Lloyd Webber considers TV talent show to find Sound of Music’s Maria
Andrew Lloyd Webber is in talks with the BBC to set up a Pop Idol-style show to find the leading lady for his upcoming West End revival of The Sound of Music.
If the project goes ahead, the composer and theatre owner will appear in the programme, which will give thousands of hopefuls the opportunity to try out for the part of Maria, famously played by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film version.
The West End production is scheduled to take place in autumn 2006 in partnership with producer David Ian. Reports that it will be staged at the London Palladium have, however, been denied by Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group.
The company has been planning to revive the show for some time and hopes that a TV tie-in will encourage a much wider audience to take an interest in musical theatre. Open auditions are not usually held for Lloyd Webber productions, with the recent exception of Bombay Dreams.
A spokeswoman for the impresario told The Stage: “I can confirm Andrew is in the early stages of development talks with the BBC for an exciting new project next year.”
Also from The Stage
- Sound of Music rumoured to be replacing Chitty at Palladium
- Sound of Music likely to replace Chitty at Palladium
- Lloyd Webber to join Dee for song premiere
- Swansea stage school in reality TV series for BBC1 Wales
- BBC to move away from reality TV - Thompson
- Webber buys out partner to become sole owner of RUT
- Features: Too much, too young?
External links
The Stage Online is not responsible for the content of external sites.
To contact the Stage news team email newsdesk@thestage.co.uk or call 020 7403 1818, selecting option 2 (editorial) followed by option 1 (newsdesk).
If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".
Follow The Stage on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest entertainment industry news to your desktop or mobile.
Latest news
- Doctor Who star Matt Smith made patron of Royal Court Young Writers Festival
- Matt Smith has been appointed as patron of the Royal Court’s Young Writers Festival.
- Christopher Eccleston joins NT Antigone
- Christopher Eccleston has been cast in the National Theatre’s forthcoming production of Antigone.
- King’s Cross Award for New Writing winner announced
- Rob Johnston has won the King’s Cross Award for New Writing 2011.
- ITV to expand characters’ storylines online
- ITV is to expand on the storylines of characters in Emmerdale, by creating content that can only be accessed online.
- Josie Rourke and Bartlett Sher to discuss directing on BBC Radio 3’s The Essay
- Directors Emma Rice, Josie Rourke and Bartlett Sher will reflect on their careers and discuss the way they work as…
- Southampton Mayflower chief executive to retire
- Dennis Hall, chief executive of the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, is to retire after 26 years in the post.
Content is copyright © 2012 The Stage Media Company Limited unless otherwise stated.
All RSS feeds are published for personal, non-commercial use. (What’s RSS?)