Professionals fail to derail Lloyd Webber TV musical star search

Published Tuesday 4 April 2006 at 14:35 by Liz Thomas

Andrew Lloyd Webber and the BBC are pushing ahead with their Pop Idol-style show to find a star for the revival of The Sound of Music, after last ditch attempts by professional performers to halt the show failed.

The Saturday night series How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? is to be fronted by Graham Norton and will feature Lloyd Webber and Live Nation chief David Ian. Contestants will have to endure auditions, intensive training and live performances before being put up for public vote in a bid to secure the role of Maria made famous by Julie Andrews in the sixties film version.

Lloyd Webber said: “I have always had a passion for discovering and nurturing new talent and this will be a fantastic opportunity for a young artist to become a real star. I’m particularly pleased that, for the first time, the search will be open to everybody. Never before have young musical theatre performers had such an opportunity to show their talents on prime time television.”

The news comes despite complaints from Equity and a number of performers about shows that encourage non-professionals to compete for a job in the West End. The union said that it had told both the BBC and the Really Useful Group that the only way to choose a performer was through an audition process in front of professionals and branded the show “demeaning”.

“I would much rather that this programme was never made and I am certain that the majority of my members would agree with me. Some may call this reality TV but this is as far from the reality of being cast for a West End show as it is possible to get,” commented general secretary Christine Payne.

Equity also raised its concerns with the Society of London Theatre, which represents West End producers. However Ian insisted the show was a serious proposition. He added: “As a theatre producer, I know the hard work that goes into musical theatre and how very important it is to keep finding new talent for these starring roles.”

Open auditions will take place in Belfast, Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh and London, where a panel of experts in the fields of music and theatre will whittle the hopefuls down to 50 potential ‘Marias’, who will then be tested on their singing, acting and dancing ability. Only ten will make it through to the TV show where viewers will vote on who they would like to win. Each week those with the least votes will perform again for Lloyd Webber, who has the chance to save one.

Equity and the BBC are in talks to ensure that the young performers in the television show are not exploited or denigrated and will receive appropriate levels of pay, hours of work and rights over their televised performances. The union also wants to avoid a situation where entrants are forced into contracts tying them to management or restricting their future work.

• Is this sort of show demeaning or a fair shot at the big time? Have your say at www.thestage.co.uk/stagetalk