Lesley Garrett
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Now that the problem of casting Maria has been solved for the forthcoming London Palladium revival of
The Sound of Music with the
public vote for Connie Fisher, the other principals have now been announced. Popular operatic soprano Lesley Garrett has signed on as the Mother Abbess. The cast also features Simon Shepherd as Captain von Trapp, Lauren Ward as the Baroness, Ian Gelder as Max, Sophie Bould as Liesel and Neil McDermott as Rolf. The production, originally due to open on 14 November, has now announced a revised press night of 15 November, following previews from 3 November.
Garrett, who has been a principal soprano the English National Opera (where she is a member of the board), has starred in The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan tutte, Die Fledermaus and The Barber of Seville. She made her Royal Opera House debut in 1997 in The Merry Widow, was awarded a CBE in 2002 for service to music and has 11 solo albumsto her name. Garrett starred in her own TV series and has served as a guest on other shows, including participating in the first series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 (in which she finished third), and as a regular on the Channel 4 game show Countdown. She also presents a weekly programme on Classic FM. At certain performances, Margaret Preece will substitute for Garrett as Mother Abbess.
Shepherd is best-known for starring in five series of Peak Practice, but his London stage roles include appearances in Art, Bent and The Secret Rapture. Ward, an American actress married to British stage director Matthew Warchus, has appeared on Broadway in Carousel in 1994, the musical 1776 (in 1997) and Follies (2001). Gelder was most recently seen in the West End in the RSC transfer of The Crucible to the Gielgud Theatre.
The company also includes Christopher Blades, Anthony Cable, Ian Caddick, Vivien Care, Tanya Caridia, Christopher Connah, Kate Coysten, Deborah Crowe, Christopher Dickens, Katie Fabel, Susie Fenwick, John Griffiths, Amanda Hall, Paul Kemble, Emma Lindars, Ian Male, Claire Massie, Nicholas Maude, Gavin Mitford, Jo Napthine, Verity Quade, Katie Ray, Simon Schofield, Nicola Sloane, Alan Vicary, Helen Walsh, Elen Mon Wayne, Jane Webster, Kerry Winter and Vanessa Woodfine.