Debbie Turner, former Arcadian and child star who played Marta in the 1965 Academy Award-winning “The Sound of Music,” along with three of her seven Sound of Music siblings (theSOM7.com) Angela Cartwright (Brigitta) and Kym Karath (Gretl), will greet attendees at the Taste of Arcadia from 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. Monday evening, Sept. 24, at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.
The reunion of the cast of “The Sound of Music” was named this week as the best cast reunion ever on the “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and one of the top 25 “Oprah” shows ever of more than 4,500 episodes. The announcement and highlights of the program were introduced Tuesday night on the first of a new limited series on Oprah’s OWN cable network called “TV Guide’s Top 25 Countdown,” featuring the episodes chosen as #21 – #25.
Actresses Patricia and Michele Turner, also formerly of Arcadia and older sisters of Debbie Turner, will also be guests at the back-to-back Sound of Music tables near the entry area in the first-ever Business Showcase at the Taste.
L-R: Debbie Turner, Angela Cartwright, Kym Karath as three of the von Trapp children in “The Sound of Music.”
The three actresses who co-starred in the 1965 classic musical as daughters in the singing von Trapp family will offer a handful of fully autographed (by all seven actors who played the von Trapp children) Limited Edition Collectors editions of their L.A. Times Best Seller The Sound of Music Family Scrapbook with a “seal of authenticity” (www.theSOM7.com). They will also be offering books for purchase that will be autographed and personalized by Angela, Debbie and Kym.
Tickets for Taste of Arcadia, featuring nearly 40 food and drink booths, are still available for $50 at the Chamber office, 388 W. Huntington Drive, by phone at 626-447-2159, and online here at Chamber web site.
L-R: Debbie Turner, Angela Cartwright, Kym Karath
About Angela Cartwright (Brigitta in “The Sound of Music”)
Born in England, Angela Cartwright joined the cast of “Make Room for Daddy” as the stepdaughter from 1956-63. In 1964 she landed the role of Brigitta von Trapp in The Sound of Music. She starred as Penny Robinson in the Sci-Fi classic TV series, “Lost in Space,” from 1965 to 1968 and continued her acting career by appearing in various television and movie roles. Angela is also an accomplished author, photographer, artist and designer. Her web sites: www.Angela-Cartwright.com and www.ACartwrightStudio.com.
About Kym Karath (Gretl)
Kym Karath appeared in three movies starting at the age of three before landing the part of Gretl in “The Sound of Music” at age five. Also, she appeared in TV shows such as “Dr. Kildare,” “Lassie,” “My Three Sons,” “Lost in Space,” “Family Affair,” and “The Brady Bunch.” She remains in “the business,” most recently hosting her TV program, “Bouncing Back.” She is president of the Aurelia Foundation. The goal is to create model day programs for young adults with disabilities.
About Debbie Turner (Marta in “The Sound of Music”)
Born in Pasadena, Debbie Turner began acting in TV commercials at the tender age of six months. Following “The Sound of Music,” she was a model and acted in numerous TV commercials. After graduating from AHS (’74), she attended USC. Debbie lives in Chanhassen, MN with her husband of 32 years and their four daughters. She is a successful floral designer for décor of weddings and large events. She was one of only four floral designers chosen for the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN. In 2011, Debbie was invited to be one of the three judges for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. Seasonally, she designs beautiful high-end “Santa Claus Dolls” and “Angels.” Her web sites: www.dtoflowers.com and www.facebook.com/pages/Debbie-Turner-Originals-DTO-flowers-LLC/
About Patricia Turner
Arcadia High School alum (’67), Patricia Turner, appeared in a number of commercials and TV shows as a child, most notably a recurring role on “Leave It to Beaver” as Linda Dennison. The eldest of the Turner sisters, Patricia was crowned Miss Arcadia and rode on Arcadia’s float in the 1966 Tournament of Roses Parade. In her senior year at Arcadia High she was voted Homecoming Queen and Prom Princess. Growing up, she was a member of the Arcadia diving team under Coach Ray Petersen and an undefeated L.A. County champion for six consecutive years. Sisters Michele and Debbie were also members of the diving team. She has three grown children and lives in Aliso Viejo, CA.
About Michele Turner
Michele, AHS Class of ‘70, appeared in numerous popular television shows and commercials from a very young age and in to her teens. She was Homecoming Princess at Arcadia High and a Song Girl, and some years later was selected as a Los Angeles Rams Cheerleader. In winter, she is a professional ski instructor in Utah where she lives with her husband and two boys. She is the only of the three sisters to continue her pursuit of acting, continuing to do commercials, voice-overs, modeling, and independent films. Just last year, she won a Best Supporting Actress award for her work in the independent film short, “An Evening with My Comatose Mother.”
Loading ...
Pleasantly surprised to read this news ! Just found out that Debbie Turner was an AHS grad, by browsing the AHS history bulletin board next to the North gym. Good to know the three will attend this event. There was a great live, in the round production of “Sound of Music” at Hale Center Theater in Salt Lake City over the summer. Nice touches….some references to the movie, some not. The director set the “Lonely Goatherd” during the Salzburg festival. All the family members had parts, using stick hand puppets (the Captain included. ) Some of the kids dressed up as: the goatherd, the goats, the “men drinking beer with a foam afloat.” Very clever production.