Project Description
The Sound of Music (Broadway & Tour)
The Sound of Music with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II with additional lyrics by Richard Rodgers and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by “The Trapp Family Singers” by Maria Augusta Trapp, opened on Broadway on March 12, 1998 and closed on June 20, 1999 at the Martin Beck Theatre
Produced by Hallmark Entertainment, Thomas Viertel, Steven Baruch, Richard Frankel and Jujamcyn Theaters (James H. Binger: Chairman; Rocco Landesman: President; Paul Libin: Producing Director; Jack Viertel: Creative Director); Produced in association with The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization, Charles Kelman Productions, Inc., Simone Genatt Haft, Marc Routh, Jay Binder and Robert Halmi, Jr.; Associate Producer: James D. Stern and PACE Theatrical Group, Inc.
Directed by Susan H. Schulman; Assistant Director: Terry Berliner; Choreographed by Michael Lichtefeld; Musical Director: Michael Rafter; Scenic Design by Heidi Ettinger; Costume Design by Catherine Zuber; Lighting Design by Paul Gallo; Sound Design by Tony Meola; Hair and Wig Design by Paul Huntley; Music orchestrated by Bruce Coughlin; Dance arrangements snd Incidental music arranged by Jeanine Tesori; Original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett and Original Dance & Choral arrangements by Trude Rittman.
Starring Rebecca Luker (Maria Rainer), Michael Siberry (Captain Georg von Trapp), Jan Maxwell (Elsa), Patti Cohenour (Mother Abbess), Fred Applegate (Max), Patricia Conolly (Frau Schmidt), Sara Zelle (Liesl), Dashiell Eaves (Rolf), John Curless (Franz), Ryan Hopkins (Friedrich), Tracy Alison Walsh (Brigitta), Matthew Ballinger (Kurt), Andrea Bowen (Marta), Ashley Rose Orr (Gretl), Jeanne Lehman, Natalie Hall (Louise), with Gina Ferrall, Ann Brown, Timothy Landfield, Reno Roop, Gannon McHale, Anne Allgood, Joan Barber, Laura Benanti, Martha Hawley, Kelly Cae Hogan, Siri Howard, Tad Ingram, Matthew Loney, Betsi Morrison, Patricia Phillips, Lynn C. Pinto, Kristie Dale Sanders, Ben Scheaffer, Margaret Shafer, Nora Blackall, Marissa Gould and Lou Taylor Pucci.
Major replacements included Laura Benanti (Maria Rainer), Richard Chamberlain (Captain Georg von Trapp)
Swings: Tad Ingram, Betsi Morrison and Margaret Shafer
Standby: Timothy Landfield (Captain Georg von Trapp)
Understudies included: Anne Allgood (Sister Margaretta), Joan Barber (Sister Berthe), Laura Benanti (Maria Rainer), Nora Blackall (Brigitta von Trapp, Louisa von Trapp), Marissa Gould (Gretl von Trapp, Marta von Trapp), Martha Hawley (Frau Schmidt), Kelly Cae Hogan (Elsa Schraeder), Siri Howard (Liesl von Trapp), Tad Ingram (Max Detweiler, Franz, Herr Zeller, Baron Elberfeld, Admiral von Schreiber), Jeanne Lehman (The Mother Abbess), Matt Loney (Captain Georg von Trapp, Herr Zeller), Gannon McHale (Max Detweiler), Betsi Morrison (Maria Rainer, Sister Sophia, Ursula, Baroness Elberfeld, A Postulant), Lynn C. Pinto (Sister Sophia), Lou Taylor Pucci (Friedrich von Trapp, Kurt von Trapp), Reno Roop (Franz), Kristie Dale Sanders (Elsa Schraeder), Margaret Shafer (Sister Margaretta, A Postulant, Baroness Elberfeld, Ursula) and Ben Sheaffer (Rolf Gruber)
Associate Choreographer: Joe Bowerman; Associate Scenic Design: Richard Jaris and Wade Laboissonniere; Assistant Scenic Design: Judy Gailen and Fabio Toblini; Associate Lighting Design: Philip Rosenberg and David Weiner; Associate Auto. Light Programmer: Paul J. Sonnleitner; Assistant Lighting Design: Paul D. Miller; Assistant Sound Design: Kai Harada and Assistant. to the Choreographer: Melissa Rae Mahon
Production Manager: Peter Fulbright; Production Supervisor: Beverley Randolph; Stage Manager: Ira Mont; Assistant Stage Manager: Thom Widmann and Joe Bowerman; Technical Supervisor: Tech Production Services, Inc., Elliot Bertoni, Robert Shuck and Peter Ruen; Dance Captain: Joe Bowerman; General Manager: Richard Frankel Productions and Laura Green; Company Manager: Kathy Lowe; Casting: Jay Binder; Press Representative: Cromarty and Company; Advertising: Serino Coyne, Inc.; Marketing: TMG Marketing & Publicity; Online Marketing by Toby Simkin / BuyBroadway; Dialect Coach: Deborah Hecht; Promotions: Scott Walton Communications, Scott Walton, Kathi Iannacone and Leanne Schanzer Promotions;
Musical Coordinator: John Miller; Conducted by Michael Rafter; Associate Conductor: Steven Tyler; Assistant Conductor: James Baker; Violin: Elizabeth Lim-Dutton, Karl Kawahara, Krystof Witek and Karen Milne; Viola: Maxine Roach; Cello: Adam Grabois and Sarah Seiver; Bass: Bill Ellison; Woodwind: Helen Campo, Rick Heckman, Jon Manasse, Robert Ingliss and Don McGeen; Trumpet: Carl Albach and John Dent; Trombone: Dick Clark; Bass Trombone / Tuba: Matthew Ingman; Guitar / Mandolin / Zither / Autoharp: Scott Kuney; French Horn: Javier Gandara and Leise Anschuetz Paer; Keyboard / Accordian: Steven Tyler; Percussion: James Baker
In addition to the online marketing for both the Broadway and national tour (starring Richard Chamberlain), I also worked with Bill Rosenfield of RCA Victor on a special exclusive behind the scenes of the making of the cast recording.
As Founder and CEO of Theatre.com and BuyBroadway.com. The pioneer in moving the Broadway industry onto the internet. Press branded me as “Toby is the man pushing theatre, kicking and screaming, into cyberspace.” 
What started in 1989 as a Broadway industry service called ShowCall via dialup BBS for members of the League of American Theatre Producers evolved onto the world wide web in 1993, and shortly after this, the vast majority of Broadway shows (starting with my production of Victor/Victoria) and theatrical organizations followed. Described by Variety Magazine as a “marketing powerhouse“, it was the single largest theatre community in the world with over 180,000 active members. 
From buying official Broadway tickets and souvenirs, providing detailed global show listings, interactive show study & educational guides, live streaming shows and events (including many Opening Nights), industry news from major theatre journalists, pictures and videos, games, messaging directly to Broadway cast’s backstage or even licensing a musical, theatre.com offered it all in a single, easy-to-use interface to theatregoers across North America and globally. The “Super site of Broadway” became a publicly traded company, prior to my re-branding it as Theatre.com at the Minskoff Theatre.
