Maria Friedman and Mel Giedroyc join the Cast Of the Sound Of Music Live!

Maria Friedman and Mel Giedroyc join The Cast Of The Sound Of Music Live!

ITV today announced further cast for The Sound of Music Live! - a live television dramatisation of the world's most popular musical, due to air on ITV over the Christmas period.

Olivier Award winning actress, Maria Friedman (Ragtime, The Woman in White, Chicago) joins the cast as Mother Abbess and actor and comedian, Mel Giedroyc (BAFTA nominated Sadie J) will appear as Frau Schmidt.

Maria and Mel will be joined by a stellar ensemble cast including Evelyn Hoskins (Carrie: The Musical, Misfits) who will play the part of Liesl von Trapp and perform the classic song 16 going on 17' alongside Jon Tarcy, (Lucky Man, West Side Story) who will play Rolf Gruber. Olivier Award winner Paul Copley (For King and Country, Downton Abbey) will star as Franz. David Bamber (My Night with Reg, Rome) will play Herr Zeller, with Claire Oberman (Tenko, Patriot Games) as Frau Zeller. Admiral von Schreiber will be played by Paul Jesson (The Trials of Jimmy Rose, Death of a Salesman, The Normal Heart); Peter Vollerbregt (Silent Witness) will star as the Lieutenant. James Lailey (Fallen, Romeo & Juliet) will play Baron Elberfeld alongside Jane How (Easy Virtue) as Baroness Elberfeld.

Rehearsals are now underway for this ambitious production which sees Kara Tointon (Mr Selfridge, Pygmalion, EastEnders) as Maria; Julian Ovenden (Downton Abbey, Smash, My Night With Reg) as Captain Georg von Trapp; Katherine Kelly (Mr Selfridge, She Stoops To Conquer, Coronation Street) as Baroness Elsa Schraeder and Alexander Armstrong (Armstrong and Mi ller, Pointless, Danger Mouse ) as Max Detweiler.

Kara Tointon said;

"I m thrilled and excited to be taking on the iconic role of Maria in The Sound of Music Live!. I'm looking forward to bringing this character to life for ITV viewers and to follow in the footsteps of some great actresses who have played Maria on stage and film.

Julian Ovenden added;

"The Sound of Music is a much-loved musical and it s a privilege to play such an illustrious character as Captain von Trapp alongside such a talented team, both in front and behind the cameras. I can't wait to help bring this epic production to screen in what promises to be a true highlight for the family this Christmas."

The timeless and true story of Maria and the von Trapp family will come to life on soundstages at London's Three Mills Studios during an ambitious two and a half hour musical drama which will be transmitted live on ITV. Based on the original stage musical with a book by Lindsay & Crouse and suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp, The Sound of Music Live! will include all of the songs from its classic score by Rodgers and Hammerstein, including How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, Edelweiss, Do-Re-Mi, My Favorite Things, Climb Ev'ry Mountain and the title song.

An impressive creative team will bring the production to life. BAFTA nominated Coky Giedroyc (Wuthering Heights, The Virgin Queen, Oliver Twist, Penny Dreadful) will direct; Tony award winning Martin Koch (Billy Elliot The Musical, Mamma Mia!) will be Musical Supervisor. The live television director is Richard Valentine. Andre Ptaszynski, Lee Connolly and Fiona Clark will executive produce.

The Sound of Music Live! was commissioned by Elaine Bedell, ITV's Director of Entertainment and Comedy and Victoria Fea, Controller of Drama. It is an ITV Studios production for ITV.

LINK:	http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/maria-friedman-and-mel-g...
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