A very starry Sound of Music! Kara Tointon takes to the stage in a one off live production of the beloved musical...and she is not the only famous faces
- ITV will air a live performance of The Sound of Music on Sunday
- Starring Kara Tointon as Maria and Julian Ovenden as Captain Von Trapp
- The Sound Of Music Live! is on tomorrow at 7.30pm on ITV
It’s ITV’s most ambitious Christmas offering, a two-and-a-half-hour live production of The Sound Of Music starring Kara Tointon as Maria, Downton’s Julian Ovenden as Captain Von Trapp, Katherine Kelly as the Baroness and Pointless host Alexander Armstrong as Max Detweiler.
‘What could possibly go wrong?’ says ITV comedy boss Elaine Bedell. Certainly no expense has been spared.
The event comes from London’s Three Mills Studio where the lavish sets are said to have cost £750,000, and there’ll be a 42-piece orchestra plus the sound of cowbells and birdsong recorded in Austria. So, how are the cast shaping up?
Kara Tointon takes the lead as Maria in a live production of The Sound of Music this Christmas
‘I go through phases of terror and then I feel really good about it,’ says Kara Tointon. ‘Having taken part in Strictly I’ve had a taste of live TV but that was a sequence of dances lasting one minute and 20 seconds. This is 150 minutes!’
Julian Ovenden, who played Charles Blake in Downton, has a particular worry. ‘I had to learn the guitar for Edelweiss and the fact I’m singing while playing it after only a week’s tuition will make it even more scary.’
Just reading the script reduced Alexander Armstrong to tears. ‘It’s so full of wonderful moments but it’s also a true story and perfect for Christmas, a time when we embrace traditions. Maybe the live musical will become a tradition.’
Julian Ovenden plays Captain George Von Trapp (left) while Alexander Armstrong plays Max Detweiler (right)
But it is not just a re-tread of the film, says director Coky Giedroyc. ‘It’s based on the original Broadway version and is a bit darker.’
Coky’s job wasn’t made easier by the fact that her younger sister Mel (best known from Bake Off) plays Frau Schmidt the housekeeper. Did she behave badly? ‘Of course, but she’s been brilliant, too.’
Mel says, ‘I did suggest Sue Perkins as a possible scullery maid, a non-speaking role, of course. But strangely, they didn’t take up the offer. If she’d been in it, could you imagine? Live? It would be mayhem. It’s just as well she won’t be in the vicinity, much as I love her.’
The Sound Of Music Live! is on tomorrow at 7.30pm on ITV.
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