Broadway star, Denise van Outen, has revealed that she turned down the chance to judge on last years TV show, How Do You Solve A problem Like Maria, as she didn’t want to seem bitchy.
Denise told The Observer newspaper:
“I just felt it wasn’t right. I felt uncomfortable about being on the panel and giving my criticism. Because if I was going to do it, I wanted to be really honest.
“But I felt if I’m going to be really honest, I don’t want to do that to other women. It can seem bitchy. I just don’t feel comfortable doing that. I don’t want to criticise other women.
“It’s just not something that I want to be doing.”
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s recent smash hit TV show, ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria’ has helped Sir Andrew shoot up the Sunday Times Rich List, replacing Paul McCartney in the number two spot.
According to Philip Beresford, who compiled the Sunday Times Rich List.
He said: “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? has not harmed Andrew Lloyd Webber. The reality TV shows have clearly helped.
“The exposure means that the shows, when they open, get free PR, translating it, dare I say it, into bums on seats.
“The Sound of Music is on at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatre and it is his production so it’s a double hit.”
He added: “Without the shows, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s wealth would have gone up a little but he would not have replaced Sir Paul McCartney in the list.”
After the huge success of both ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria’ and ‘Any Dream Will Do’, for the BBc, many would assume that musical genius, Andrew Lloyd Webber would jump at the chance of a third series.
However, Andrew has declined a third series with the beeb as he wants to focus on writing his new musical.
The musical will be a sequel to the Phantom Of The Opera, which is likely to be called Phantom Of Broadway.
Lloyd Webber said: “I need to get back to writing. I want to throw myself into it. Over the Easter weekend I wrote the first song and I’m really pleased with it.”
I wonder if the BBC will continue without him? They do seem to have a winning formula…..
After getting voted off the BBC’s ‘How Do You Solve A problem Like Maria’, Aoife Mulholland assumed she would never get to play Maria on the West End. little did she know that a few months later she would be asked to share the role with the winner of the show, Connie Fisher.
Spekaing to The Daily Mail Aoife said: Continue reading ‘Aoife Mulholland Finally gets To Play Maria‘ »
Grease Is The Word will launch on ITV this week and the hunt will begin for the West End’s new Sandy and Danny.
At the launch party for the show in London last night, it was revealed that the winners of the show will be contracted to perform in eight shows per week despite the recent injury that Connie Fisher sustained while performing the same amount.
Connie won the BBC’s ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria’ last year and has subsequently been playing Maria in the West End Sound Of Music stage show. She had to pull out of a number of shows earlier this year and is currently performing with the aid of a backing track due after damaging her vocal chords. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has revealed that he feels responsible for Connie’s illness as she insisted on performing eight shows per week, when he should have insisted on six.
David Ian, judge on Grease Is The Word and producer of Sound Of Music claims that Connie’s injury was sustained due to her singing while ill with a cold. He assures us that eight shows a week, while playing Sandy and Danny is the absilute norm.
He said: “Danny and Sandy will be contracted to do eight shows a week, which is absolutely the West End norm. It’s not always normal for certain roles but I’ve always contracted Danny’s and Sandy’s to do eight shows a week and subject to them being fit, healthy and well, they’ll be on stage for eight shows a week.
“Maria in The Sound of Music is a huge thing and Connie would be the first to admit that the mistake she made was to sing through a cold. Maria has considerably more to do than Danny and Sandy. Grease is very much an ensemble piece.”
March 26, 2007 – 11:38 am
There have been some damning articles on the internet over the last few days accusing Connie Fisher, winner of the BBC’s hit show, ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria’, of miming during her recent Sound Of Music shows.
The articles all stemmed from a report in the Daily Mail saying that due to recent throat problems, Connie has been singing along to a backing track and almost miming high notes in order to save her voice.
I personally can’t see the problem. Connie obviously isn’t medically able to sing alone at the minute, but doesn’t want to drop out of the show while her career is still in it’s infancy. It’s not as if she can’t sing, we all know she can. She is certainly no Milli Vanilli! I hope the tabloids see fit to give the girl a break, and let her recover at her own pace, she’ll be back on par in no time.
March 12, 2007 – 12:45 pm
Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber is sending winner of BBC’s ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria’, to a top doctor for a crucial throat operation.
Connie Fisher sustained damage to her throat after performing Her role of Maria in The Sound Of Music with a heavy cold.
February 17, 2007 – 8:29 pm
Since winning BBC’s ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria’ last year Connie Fisher has had a stream of good luck that most of us can only dream about.
However this week she suffered her first setback when she was advised to take at least a week off the West End Sound Of Music show due to illness.
Here’s hoping shes back to her normal self next week…..
December 13, 2006 – 1:49 pm
It has been announced that ‘Strictly Dance Fever’ has been axed by the BBC after just two series.
TV bosses decided to drop the show after it failed to meet the ratings of the BBC’s ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria’
BBC bosses now want Graham Norton, who hosted both reality shows, to focus on the follow-up of ‘Maria’, which is expected to look for the next star of West End productions ‘Joseph’ or ‘Grease’.
A source said: “‘Dance Fever’ was great but ‘Maria’ proved audiences have a real passion for those types of shows.”
September 25, 2006 – 3:46 pm
Famous musical producer, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, has hit back at claims that the reality TV show ‘How Do We Solve A Problem Like Maria’ was a fix. The new show was created to find a new actress/ singer to play the famous role of Maria in a new West End production of The Sound Of Music.
Reports suggested that winner Connie Fisher had already started to record songs before she was announced as the winner.
Webber said to the press; “We didn’t know she was going to win.” He added that Fisher started to record songs for the musical’s accompanying album last Tuesday, after the winner was announced on live television.
“I don’t see how I can fix a show like the Maria programme. It’s completely a public vote. I didn’t even know until three minutes before the end of the show that Connie had won it.” Webber added.
