The Stage

Problems with Maria

Published Tuesday 8 August 2006 at 12:00

Things are certainly getting depressing at Maria School (BBC’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?) as we see a series of girls with limited vocal ability being pushed to bring out their soprano voice in the least possible time, some of them not sopranos by nature at all. The sad thing is that all of this is so unnecessary as Mary Martin, the creator of the role of Maria, had a deepish Broadway voice which is reflected in the keys chosen in the original vocal score. Furthermore Petula Clark, who was dubbed the perfect Maria by Frau von Trapp herself and brought out excellently the tomboy/clown in the character, also used lower keys. Don’t Lloyd Webber and his team run the risk of missing out on a fine character singer/actress in the making by insisting on a pure soprano for the part? Julie Andrews was inimitable and her natural vocal gift had been honed by years of diligent study and theatrical experience. Nobody should be forced into a vocal mould which doesn’t suit them and could damage their talent, just to match The Sound Of Music film.

I also long for the coaching team to discuss with the various candidates the many vocal colours necessary to play Maria as she grows from a cheeky, unworldly girl into the confident wife and mother she has become by the end of the piece. This is a tall order when so many of the Marias are still in search of their basic vocal quality but it should be possible by working through the text and music.  

Andrew Bennett  

Tenor and singing teacher

Frobisher Road

Erith

Kent