So long to Toronto's Sound of Music

It's time to say "So long, farewell"to the lavish Toronto production of The Sound of Music starring Elicia MacKenzie.

The show, atthe Princess of Wales Theatre, will end Jan. 3.

Withthe role ofMaria castvia theCBC reality TV show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?,the productionopened in October 2008 and will have run 68 weeks by the time it closes.

That is the longest run of a revival in Toronto, according to producers Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian and David Mirvish.

Lloyd Webber revived the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical in London before helping out with the Toronto production andCBC's accompanying realitytalent show.

MacKenziewas chosen by the Canadian public in the show, and her runner-up, Janna Polzin, was cast as the alternate Maria and has performed the role twice weekly.

The Sound of Music also stars Broadway's Burke Moses as Captain von Trapp, mezzo-soprano Nolla Huet as the Mother Abbess andtheatre veterans Keith Dinicol and Blythe Wilson.

Mirvish Productions estimates 900,000 people will have seen the show by Jan. 3.