From a media release:
The search to find Canada’s Maria von Trapp starts January 25, 2008 with a seven-city cross-country audition tour that will culminate in the eight-week CBC Television series How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? produced by Temple Street Productions in association with CBC Television. On this television show the Canadian public will choose who will play the most famous role in musical theatre in a brand new production of the beloved musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC (produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian and David Mirvish) that will open in October 2008 at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre.
Open casting calls will be held in the cities listed below on the following days:
Toronto
CBC Toronto – Glen Gould Studio
250 Front St. West,
Toronto, ON
M5W3G7 Friday, January 25th
Montreal
Delta Hotel Montreal
475 President Kennedy Ave.
Montreal, QC
H3A 1J7 Monday, January 28th
Vancouver
Pacific Palisades Hotel
1277 Robson St.
Vancouver, BC
V6E 1C4 Friday, February 1st
Calgary
University of Calgary
Red & White Club
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, AB
T2N 1N4 Sunday, February 3rd
Winnipeg
Victoria Inn and Conference Centre
1808 Wellington Ave
Winnipeg, MB
R3H 0G3 Monday, February 4th
Halifax CBC TV Halifax
1840 Bell Rd.
Halifax, NS
B3H 2Z5 Friday, February 8th
St. John’s
CBC St. John’s
95 University Ave
St. John’s, NL
A1B 3T8 Saturday, February 9th
Registration takes place between 09:00 and 11:00am. If you have pre-registered on this site you must still register in person at the location.
Bring a photo and resume stapled together. Be prepared to sing a classical or legit musical theatre piece which shows your range. Songs from Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, including “The Sound of Music”, and songs from other musicals of that era are encouraged. Auditions will be a cappella.
Equity members will be seen first at all open calls. Auditions will continue until all performers have been seen, barring any emergencies or interruptions outside of our control.
Please check this website the day before your audition to confirm that the time and location have not changed.
Wear clothing without logos and bring snacks and water with you!
For further information regarding audition info and schedules, go to our “Audition Info and Schedules” section.
“We are thrilled to offer Canadians this unique opportunity to help select the next star of one of the world’s most beloved musicals,” said Kirstine Layfield, Executive Director of Network Programming for CBC Television.
Set to broadcast on CBC next summer, the series will catch all the drama and theatrics of the audition process and the inevitable eliminations. Canadian viewers will have the responsibility of voting to determine who they think should be Maria. Once selected, the new Maria will immediately join rehearsals with the rest of the cast on the stage of the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto.
Legendary composer and impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber, producer David Ian and the BBC came up with the concept for the BBC television series with the hope of finding a bright young star for their UK production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC. The television show enjoyed incredible popularity that carried on to the stage production at the legendary London Palladium. This success made a star of Connie Fisher, the young woman chosen by the British public to play Maria.
“I am delighted that How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? is coming to Canada. It was an enormous success in the UK. We discovered a fantastic Maria. Not only that, we discovered many talented actresses who have also gone on to play leading roles around the UK and the icing on the cake was that we won an Emmy.” stated Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The Canadian version of the smash hit will audition thousands across the country narrowing the group to 200 who will be invited for callbacks in Toronto. From this group approximately 50 women will be selected to attend ‘Maria School’ for further training.
The show will follow the “Marias” as they endure rigorous auditions, training sessions and honest evaluations. The role requires acting ability, singing ability and stage presence. Prospective Marias will need to show the nation their “favorite things,” and how they can be a nun-in-training, a governess, a will-o-the-wisp and a singing sensation.
For more information on the show and to register for an audition visit www.areyoumaria.com.
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? is executive produced by Sheila Hockin, David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC has music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by “The Trapp Family Singers” by Maria Augusta Trapp.
