How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? (Canada)

Infobox Television
show_name = How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? (Canada)


caption = How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? (CBC)‎
format = Talent competiton
creator = Andrew Lloyd Webber
starring = Gavin Crawford (Host) Simon Lee (Judge) Elaine Overholt (Judge) John Barrowman (Judge)
channel = CBC Television
first_aired = June 15, 2008
status =
num_series = 1
num_episodes = TBA
country = Canada
producer = Temple Street Productions
imdb_id = 1160791

"How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" was a talent competition program that aired in Canada on CBC Television. It premiered on June 15, 2008 at 8pm EDT, and concluded on July 28th, 2008. The show is based on the series of the same name which aired on BBC One in the United Kingdom in 2006, and was replicated in the United States on NBC in 2007 with "".

The premise of the series was to find a musical theatre performer to play the role of Maria von Trapp in the 2008 Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Mirvish revival of "The Sound of Music" at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. Initial auditions were held in seven Canadian cities. The show was hosted by Gavin Crawford and featured Simon Lee, Elaine Overholt, and John Barrowman as the judges for the show.

The first episode of the show featured the top 50 auditioners at the show's "Maria School" being cut to 20. The second episode had the Maria's performing in front of Webber in London, and then the 20 was cut to 10, with Lloyd-Webber's input. Beginning June 22nd, the Marias performed live in Toronto every Sunday night. The voting results aired on the following night.

Finalists

*Elicia MacKenzie, 23, from Surrey, British Columbia- "Winner"
*Janna Polzin, 24, from Woodstock, Ontario- "Eliminated on July 28"
*Jayme Armstrong, 24, from Richmond, British Columbia- "Eliminated on July 27"
*Marisa MacIntyre, 25, from Waterloo, Ontario - "Eliminated on July 21"
*Tamara Fifield, 21, from Truro, Nova Scotia - "Eliminated on July 14"
*Donna Lajeunesse, 22, from Bowmanville, Ontario - "Eliminated on July 14"
*Kyla Tingley, 24, from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia - "Eliminated on July 7"
*Katie Kerr, 19, from Windsor, Ontario - "Eliminated on July 7"
*Allie Hughes, 22, from Toronto, Ontario - "Eliminated on June 30"
*Alison Jutzi, 29, from Guelph, Ontario - "Eliminated on June 23"

Elimination Chart

Elicia MacKenzie won the most votes, as announced prematurely on the Canadian Press wire at 7:30pm, July 28th, half an hour before the show aired in the Toronto area. The day after the final show, the CBC reported on its website that one of the judges, Simon Lee, 46, a long time associate of Andrew Lloyd Webber, had been charged with assault and forcible confinement. Lee has "vigorously" declared his innocence, his lawyer said Thursday, July 31, adding the charges involve allegations of a domestic nature arising out of an argument between long-term partners about their relationship.

Lee, a world-renowned conductor and musical supervisor, was absent from Sunday's show and Monday's concluding instalment, in which Elicia MacKenzie of Surrey, B.C., won the coveted role. Show officials said he was away due to personal reasons. In reality, he spent Sunday night in jail and was released Monday morning on $10,000 bail.

Lee was musical supervisor for the London stage production and was chosen by Webber to appear on the Canadian version of the TV reality show. Since Lee's arrest, a communications firm representing Lloyd Webber has announced that the musical supervisor will no longer be involved with the Toronto production.

Lee is to appear again in court on Aug. 27, 2008. [http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5i8DFfRCafu79g-IC8F-D1nfZsusg]

On August 14, 2008 it was announced that runner-up, Janna Polzin, has been cast as an "alternate Maria" for the upcoming Toronto stage production. Janna will play Maria twice a week (Wednesday evenings and Saturday matinees), while Elicia will perform the role six times weekly (Tuesday evenings, Wednesday matinees, Thursday through Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees). [http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/478044]

External links

* [http://www.cbc.ca/maria Official Program Website at cbc.ca]
* [http://www.tv-eh.com/2008/05/23/how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-maria-debuts-june-15/ TV, eh?]