'Sound of Music' actress dies
LOS ANGELES — Charmian Carr, the actress best known for sweetly portraying the eldest von Trapp daughter in Rogers & Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music,” has died.
Carr, 73, died Saturday of complications from a rare form of dementia in Los Angeles, Carr’s spokesman, Harlan Boll, said.
At age 21, the actress portrayed Liesl von Trapp in the 1965 film version of the musical “The Sound of Music.” She famously performed the song “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.”
After “The Sound of Music,” Carr’s only other major Hollywood role was starring with Anthony Perkins in the Stephen Sondheim television musical “Evening Primrose.” She played a mysterious young woman who lived in a department store.
“Charmian Carr played the oldest von Trapp child, and in some ways she maintained that role in real life — guiding, cheering, supporting and generally being there for the rest of her ‘sisters’ and ‘brothers,’” said Ted Chapin, president of the Rogers & Hammerstein organization.
The actress later wrote a pair of books about her “Sound of Music” experiences: “Forever Liesl” and “Letters to Liesl.” She fully embraced audiences’ reverence for the musical, frequently appearing at fan events commemorating the film, including sing-a-long performances at the Hollywood Bowl.
