Actress Melissa Peterman Hosts the Interactive Sing-Along of the Timeless Classic Film The Sound of Music

Program Features New Print of the Twentieth Century Fox and Academy Film Archive Eight-Month Restoration with Six-Track Digital Sound

SATURDAY, JULY 10; PRE-SHOW AT 6 PM; MOVIE BEGINS AT 8 PM

Sponsored by The Patina Group

The Hollywood Hills come alive with the sound of the Hollywood Bowl's Sing-A-Long Sound of Music, an interactive, theatrical film experience featuring one of the most beloved motion pictures of all time. The family favorite returns to the Bowl on Saturday, July 10 with actress Melissa Peterman of the WB's hit sit-com Reba hosting this special sing-along event for audiences of all ages. Complete with a costume parade, the evening features a newly restored print with digital sound of the Oscar®-winning film shown on the Bowl's big screen.

Before the Sound of Music screening (pre-show begins at 6:00 p.m.; film begins at 8 p.m.), host Melissa Peterman leads a vocal warm-up and instructs audience members in how to use their complimentary Fun Pak, going over the finer points of cheering for Maria, waving Edelweiss, booing the Nazis, and hissing the Baroness. The pre-show also features performances of favorites from the movie by The Singing Nuns and organist Mitchell Hanlon.

Sing-A-Long Sound of Music invites audiences of all ages to celebrate the story of Maria von Trapp and her family's musical journey by singing along to some of the musical's best-known and beloved songs (subtitled for new fans) in a theatre filled with audience members dressed up as their favorite Sound of Music characters. The evening is a splashy night of theater mixed with a festive costume-filled celebration, all in conjunction with a large-screen viewing of the classic film that continues to touch the hearts of millions.

MELISSA PETERMAN brings her comedic talent to the WB's hit series Reba as the impossibly perky dental hygienist Barbra Jean. Loyal to her comic roots, she also hosts15 Minutes Of Fem, a comedy showcase for women at the Egyptian Theatre; you also might catch her at the L.A. Connection doing the midnight Alumni/Celebrity Improv show. Peterman continues to write her own material and has a one-woman show in the works. Peterman made her film debut as Hooker #2 in the Coen Brother's Academy award-winning movie Fargo. She co-starred in the feature comedy How High with Fred Willard, Hector Elizondo, Spalding Gray, and Method Man. Her television appearances include the Oxygen Network sketch comedy Running with Scissors and guest starring roles in series such as The Pitts and Just Shoot Me. An avid writer, reader, and theater enthusiast, Peterman currently lives and laughs in Los Angeles with her husband, fellow actor John Brady. Peterman last appeared at the Bowl in 2003.

THE SINGING NUNS are members of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen, based in Washington. Begun as a way to bring additional support to help maintain the convent, the apostolate of the Singing Nuns has become a mission as well, bringing the uplifting power of music to audiences since 1979.These Catholic Sisters have left a multitude of careers behind and dedicated their lives to the service of God and neighbor. Singing, of course, has always been inseparable from the life of a nun, but the Singing Nuns have added a new dimension by sharing this joy with the public and recording CDs, of which ten are currently available. With early personal appearances on such shows as the Merv Griffin Show, Disneyland, and the Knoxville World's Fair, their PBS-produced Christmas specials, and their "Christmas Ever More" concerts, these Sisters for the past 25 years have maintained a constant illuminating presence in the world.

MITCHELL HANLON has been the organist for each of the last four Hollywood Bowl Sing-a-Longs. He has performed with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra on tours to Japan and Brazil and conducting opera and musical theater here and in Europe. 2004 marks Hanlon's 14th season as assistant conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Hanlon also performs frequently as an organ and piano recitalist throughout Southern California. He serves on the faculty of California State University Fullerton and is pianist/organist on the Millennium Rogers pipe organ at Fullerton First Christian Church. Hanlon holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Music degree from Chapman University in Orange, California.

One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and in 1991 gave its name to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, a resident ensemble that has filled a special niche in the musical life of Southern California. The 2004 season introduces audiences to a revitalized Hollywood Bowl, featuring a newly-constructed shell and stage and the addition of four stadium screens enhancing stage views in the venue. To this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. While the Bowl is best known for its sizzling summer nights, during the day California's youngest patrons enjoy "Summer Sounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," the Southland's most popular summer arts festival for children, now in its 35th season. Attendance figures over the past several decades have soared: in 1980 the Bowl first topped the half-million mark and last summer close to one million admissions were recorded. It is no wonder that the Bowl's summer music festivals have become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers and Disneyland.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

Saturday, July 10

Sing-a-Long Sound of Music

Pre-show program and costume parade: 6:00 p.m.
Movie: 8:00 p.m.

Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood

MELISSA PETERMAN, host

THE SINGING NUNS

MITCHELL HANLON, organ

Tickets ($1 - $57) are on sale now at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office, by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, at all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons May, Tower Records and Ritmo Latino locations), or online at HollywoodBowl.com. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850-2050 for further details. For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.

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