Lloyd Webber & BBC Turn to Reality TV for Sound of Music Casting

Andrew Lloyd Webber will use reality television to find the lead for the upcoming West End revival of The Sound of Music, which he is producing. The program, which is being presented in conjunction with the BBC, has the working title How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, according to The London Times.

Lloyd Webber has been planning to mount a revival of The Sound of Music since late 2000. Originally rumors swirled that Maria Friedman currently on Broadway in Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White would be the show's leading lady, but that buzz faded away within a year. When reports of the production surfaced again in 2002, Lloyd Webber said he hoped to find an unknown ingénue for the role. Recently American film star Scarlett Johansson was rumored for Maria. No actress has ever been officially announced.

The Sound of Music, which features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, is one of the most enduring musicals ever. The show's original Broadway mounting earned it the Best Musical Tony Award, and the film based on the stage show won a 1965 Academy Award for Best Picture. The plot centers on Maria, a free-spirited governess, who wins over the rebellious von Trapp children and their stern father.

Lloyd Webber is expected to sit on the judges panel for How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, which is currently slated to air in 2006. The winner of the competition will play the role of Maria for at least three months. If all goes according to plan, this will be the first time a reality show will be used to find a musical lead. The winner of Fame was at one point expected to headline the off-Broadway production of Fame on 42nd Street but that never happened. Additionally, Jerry Herman said in stories that a reality show would be used to find the lead for a Vegas mounting of his Miss Spectacular. That also did not occur.

This revival of The Sound of Music is eyeing a fall 2006 opening at the London Palladium Theatre.