Cinnamon Life presents Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Ian’s Really Useful Group production of ‘The So

Cinnamon Life marked its partnership with David Ian Productions Ltd., Company Onstage Ltd. and the Broadway Asia Company LLC on Tuesday.

David Ian Productions is a leading entertainment company and specializes in presenting large-scale theatrical productions in the UK, the US and internationally. Broadway Asia Company LLC founded by Broadway producers Simone Genatt and Marc Routh, is one of the largest production, management, distribution, licensing and touring companies in the Asia-Pacific region.

Resulting from this collaboration, Cinnamon Life will present for the first time in South Asia, Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Ian’s Really Useful Group production of ‘The Sound of Music,’ the first of a series of events that will make Colombo a hub for entertainment in the region.

Speaking on the partnership, John Keells Group Deputy Chairman Krishan Balendra stated: “Colombo’s changing landscape will see the emergence of a consumer profile seeking interesting things to do in the city. Entertainment will undoubtedly be a driving factor apart from dining and shopping. This initiative is the first step in an ongoing endeavour to make Colombo a city that offers high quality entertainment on a regular basis and create a platform to attract an international audience.”

‘The Sound of Music’ will feature Carmen Pretorius, the South African actress tasked with playing the lead role of Maria in the touring production. Pretorius toured as Liesl in the show’s South Africa, New Zealand, Singapore and China staging, before assuming the role of Maria.

Nicholas Maude is a professional actor having graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in 1992. He is currently performing the role of Captain Von Trapp on the international theatre tour of The Sound of Music.

A seasoned classically-trained soprano in her home country of South Africa, award-winning soprano Janelle Visagie has been active in the world of opera, previously cast as Sister Angelica in Puccini’s ‘Suor Angelica,’ as well as other roles in productions of Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni,’ the ‘Magic Flute’ and more.

Twelve children from Sri Lanka will have the opportunity to appear in a large commercial musical, and perform alongside a fully professional theatre company adding flavour to the play’s award-winning international cast that has brought ‘The Sound of Music’ critical acclaim.

What began as a Rogers and Hammerstein stage musical in 1959, based on the memoires of the real Maria von Trapp, was eventually released as a film in 1965, starring Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews. Today, the original manifestation of the von Trapp story as a theatrical production continues; ‘The Sound of Music’ is still performed on the stages of Broadway and the West End, re-imagined by musical theatre maestro Andrew Lloyd Webber himself who went on to bag 6 Tony Awards for the production. Soon, this extraordinary experience will be available for audiences in Colombo. ‘The Sound of Music’ was first produced on Broadway where it won five Tony awards. This version of the production will be from the London Palladium in the UK’s West End of London. 

Cinnamon Life is an integrated development by Sri Lanka’s premier listed conglomerate, the John Keells Group. This city within a city will consist of an 800-roomed luxury Cinnamon hotel, an array of entertainment facilities, premium residential apartments, retail and entertainment mall, office spaces, and many other attractions to set stage as the entertainment hotspot in the Indian Subcontinent. The development’s iconic design by Cecil Balmond will span across 4.5 million square feet, and is envisioned to be the epicenter of modern South Asia. 

Cinnamon Life presents Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Ian, the Really Useful Group production of ‘The Sound of Music’ – In Association with Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, powered by Nations Trust Bank American Express and Mercedez Benz from DIMO, Airline Partner SriLankan Airlines, Skills Development Partner British Council, Banking Partner Nations Trust Bank Private Banking, Inbound Travel Partner Walkers Tours, Outdoor Media Partner Emerging, Media Tea Partner Dilmah Tea, Print Media and Web Partners Sunday Times, Daily Mirror, Daily FT, Life Online, Daily Mirror.lk, Hi Magazine and HI TV, Radio Partner YES FM and Legends 96.6, Creative Partner JWT, Print Partner Anim8 and Official Photographer Sagara Lakmal Photography.

Don’t miss the chance to catch Broadway in Sri Lanka. Tickets for ‘The Sound of Music’ can be purchased via www.cinnamonboxoffice.com.

Pix by Upul Abayasekara