertainment industry’s elite who are also supported by a strong in-house team with a wealth of experience in production, marketing and design to enable GMGP to service every aspect needed to present shows in the Asia Pacific.Over the past decade, the GMGP team has been involved in producing numerous shows from Queen’s We Will Rock You,CATS, RSC’s Matilda in Manila, Disney’s The Lion King, Les Misérables, MAMMA MIA! And WICKED, The Sound of Music, West Side Story and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
