Poster
2008 (designed), 2008 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This photographic poster, advertising The Sound of Music at the Palladium in 2007, is promoting the change in casting of the actress playing Maria. For the 2006 revival at the London Palladium, Andrew Lloyd Webber had originally hoped to cast Hollywood actress Scarlett Johannson. This fell through, however, and the first Maria was instead cast through a talent search reality show on BBC television. The promotion for the show resulted in sell-out performances.
When time came for a cast change, Andrew Lloyd-Webber looked to a different form of publicity, casting the actress he intended for the role of Maria in the popular teenage soap opera Hollyoaks. The storyline, over the course of several months, led up to her character auditioning for a part in the musical and winning it, crossing the line between fiction and reality in a somewhat insidious piece of marketing.
The poster features the title of the musical in the same font and format as that of the classic 1960s film, recalling the enduring popularity of that film. It also prominently portrays Summer Strallen as the main attraction, with reviews above and below her photograph announcing her as a great new West End star.
When time came for a cast change, Andrew Lloyd-Webber looked to a different form of publicity, casting the actress he intended for the role of Maria in the popular teenage soap opera Hollyoaks. The storyline, over the course of several months, led up to her character auditioning for a part in the musical and winning it, crossing the line between fiction and reality in a somewhat insidious piece of marketing.
The poster features the title of the musical in the same font and format as that of the classic 1960s film, recalling the enduring popularity of that film. It also prominently portrays Summer Strallen as the main attraction, with reviews above and below her photograph announcing her as a great new West End star.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Offset lithography on card with gloss finish |
| Brief description | Poster advertising Summer Strallen as Maria Von Trapp in The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein, London Palladium Theatre, from 26 February 2008. |
| Physical description | Poster printed on glossy paper featuring a photograph of Summer Strallen as Maria wearing a yellow broderie anglaise bodice, lying in long grass, with snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance. Across the blue sky at the top of the poster is the quote from Sky News in white upper case lettering: 'DEFINITELY ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS', and below this, in yellow upper and lower case: 'The SOUND of MUSIC'. Below the photograph is the Daily Telegraph quote: 'SUMMER STRALLEN IS A TERRIFIC MARIA' (white lettering) and the name of the theatre: 'LONDON PALLADIUM' in yellow, with the address of the theatre in white. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Gallery label | Poster for The Sound of Music
2008
Auditioning for the lead role in this West End show took place in the television show How do You Solve a Problem like Maria? The shortlist was then put to a public vote. Over two million people voted for Connie Fisher to become the first Maria. In February 2008 Summer Strallen took over the role. As part of the publicity campaign she became a character in the soap opera Hollyoaks, auditioning for the role of Maria. [76 words]
Musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, 1965
London Palladium Theatre
Lithograph
Designed by Dewynters Ltd
Given by Dewynters Ltd
Museum no. S.166-2008 |
| Credit line | Given by Dewynters PLC |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This photographic poster, advertising The Sound of Music at the Palladium in 2007, is promoting the change in casting of the actress playing Maria. For the 2006 revival at the London Palladium, Andrew Lloyd Webber had originally hoped to cast Hollywood actress Scarlett Johannson. This fell through, however, and the first Maria was instead cast through a talent search reality show on BBC television. The promotion for the show resulted in sell-out performances. When time came for a cast change, Andrew Lloyd-Webber looked to a different form of publicity, casting the actress he intended for the role of Maria in the popular teenage soap opera Hollyoaks. The storyline, over the course of several months, led up to her character auditioning for a part in the musical and winning it, crossing the line between fiction and reality in a somewhat insidious piece of marketing. The poster features the title of the musical in the same font and format as that of the classic 1960s film, recalling the enduring popularity of that film. It also prominently portrays Summer Strallen as the main attraction, with reviews above and below her photograph announcing her as a great new West End star. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.166-2008 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | July 28, 2008 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
