Maria Friedman

Maria Friedman
Born	Maria Freedman 19 March 1960 (1960-03-19) (age 51) Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1980-present
Spouse	Adrian Der Gregorian (2006-present) Jeremy Sams Roland Brine Oleg Poupko

Maria Friedman (born 19 March 1960) is an English actress working in television, musical theatre, and concerts. She has won three Olivier Awards for her stage work.

Early years

Friedman was born to Leonard and Clair Friedman in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. Her mother is an English concert pianist, and her father, a Russian violinist for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.^[1] She began her education in Germany, and by the age of five moved with her family to England after the divorce of her parents.^[2]

Career

She first gained fame when she won an Olivier Award for her one-woman cabaret, Maria Friedman By Special Arrangement and another Olivier Award starring in Stephen Sondheim's Passion in 1996, and later became one of the main leading ladies on the London Stage. She would later star in Chicago and Ragtime, both on the West End.

In 2004 she originated the role of Marian Halcombe in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Woman in White in the West End and on Broadway in 2005. In the 1999 film of Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, she played the narrator.

As previews for The Woman in White started for the Broadway production, she was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer and left the show to have surgery to have the lump removed. Less than a week after the surgery she returned to the stage for the previews and performed on the official opening night. She said she would begin radiation treatment for the cancer in December 2005.^[3] The Broadway production closed after only 109 performances on 22 February 2006, in part due to her and co-star Michael Ball's frequent absences due to illness. (Friedman had planned a six-week absence for further treatment, with Judy Kuhn to be her replacement,^[4] but remained for the duration of the run once the closing was announced.)

As well as other musical shows, Maria participated in Hey, Mr. Producer!, the concert celebrating the works of Sir Cameron Mackintosh, in which she sang "You Could Drive a Person Crazy," "Broadway Baby," and "How Many Tears?" Similarly, she participated in Sondheim Tonight live at London's Barbican Centre, singing "Losing My Mind" (from Follies) and "More" (from the film Dick Tracy). She has also had several one woman shows: Maria Friedman - By Special Arrangement and Maria Friedman - By Extra Special Arrangement and has performed these in several top cabaret venues in both the UK (most recently at Trafalgar Studios) and New York City, including several engagements at the Café Carlyle.^[5]

She can be heard on many cast recordings; and has released several solo albums including Maria Friedman, Maria Friedman Live, Now and Then, and Maria Friedman Celebrates The Great British Songbook.^[6]

Friedman has won three Laurence Olivier Awards and been nominated for seven.

In 2010, Friedman appeared as a soloist in the BBC Proms tribute to Stephen Sondheim at the Royal Albert Hall, London. She sang the role of Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd opposite Bryn Terfel.

Personal life

Friedman has two sons: Toby (b. 1994) with actor Jeremy Sams; and Alfie (b. 2002) with cameraman Oleg Poupko. She was married to dancer Roland Brine; her current partner is Adrian Der Gregorian.^[7][8]

Stage productions

• The Woman in White (Marian) (Olivier Award nomination)
• Ragtime (Mother) (Olivier Award - Best Actress in a Musical)
• By Extra Special Arrangement
• Chicago (Roxie Hart) (Olivier Award nomination)
• The Witches of Eastwick (Sukie)
• Blues in the Night
• By Special Arrangement (Olivier Award Best Entertainment)
• Passion (Fosca) (Olivier Award Best Actress in a Musical)
• Lady in the Dark (Liza Elliot) (Olivier Award nomination)
• April in Paris
• Ghetto (Hayyah)
• Sunday in the Park with George (Dot) (Olivier Award nomination)
• Merrily We Roll Along (Haymarket Theatre, Leicester)
• Break of Day
• Square Rounds
• The King and I (Royal Albert Hall)

Filmography

• Red Dwarf
• Casualty
• Hey Mr. Producer!
• Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (narrator)

References

1. ^ Maria Friedman (9 December 2005) (transcript). Interview with David Drake. Broadway.com. http://www.broadway.com/Maria-Friedman/broadway_news/522565. Retrieved 2009-02-19. 
2. ^ "Casualty: Maria Friedman Plays Trish Baynes". Holby.tv. http://www.holby.tv/db/index.php?id=38,219,0,0,1,0. Retrieved 2009-02-19. 
3. ^ Staff writers (14 November 2005). "Stage star back after cancer op". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4435028.stm. Retrieved 2009-02-19. 
4. ^ News Desk."Judy Kuhn to Sub for Maria Friedman for 6 Weeks Starting February 14" broadwayworld.com, January 20, 2006
5. ^ Holden, Stephen."Maria Friedman: Master of a Thousand Sondheimian Disguises"The New York Times, May 5, 2006
6. ^ "Celebrates The Great British Songbook" sepiarecords.com, retrieved June 11, 2010
7. ^ Interview with Friedman officiallondontheatre.co.uk, December 10, 2008
8. ^ Saner, Emine "My toyboy stood by me" thisislondon.co.uk, April 24, 2006

External links

• Maria Friedman at the Internet Broadway Database
• Maria Friedman at the Internet Movie Database
• About Maria
• Show Music Magazine article featuring an interview with Maria Friedman
• Messenger News interview, June 2008
• London's Broadway Baby Photo Archive

Persondata
Name	Friedman, Maria
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	19 March 1960
Place of birth	Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
Date of death
Place of death