TOP 10 MARIAS REVEALED ON HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE MARIA?
Tonight, on CBC Television, the group of 20 Maria hopefuls were whittled down to 10 on HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE MARIA? The top 20 finalists performed a private concert at the prestigious London Palladium in England for Andrew Lloyd Webber, his guests and the expert panel. Following the performance, 10 finalists were chosen as stand-out favourites for their special blend of charisma, attitude and talent. They will move on to the next round, performing live in front of a studio audience each week. One of these 10 finalists will land centre-stage as Maria von Trapp in the stage production of The Sound of Music, produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian and David Mirvish, playing in Toronto this fall at the Princess of Wales Theatre.
The top 10 Marias are:
JAYME ARMSTRONG (24) is originally from Richmond, B.C. and currently lives in Vancouver. She always had childhood dreams of being a professional jockey, but her talents on the stage have led to an accomplished career including roles in productions in Toronto, New York and Los Angeles. She starred in the Hollywood production of Ruthless! The Musical and received an LA Weekly awards for Outstanding Comedy Performance.
TAMARA FIFIELD (21) is from Truro, N.S. and has honed her vocal chords as a trained opera singer and recently graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Music. She is passionate about performing and cooking. This closet Trekkie dreams of playing Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar.
ALLIE HUGHES (22) is from Toronto, Ont. and always knew a career on stage was for her. The multi-talented singer/song-writer performs in Toronto’s art scene with her band and thinks there is no better feeling than playing for a packed house.
ALISON JUTZI (29) is originally from Guelph, Ont. and now spends her time in Toronto. She enjoys all types of performing, including singing, acting and playing the piano and guitar. Her love of comedy, singing and songwriting led to her recording her first CD, Sandals, consisting of original comedy and folk songs.
KATIE KERR (19) from Windsor, Ont. lives eats and breathes performing. She is currently a vocal student at the University of Windsor. Her love of the stage has led to roles as Anne in Anne of Green Gables and Mary in The Secret Garden.
DONNA LAJEUNESSE (22) is from Bowmanville, Ont. and now lives a short distance away in Oshawa, Ont. She works as a professional dog groomer, but her passion is for performing. She has appeared on stage as Nancy in Oliver!, Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web and Sister Robert Anne in Meshuggah Nuns.
ELICIA MacKENZIE (23) is from Vancouver, B.C. and almost decided to pursue a career as a registered massage therapist, but decided to follow her passion for performing arts instead. She obtained a diploma from Capilano College and has never looked back.
MARISA McINTYRE (25) is originally from Waterloo, Ont. and now resides in Toronto. At the age of three she started learning jazz, ballet and tap and is now a highly accomplished dancer. She has performed in The Music Man at the Stratford Festival and starred as Sophie for two years in the Mirvish production of Mamma Mia!
JANNA POLZIN (24) is originally from Woodstock, Ont. and now lives in Toronto. She was inspired to pursue a creative career by her love of Maria and The Sound of Music at a young age. She is a graduate of Sheridan College’s music theatre program and enjoys performing and visual arts.
KYLA TINGLEY (24) is originally from Dartmouth, N.S. and now calls Toronto her home. She knew after watching The Phantom of the Opera at age seven that performing was in her blood. Kyla is a seasoned performer who received an East Coast Music Awards nomination in 2005 for her musical group The Chronicles.
Beginning Sunday, June 22, the top-10 perform live from the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto in front of the nation. The competition is now in the hands of the viewers who will have an opportunity to vote each week for their favourite Maria.
Voting can be done via phone, text message or online. After every live performance, each Maria will be assigned her own toll-free number for fans to call in and vote. Votes for each Maria can be texted to 777-111 with the first name of their favourite Maria. A 50-cent charge will apply to each text regardless of individual rate plans. To vote online, visit www.cbc.ca/maria.
On Monday, June 23, at 8 p.m., the voting results are revealed and the bottom two Marias sing off against one another to stay on the show. One will be saved and one will go home. Nine finalists remain.
