Showbiz Queenstown also announced yesterday it was delighted to welcome back Christchurch performing arts veteran Bryan Aitken, who directed the company's successful show All Shook Up earlier this year.
Showbiz Queenstown secretary Hilary Finnie said many committee members had wanted to stage the popular show for a long time.
All Shook Up "was purely adult themed, so it's really good to have a family movie and also a traditional musical, with opportunities for children and people of all ages to get involved".
Securing Mr Aitken's services was a bonus because "everything's fresh and everyone knows each other", she said.
Mr Aitken said in a statement The Sound of Music had eternal appeal.
"It is a story of lost love, new love, belief in self and the magic of children in your life. Set against the German-Austrian anschluss, it creates an edge for the adults to work with, contrasting with the children's innocence.
"The nuns' chorus work is among the best you will find in musical theatre.
"Because people know the story so well it's imperative to direct it with freshness and joy."
Auditions for The Sound of Music will be held in February. Three women, five girls aged 5, 7, 9, 13 and 16, plus two men and two boys aged 11 and 14 are required for the principal cast.
Four women and two men are sought for the featured cast. Nuns, novices, postulants and contestants at the festival concert are needed for the ensemble.
A total of 10 performances, including two matinees, will begin in the Queenstown Memorial Hall on May 17.
Showbiz Queenstown, as the Queenstown Musical Society, produced The Sound of Music in 1982.
