PHOTOFLASH: Theodore Bikel, Lauri Peters, Brian Davies, et al. Help Celebrate Sound of Music 50th Anniversary

On Monday, November 16, Laurence Maslon, author of The Sound of Music Companion, hosted a celebration at Barnes & Noble/Lincoln Triangle for the 50th anniversary of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. The event reunited several members of the musical’s original cast, including Brian Davies who played Rolf Gruber, Lauri Peters who played Liesl von Trapp, and Theodore Bikel who played Captain Georg von Trap.

Kate Baldwin, currently starring on Broadway in Finian’s Rainbow, sang the title song, “The Sound of Music,” to kick things off and Bikel closed the event with his rendition of “Edelweiss,” which he accompanied on a guitar he borrowed from singer Peter Yarrow.

Also in attendance were Sam Von Trapp, grandson of Georg and Maria von Trapp; Bert Fink, author of the pop-up version of The Sound of Music; Anna Crouse, widow of co-author Russel Crouse; composer Mary Rodgers, daughter of composer Richard Rodgers; and Ted Chapin, president of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.

The original Sound of Music opened on Monday, November 16, 1959 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, and closed on Broadway June 15, 1963 after playing 1443 performances and 5 previews. It received the 1960 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Actress in a Musical for Mary Martin as Maria Rainer, and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Patricia Neway as The Mother Abbess. Both Bikel and Peters were also nominated for their performances.

For more TM photos from the event, click here.