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Dateline: 4th April, 2006
TV Hunt for Maria Confirmed As we reported in December, the part of Maria in Andrew Lloyd Webber's forthcoming production of The Sound of Music, will be cast after a nationwide hunt through a Pop Idol style TV programme. The BBC1 show, entitled How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, will be fronted by comedian and presenter Graham Norton. The first of the national auditions will be in Belfast on 22nd April, followed by Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh, and London. The final fifty will be reduced to a shortlist of ten by a panel of theatre professionals, and then a public vote will decide the eventual winner. Lloyd Webber will have a vote in the proceedings: he can choose to pass through the contestant with the lowest vote in an audition, after listening to her sing again. "I have always had a passion for discovering and nurturing new talent and this will be a fantastic opportunity for a young artist to become a real star," said Lloyd-Webber, who is co-producing the show with Live Nation's David Ian. "Never before have young musical theatre performers had such an opportunity to show their talents on prime time television." "As a theatre producer," added David Ian, "I know the hard work that goes into musical theatre and how very important it is to keep finding new talent for these starring roles. I'm thrilled to be working with the BBC on this national search—we really are looking for someone special." The TV series will include pre-recorded auditions, live shows, and a results show. Income from the premium phoneline voting will go to establish a bursary fund for young music theatre hopefuls. The plan has drawn criticism from within the industry. "Our members go through all the processes of training and education and go into the profession and work their way up through the chorus," said Andy Prodger, Equity's assistant general secretary. "But then an absolutely plum role, the height of any actor's career in musical theatre, is going to be decided not exactly by a lottery, but not very far from it. The point we make is there is nothing harder than doing eight shows a week, six days a week, where a very high vocal range and skill is required. They're going to be judged on what they do in half an hour on television." Equity points out that even established stars like Martine McCutcheon (My Fair Lady) and Sarah Lancashire (Guys and Dolls) were unable to support the demands of such a role but the BBC points out that there is nothing to prevent professionals from applying. The revival of The Sound of Music is scheduled for the London Palladium. Please note that all three Archive indices are very long and will therefore take some time to download.
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