The Sound of Music at Paper Mill Playhouse Announces Cast

Paper Mill Playhouse has announced complete casting for its upcoming production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, which will perform December 2-January 1, 2023. The official opening night is December 4.

One of the most popular musicals ever written, The Sound of Music is about a wayward nun sent to act as governess to the children of Georg von Trapp, an Austrian Navy captain and widower struggling to raise his sizable family in a newly landlocked country crawling with Nazis. As she falls in love with the children, he naturally falls for her. The score, by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, includes musical theater classics like "My Favorite Things," "Edelweiss," and "Climb Ev'ry Mountain."

The production will feature Ashley Blanchet (Paper Mill's Rodgers Hammerstein's Cinderella) as Maria Rainer, Graham Rowat (Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen) as Captain Georg von Trapp, Cáitlín Burke as Mother Abbess, Emily Borromeo as Elsa Schraeder, Gavin Lee (Broadway's SpongeBob SquarePants) as Max Detweiler, Analise Scarpaci (Broadway's Mrs. Doubtfire) as Liesl von Trapp, Andrew Alstat as Rolf Gruber, Stacia Fernandez as Frau Schmidt, Christopher Gurr as Herr Zeller, Paul Slade Smith as Franz, and Mark Banik as Admiral von Schreiber.

The von Trapp children will be played by Coleman Simmons (age 14, from West Orange, New Jersey) as Friedrich, Jacey Sink (age 12, from Summit, New Jersey) as Louisa, Cody Braverman (age 10, from Short Hills, New Jersey) as Kurt, Tara Rajan (age 9, from Sands Point, New York) as Brigitta, Austin Elle Fisher (age 9, from Tinton Falls, New Jersey) as Marta, Charlotte Sydney Harrington (age 7, from Shelton, Connecticut) as Gretl, and standbys Charlotte Ewing (age 11, from Chatham, New Jersey) and Ethan Joseph (age 12, from Somerset, New Jersey).

The ensemble cast will feature Griffin Binnicker, Dean Cestari, Brittany Conigatti, Nick Davis, Vincent DiPeri, Madeleine Doherty, Eric Michael Gillett, Gina Hanzlik, Katie Horner, Mary Illes, Meredith Lustig, Kate Mazza, Christine Price, Chandler Reeves, Emily Royer, Kayleen Seidl, Ariana Valdes, and Kai B. White.

Paper Mill's producing artistic director Mark S. Hoebee helms the production, which features choreography by Kenny Ingram and music direction by Meg Zervoulis.

The Sound of Music will feature scenic design by Kelly James Tighe (based on original scenic design by James Fouchard), costume design by Leon Dobkowski (based on original costume design by Catherine Zuber), lighting design by Charlie Morrison, sound design by Sun Hee Kil, and hair and wig design by Jimmy Goode. Gary Mickelson serves as production stage manager.