Is It Time for “The Sound of Music'“ to Return to Broadway?

Rebecca Luker in the 1998 Broadway revival of The Sound of Musis

by Chris Peterson

Earlier this week, I posted our new series on providing audition advice for specific shows and started with The Sound of Music. That got me thinking, is it time for a Broadway revival of the iconic piece?

It’s been over 25 years since The Sound of Music graced a Broadway stage. That sentence alone feels both shocking and oddly appropriate. For a show that once defined the golden era of American musical theatre, its long absence raises a timely question: is it time to bring The Sound of Music home?

The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic first opened on Broadway in 1959, starring Mary Martin as Maria, and went on to win five Tony Awards including Best Musical. It later achieved immortal status thanks to the 1965 film starring Julie Andrews. But on stage, The Sound of Music has had only one Broadway revival since its original run: the 1998 production directed by Susan H. Schulman, with the great Rebecca Luker in a luminous performance as Maria and future Tony-winner Laura Benanti making her Broadway debut. That revival ran for a respectable 500+ performances and received a Tony nomination for Best Musical Revival(Luker should have been nominated but both Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner were nominated for Side Show). And then—nothing.

Internationally, The Sound of Music has continued to find life. A popular West End revival in 2006 reintroduced the show to London audiences, and recent global tours—most notably in Asia and India—have proven its universal appeal. But Broadway, the birthplace of its legacy, has remained silent. Why?

In 2025, Broadway is experiencing a complex identity shift. Revivals are everywhere, but they are no longer museum pieces. Productions like Parade, Cabaret, and Sunset Boulevard have leaned into fresh interpretations, creative casting, and bold visual reimaginings. Audiences aren’t just accepting reinvention, they’re expecting it. This creates a compelling opportunity for The Sound of Music, a show so entrenched in tradition, to reintroduce itself with purpose and relevance.

This isn't to say the show needs radical reinvention to succeed. The power of The Sound of Music lies in its earnest storytelling and sweeping score. Songs like “Edelweiss,” “Do-Re-Mi,” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” don’t require spectacle, they require sincerity. But within that sincerity is an invitation to explore deeper layers. In an era grappling with political division, the story of a family resisting tyranny and choosing moral courage feels more urgent than ever.

Maria’s journey from cloistered uncertainty to defiant love has always been compelling, but today it could be expanded with casting that reflects the America we live in now. The von Trapps don’t need to look like they did in the 1965 film. What matters is the heart, the fear, the bravery, the universal truths. And perhaps a production that puts those emotional stakes front and center, rather than relying on Alpine nostalgia, could do more than sell tickets. It could move people.

There are also artistic questions worth asking. Could this be a more intimate production? One that leans into character over scenery? What would it look like to stage it in the round, or in a space that highlights the tension between Maria’s quiet world and the encroaching threat of Nazism? These are not changes for the sake of change. They are possibilities rooted in the timeless themes of the material, filtered through a 2020s lens.

Of course, the commercial considerations are real. Broadway is a high-risk business, and The Sound of Music doesn’t come with the ironic edge or social media buzz of newer revivals. But it does come with brand recognition, intergenerational appeal, and a musical score that still moves audiences to tears. With the right cast and vision, it could be a box office success and a critical triumph.

And let’s not ignore the educational and community theatre impact. Every year, hundreds of productions of The Sound of Music are mounted across the country. It’s often the first show a child sees, or the first role an actor plays. Broadway revivals have the power to reframe these beloved works, to give them renewed cultural weight. A new production could remind audiences why this story mattered in 1959, and why it still matters today.

So yes, it’s time. Not because we miss the songs or crave nostalgia. But because The Sound of Music has something to say, even now. Especially now. And Broadway could use a little more music that climbs mountains.