The World’s most loved musical returns to South Africa in 2023/24
The Sound of Music contains arguably the best-loved songs of all time – Andrew Lloyd Webber
First introduced to opera in her tenth year of schooling, Brittany Smith holds a BMus in Opera from the South African College of Music (SACM) at the University of Cape Town, which she achieved under the tutelage of Professor Virginia Davids. She started her singing career at university in the chorus of UCT SACM’s Don Giovanni and Il viaggio a reims productions. Her debut solo singing role was as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro in 2016, followed by Adele in AGL Opera’s production of Die Fledermaus.
Brittany’s awards include the 2013 Ruth Ormond Prize for the Most Promising First Year UCT Female Opera Student, the 2016 Schock Foundation Opera Competition Female Classical Winner, and a nomination for the 2017 Fleur du Cap Award for Best Female Opera Singer for her role as Pamina in Cape Town Opera’s (CTO) production of The Magic Flute. Brittany joined the company’s Young Artist Programme in 2018 and premiered as Norina in the CTO/SACM production of Don Pasquale. In May 2019, she sang the role of Giulietta in I Capuleti e i Montecchi and in 2020 Despina in Così fan tutte.
In 2021 she performed the role of Gretel in CTO’s Hansel und Gretel for which she was nominated for a Fleur du Cap Award, the role of Leïla in CTO’s The Pearl Fishers, and Magda in CTO’s La rondine. Since becoming a Cape Town Opera soloist, Brittany has performed the role of Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Adina in the touring production of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, Leïla in The Pearl Fishers, and most recently Violetta in La traviata. She recently made it to the 2022 Mail and Guardian top 200 young South Africans. Brittany was awarded the Artes Award for her contribution to the entertainment industry for the category classical music. Most recently, Brittany was awarded Best Performance in an Opera – Female at the 58th Fleur du Cap Awards for her portrayal of Susanna in CTO’s 2022 production of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro.
With words and music by the legendary Rogers and Hammerstein (Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I), The Sound of Music originally premiered on Broadway in 1959 to record-breaking advance ticket sales, where it won eight Tony Awards – including Best Musical. The show opened in London in 1961 and became the longest-running American musical of its generation. The 1965 Hollywood film, which starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, won five Oscars, including Best Picture, and quickly became the highest-grossing film in history. Even today, The Sound of Music remains the most successful movie musical in history.
Since the turn of the 21st century, the enduring magic of The Sound of Music has lead to major productions around the world, giving testament to its title as The World’s Most Popular Musical. This production of the legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein musical opened to rave reviews and sell-out business at the Wales Millennium Centre in July 2009, following a record-breaking 954 performances at the London Palladium where it was seen by well over 2 million people. The role of Maria was cast following a hugely popular 2006 BBC reality television show called How do You Solve a Problem like Maria?.
The Sound Of Music marks the 11th and final collaboration between legendary lyricists Rodgers & Hammerstein, and features a treasure trove of popular show tunes, including “My Favorite Things”, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”, “Do Re Mi”, “Sixteen Going On Seventeen”, and many more.
The inspirational story, based on the memoir of Maria Von Trapp, follows a young nun in-training who serves as governess to the seven children of the imperious Captain von Trapp, bringing music and joy to the household. But as the forces of Nazism take hold of Austria, Maria and the entire Von Trapp family must make a moral decision.
Show Information
Cape Town:
Artscape Theatre Centre
Thursday, 14 December 2023 to Sunday, 14 January 2024
Times:
Tuesdays to Fridays at 19h30;
Saturday at 14h30 & 19h30;
Sunday, 17 December at 17h00; Sunday, 7 January at 17h00; Sunday, 14 January at 14h00 & 18h00
Ticket Prices:
From R150 – R550 (including VAT)
Bookings:
Webticket or Artscape Dial-a-seat on 021 421 7695
Johannesburg:
The Teatro, Montecasino
Saturday, 27 January 2024 to Sunday, 25 February 2024
Times:
Tuesdays to Fridays at 19h30;
Saturday at 14h30 & 19h30;
Sunday at 14h00 & 18h00
Ticket Prices:
From R200 – R550 (including VAT)
Bookings:
Webticket or the Theatre Box Office (011) 511 1988
Duration:
2 hours 50 minutes, including a 20-minute interval
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