The Sound of Music extends booking period
Story by Lizzie Guilfoyle
THE Sound of Music has extended its run at the London Palladium by seven months, thereby taking the current booking period to October 18, 2008.
Previously Posted: Although an official announcement has yet to be made, it now seems certain that Summer Strallen will be The Sound of Music‘s next Maria Von Trapp.
Strallen, who is currently appearing in Hollyoaks, is expected to join the production at the London Palladium on Monday, February 25, 2008, following the departure (on February 23) of Connie Fisher whose contract will have come to an end.
The announcement has been delayed due to the tie-in with the Hollyoaks‘ storyline in which Strallen’s character, Summer Shaw, begins stalking Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber in her bid to become a West End star. Eventually, he agrees to give her an audition and, suitably impressed, offers her the lead in The Sound of Music.
Lloyd Webber will actually be appearing in three episodes of the ‘soap’ – on January 29, January 30 and February 1 – about which he said, “I have blurred fiction with fact all my life but never before on national television. Bless Hollyoaks for asking me.”
Strallen – who is Scarlet Strallen’s sister and Bonnie Langford’s niece – has most recently appeared on stage in The Drowsy Chaperone (Novello Theatre); Regent’s Park’s Open Air Theatre production of The Boyfriend for which she received a 2007 Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Musical; and the Barbican’s production of Dick Whittington (title role).
Her other theatre credits include Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park), Guys and Dolls (Piccadilly Theatre), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium), Cats (New London Theatre and on Tour), Fosse (European Tour) and Scrooge(Dominion Theatre).
The current cast of The Sound of Music includes Simon Burke (Captain Von Trapp), Fiona Sinnott (The Baroness), Paul Grunert (Max), Amy Lennox (Liesl), Luke Fredericks (Rolf), Margaret Preece (Mother Abbess) and Aoife Mulholland (Maria on Monday evenings and at Wednesday matinees).
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