London Palladium Showing the Sound of Music and Sister Act

he classic musical, The Sound of Music, is showing at the London Palladium through February 28, 2009. Summer Strallen plays the role of Maria, singing such songs as The Sound of Music and My Favorite Things. Beginning in July, The Sound of Music will go on tour in the UK with Connie Fisher playing Maria. After The Sound of Music has finished its run, the London Palladium will be gearing up for the performance of Sister Act. The musical version of Sister Act is based on the movie, which starred Whoopi Goldberg as Deloris, a Reno singer who witnesses a crime and is placed in the witness protection program. The police place her in a convent in the guise of a nun, and Deloris proceeds to revolutionize the convent's choir program. Whoopi Goldberg will be producing the show, but she will not play the lead. The London Palladium has an interesting history. It began as a wooden building called the Corinthian Bazaar, which had a strange attraction - a house for birds. After the Corinthian Bazaar closed, it was rebuilt and used to host a circus, and later an ice skating rink, which operated for ten years. After the ice skating rink closed down, the building was redesigned by Frank Matcham. Beginning in 1945, Val Parnell began booking a number of big name acts. Some of the performers who were booked at the Palladium during this time were Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Sammy Davis, Jr. In 1955, the London Palladium became the venue for a variety show that was broadcast live each week. The show was called Sunday Night at the London Palladium and ran until 1967. The Palladium hosted another variety show in the late 1980's. This show was called Live from the Palladium. Recent shows at the Palladium include Sinatra at the London Palladium in 2006, Scrooge: The Musical in 2005 and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 2002. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has been the London Palladium's most successful production. It ran for three and a half years. Some people claim that the London Palladium is haunted by a woman wearing a crinoline dress. She is said to appear on the Palladium's Crimson Staircase, usually when the theatre is nearly empty and the only people around are members of the staff. The theatre seats 2,286 people and is air conditioned. There are three levels of seating at the Palladium: stalls, Royal Circle and Upper Circle. The stalls offer good views, except for the last six rows, and the view is also good from the Royal Circle. The view from the Upper Circle is lessened due to the height. In rows A and B it may be necessary to lean to see over the handrail. However, these seats are priced lower accordingly. The London Palladium is located on Argyll Street, near Oxford Street and Soho. The stage door is located on Great Marlborough Street.