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How Fa Will Maria and The Sound of Music Go?
CBC’s How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? concludes tonight at 8 p.m. when either Elicia Mackenzie of Vancouver or Janna Polzin of Woodstock will be chosen by the public—over 650,000 Canadians—to spend October as the star of The Sound of Music, yodelling in the Princess of Wales theatre.
The show, imported from Britain where a Maria was similarly found, is a hit for the CBC, which must be a relief since the network has tried—and failed—to capture the success of Canadian Idol. (Anyone remember The One? Or Triple Sensation?) Unfortunately, the popularity of a television show doesn’t always translate into real-life success. While voting for a favourite is easy (and, mostly, free), flying out to Toronto, staying in a hotel for a few nights, and shelling out cash for tickets is entirely different.
And here’s a thought: could Maria the television show actually hinder Maria and her stage show? The CBC essentially set up Maria Idol and focused heavily on the singing aspect of the musical, while relegating the acting aspect to the earlier qualifying rounds. Since all of the Marias were vocally talented—one even starred as Sophie in the stage production of Mamma Mia—acting challenges would have upped the ante and allowed the audience to watch the contestants evolve into the character of Maria, whetting the audience’s appetite to see the musical more.
The show also missed the opportunity to break the Marias out of the soundstage by giving them Maria-like challenges, such as living briefly in a nunnery or babysitting children. It may sound a bit absurd, but the show lacked the refreshing humour and self-awareness that it displayed in its opening, where hundreds of Maria wannabes spun, sung, and battled each other on top of a hill. After all, a show that makes the casting process open and public is all about selling personality.
We’ve already seen many a Canadian Idol kerplunk down the charts, losing their fanbase after the finale. If the viewers at home don’t feel enamoured enough by the Maria left standing to spend their hard-earned cash on tickets, come October, the goatherd won’t be the only one in the theatre feeling lonely.
Photo from the CBC Maria website.