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How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?
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This article is about the English television series. For the song, see Maria (1959 song). For the Canadian version of the series, see How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? (Canada TV show). For the Belgian version of the series, see Op zoek naar Maria.
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?
Created by
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Bea Ballard
Presented by
Graham Norton
Judges
Andrew Lloyd Webber
David Ian
John Barrowman
Zoe Tyler
Country of origin
United Kingdom
No. of series
1
No. of episodes
8
Production
Producer(s)
BBC
Running time
30–90mins
Release
Original network
BBC One
Picture format
PAL (576i), 16:9
Original release
29 July (2006-07-29) – 16 September 2006 (2006-09-16)
Chronology
Followed by
Any Dream Will Do (2007)
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? is a British reality television talent show that documented the search for an undiscovered musical theatre performer to play the role of Maria von Trapp in the 2006 Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Ian stage production of The Sound of Music.[1]
The series was originally devised by the then in-house development team at BBC Entertainment Events and was announced by the BBC in April 2006. BBC One broadcast the programme, which was hosted by Graham Norton, on Saturday evenings from 29 July through 16 September 2006.
The title derives from the refrain of "Maria", a song from the first act of The Sound of Music.
Contents
[hide]
1 Format
1.1 Creation
1.2 Expert panel
1.3 Auditions
1.4 Live finals
2 Finalists
2.1 Results summary
3 Live shows
3.1 Week 1
3.2 Week 2
3.3 Week 3
3.4 Week 4
3.5 Week 5
3.6 Week 6
4 Winner
5 After the series
6 Reception
6.1 Awards
7 Ratings
8 Follow-up and international series
9 References
10 External links
Format[edit]
Creation[edit]
The lead role of Maria von Trapp in the new West End production of The Sound of Music, to be staged by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Ian, was to be played by American actress Scarlett Johansson. Negotiations fell through,[2] and after a four-year search for an actress to fill the role, it was revealed in November 2005 that Lloyd Webber had approached the BBC to allow the public to cast the role through a Popstars-style talent search, the first time that such a format had been used.[3][4]
This was the first programme to allow the public to cast a leading role in a West End show, and it was initially criticised. However, it won International Emmy and Royal Television Society awards and became the first of a series of collaborations between the BBC and Lloyd Webber, including Any Dream Will Do, I'd Do Anything, and Over the Rainbow. The series also led to versions and similar series abroad.
Expert panel[edit]
Andrew Lloyd Webber led the search for the musical theatre performer.
To assess and train the potential Marias and judge them during the live shows, an expert panel was chosen. The panel comprised:
Andrew Lloyd Webber – musical theatre composer and producer, co-producer of the new stage production
David Ian – theatre producer, co-producer of the new stage production
John Barrowman – musical performer, dancer, singer and actor
Zoe Tyler – voice coach, singer and performer, vocal coach to the finalists
Lloyd Webber also asked Denise van Outen to participate in the series, but she turned him down, saying that she "felt uncomfortable about being on the panel and giving my criticism". She later became a judge on follow-up series, Any Dream Will Do.[5]
Auditions[edit]
Open auditions were held around the UK in April and May 2006, open to both professionals and amateurs over the age of 17. The top 200 made it through to the London callbacks where they performed for Ian, Barrowman and Tyler to secure one of 50 places at Lloyd Webber's "Maria School", where over four days they would receive vocal and drama training from the expert panel.[1][6]
Several additional performers were selected over this fifty contestant limit; one being Briony, who had been rejected initially due to nerves hampering her performance, but who returned for a second chance and was allowed in by Ian. A further four, whom the panel had rejected, were contacted by Lloyd Webber himself as he personally believed them to be potential Marias.[7]
During "Maria School", contestants were eliminated to leave twenty, who were then taken to Lloyd Webber's house, where they performed for fifty people from the entertainment business. Ten finalists were then chosen by the panel and taken through to the live studio finals.[6]
The series started on Saturday 29 July 2006, and the first two programmes followed the audition stages of the competition before revealing the final ten at the end of the second programme.[7]
Live finals[edit]
The final ten contestants then competed in the live studio finals held on Saturday nights over six weeks. Each week the contestants sang and performed during the live show, receiving comments from the judges following their performance. The public then got a chance to vote for their favourite Maria, and the two contestants with the fewest votes performed a sing-off in front of Lloyd Webber, who then decided which Maria to keep in the contest. This was repeated with the top ten, the top nine and the top eight. With the top seven and top five, two were voted off in the program, and there were two different sing-offs.
Lloyd Webber had no say in the final casting decision, when in the concluding edition of the series it was left to the public to choose who should play Maria out of the final two contenders, Connie Fisher and Helena Blackman. After more than 2 million votes were cast, the winning entrant was revealed as Fisher, who won a six-month contract to play Maria in the West End production, performing six out of the eight weekly shows.[8]
The profits from the telephone votes went to a bursary for young performers.[9] Lloyd Webber also donated his fee to the bursary.[2]
Finalists[edit]
Ten potential Marias were selected as finalists who would appear on the live shows. Abi Finley and Aoife Mulholland auditioned together having known each other from college, and both made it to the finals. One of the original 10 finalists, Emilie Alford, withdrew from the competition after deciding it was not for her. She was replaced by Siobhan Dillon, who lost a place in the final ten following a sing-off against Alford and Laura Sicurello in front of Lloyd Webber. This earned her the nickname "Second Chance Maria".[10]
Finalists
Finalist
Age*
From
Dress colour
Status
Laura Sicurello[11] 26 Milton Keynes Yellow Eliminated 1st in Week 1
Belinda Evans[12] 28 Somerset Dark blue Eliminated 2nd in Week 2
Meliz Serman[13] 23 Chingford, London Gold Eliminated 3rd in Week 3
Simona Armstrong[14] 28 Greenford, London Purple Eliminated 4th in Week 4
Leanne Dobinson[15] 20 Colchester, Essex Lilac Eliminated 5th in Week 4
Abigail "Abi" Finley[16] 23 Prestwich, Manchester Light blue Eliminated 6th in Week 5
Aoife Mulholland[17] 28 Salthill, Galway Green Eliminated 7th in Week 5
Siobhan Dillon[18] 21 Staffordshire Red Eliminated 8th in Week 6
Helena Blackman[19] 23 London Pink Runner-up
Connie Fisher[20] 23 London Orange Winner
*As of start of series
Results summary[edit]
Colour key
– Contestant was in the bottom two and who was saved after the sing off
– Contestant was eliminated after the sing off
– Contestant who received the most public votes
Weekly results per contestant
Contestant
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Final
Part 1
Part 2
Part 1
Part 2
Part 1
Part 2
Connie Fisher
1st Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Winner
(week 6)
Helena Blackman
10th Safe 7th 6th 6th Safe Safe Safe Runner-up
(week 6)
Siobhan Dillon
Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe 3rd Eliminated Eliminated
(week 6)
Aoife Mulholland
Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe 4th 4th Eliminated
(week 5)
Abi Finley
Safe Safe Safe Safe Safe 5th Eliminated
(week 5)
Leanne Dobinson
Safe Safe Safe Safe 5th Eliminated
(week 4)
Simona Armstrong
Safe Safe Safe 7th Eliminated
(week 4)
Meliz Serman
Safe 9th 8th Eliminated
(week 3)
Belinda Evans
Safe 8th Eliminated
(week 2)
Laura Sicurello
9th Eliminated
(week 1)
Live shows[edit]
The live shows saw the finalists eliminated one by one following both individual and group performances. Once eliminated, the leaving contestant ended the programme by leading a performance of "So Long, Farewell" from The Sound of Music with the remaining contestants.
Week 1[edit]
Following the first week of competition. The show performances were:[21]
Group performances:
"How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?" (from The Sound of Music)
"I Have Confidence" (from The Sound of Music)
Contestants' performances on the first live show
Act
Order
Song
Result
Leanne Dobinson
1 "It's Oh So Quiet" Safe
Laura Sicurello
2 "Torn" Eliminated
Aoife Mulholland
3 "Runaway" Safe
Abi Finley
4 "Nobody Does It Better" Safe
Siobhan Dillon
5 "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" Safe
Connie Fisher
6 "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" Safe
Simona Armstrong
7 "Over the Rainbow" Safe
Belinda Evans
8 "Over the Rainbow" Safe
Helena Blackman
9 "Crazy Chick" Bottom 2
Meliz Serman
10 "Son of a Preacher Man" Safe
Guest performance: "Iris" (Ronan Keating)
Panel's verdict on who was Maria
John Barrowman: Connie
Zoe Tyler: Leanne
David Ian: Connie
Sing-off:
Helena Blackman and Laura Sicurello were in the sing-off, with Helena receiving the least number of viewer votes, and performed "No Matter What" from the musical Whistle Down the Wind.
Andrew Lloyd Webber chose to save Helena and bid farewell to Laura.
Notes
It was revealed during the results show that Connie received the highest number of votes
Week 2[edit]
As the mission for this week, the potential Marias performed a scene from the musical with an actor as Captain Von Trapp.[22]
The show performances were:[23]
Group performances:
"My Favorite Things" (from The Sound of Music)
"Don't Rain on My Parade" (Barbra Streisand from Funny Girl)
Contestants' performances on the second live show
Act
Order
Song
Result
Belinda Evans
1 "Fever" Eliminated
Abi Finley
2 "The Closest Thing to Crazy" Safe
Simona Armstrong
3 "Material Girl" Safe
Meliz Serman
4 "The Voice Within" Bottom 2
Helena Blackman
5 "Woman in Love" Safe
Connie Fisher
6 "Shout" Safe
Leanne Dobinson
7 "See the Day" Safe
Siobhan Dillon
8 "Chains" Safe
Aoife Mulholland
9 "If My Friends Could See Me Now" Safe
Guest performance: "You Can't Stop a River" (Duncan James)
Sing-off:
Belinda Evans and Meliz Serman were in the sing-off, with Meliz receiving the least number of viewer votes and performed "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" from Evita.
Andrew Lloyd Webber chose to save Meliz and bid farewell to Belinda.
Week 3[edit]
During the week, David Ian talked to the girls about fitness and stamina, and Claire Sweeney advised the singers on looking after themselves and their voices. The mission was a fitness test, with Olympic athlete Iwan Thomas, requiring the Marias to complete an assault course.[24] The Marias also attended the première of the film You, Me and Dupree in Leicester Square.[25]
The show performances were:[26]
Group performances:
"The Lonely Goatherd" (from The Sound of Music)
"Don't Stop Me Now" (Queen)
Contestants' performances on the third live show
Act
Order
Song
Result
Siobhan Dillon
1 "Jump (for My Love)" Safe
Leanne Dobinson
2 "9 to 5" Safe
Helena Blackman
3 "Flashdance... What a Feeling" Bottom 2
Aoife Mulholland
4 "Sway" Safe
Meliz Serman
5 "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" Eliminated
Abi Finley
6 "Big Spender" Safe
Connie Fisher
7 "My Baby Just Cares for Me" Safe
Simona Armstrong
8 "I Only Want to Be with You" Safe
Guest performance: "Something About You" (Jamelia)
Panel's verdict on who was Maria
John Barrowman: Aoife
Zoe Tyler: Abi
David Ian: Abi
Sing-off:
Helena Blackman and Meliz Serman were in the sing-off, with Meliz receiving the least number of viewers votes and performed "Take That Look Off Your Face" from Tell Me on a Sunday.
Lloyd Webber chose to save Helena and bid farewell to Meliz.
Week 4[edit]
Ahead of Saturday night, Lloyd Webber made a surprise visit to the contestants and worked with each to improve their performance. Lloyd Webber also watched them on how well they interact with kids.[27]
The show performances were:[28][29]
Group performances:
"Do-Re-Mi" (from The Sound of Music)
Contestants' performances on the fourth live show
Act
Order
Song
Results Part 1
Results Part 2
Helena Blackman
1 "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" Bottom 2 Bottom 2
Connie Fisher
2 "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" Safe Safe
Abi Finley
3 "Summertime" Safe Safe
Leanne Dobinson
4 "Hopelessly Devoted to You" Safe Eliminated
Aoife Mulholland
5 "You'll Never Walk Alone" Safe Safe
Simona Armstrong
6 "It's My Turn" Eliminated N/A
Siobhan Dillon
7 "Songbird" Safe Safe
Guest performance: "It's Not That Easy" (Lemar)
Panel's verdict on who was Maria
John Barrowman: Helena
Zoe Tyler: Siobhan
David Ian: Siobhan
First sing-off:
Helena Blackman and Simona Armstrong were in the first sing-off, with Simona receiving the lowest number of viewers votes and performed "Memory" from Cats.
Lloyd Webber chose to save Helena and bid farewell to Simona.
Performance with children: Siobhan: "Truly Scrumptious" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Second sing-off:
Helena Blackman and Leanne Dobinson were in the second sing-off, with Helena receiving the lowest number of viewers votes and performed "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar.
Lloyd Webber chose to save Helena and bid farewell to Leanne.
Week 5[edit]
This week, the mission was a chemistry test with John Barrowman, which involved his giving the Marias a surprise kiss.[30]
The show performances were:[30]
Group performances:
"I Have Confidence" (from The Sound of Music)
With John Barrowman: "Have You Met Miss Jones?" (from I'd Rather Be Right)
Contestants' performances on the fifth live show
Act
Order
Song
Results Part 1
Results Part 2
Connie Fisher
1 "If I Can't Have You" Safe Safe
Siobhan Dillon
2 "All That Jazz" Safe Bottom 2
Helena Blackman
3 "My Heart Will Go On" Safe Safe
Abi Finley
4 "Maybe This Time" Eliminated N/A
Aoife Mulholland
5 "Footloose" Bottom 2 Eliminated
Guest performance: "Oh What a Girl" (Simply Red)
Panel's verdict on who was Maria
John Barrowman: Connie
Zoe Tyler: Helena
David Ian: Connie
First sing-off:
Abi Finley and Aoife Mulholland were in the first sing-off, with Abi receiving the lowest number of viewers votes and performed "Any Dream Will Do" from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.
Andrew Lloyd Webber chose to save Aoife and bid farewell to Abi.
Second sing-off:
Siobhan Dillon and Aoife Mulholland were in the second sing-off, with Aoife receiving the lowest number of viewers votes and performed "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from Evita.
Lloyd Webber chose to save Siobhan and bid farewell to Aoife.
Week 6[edit]
Lloyd Webber and the three finalists visited Nonnberg Abbey during a trip to Salzburg ahead of the final
In the run-up to the final, the three finalists and Lloyd Webber visited Salzburg to visit some of the locations made famous by The Sound of Music, including Leopoldskron Palace and Nonnberg Abbey, to give the finalists a chance to understand the real Maria von Trapp.[31]
Group performance:
Finalists and former Marias: "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" (from The Sound of Music)
Connie and Helena: "The Sound of Music" (from The Sound of Music)
Former Marias: "Edelweiss" (from The Sound of Music)
Contestants' performances on the sixth live show
Act
Order
Song
Order
The Sound of Music song
Order
Song of the Series
Result
Siobhan Dillon
1 "Anyone Who Had a Heart" 4 "My Favorite Things" N/A N/A (already eliminated) Eliminated
Helena Blackman
2 "Cabaret" 5 "Do-Re-Mi" 7 "Woman in Love" Runner-up
Connie Fisher
3 "As Long as He Needs Me" 6 "The Lonely Goatherd" 8 "Shout" Winner
Panel's verdict on who was Maria
John Barrowman: Connie
Zoe Tyler: Helena
David Ian: Connie
Andrew Lloyd Webber: Connie
After being announced as the series winner, Connie concluded the series with a performance of "The Sound of Music".
Winner[edit]
Following a public telephone vote, 23-year-old Connie Fisher was chosen as Maria and performed the role in the West End from November 2006 to February 2008. The series also helped the careers of the other finalists, some of whom later took leading roles in West End shows. Semi-finalist Aoife Mulholland also took up the role of Maria in April 2007 for two shows a week, after Fisher was advised to reduce her performances to six per week.
After the series[edit]
Following the final, Lloyd Webber was criticised after it was revealed that actress Emma Williams had been hired to perform the two performances per week that Fisher would not.[32][33] Prior to The Sound of Music opening Williams "withdrew her services", reportedly because her role had been downgraded from four shows per week to two, leaving Fisher to perform all eight shows unless indisposed.[34][35]
With £10 million in advance ticket sales,[36] the £4 million production opened at the London Palladium on 15 November 2006 to positive reviews,[37] leading to a £1.1 million increase in ticket sales in one day.[34] In January 2007, Fisher was chosen by the London Critics' Circle to win their award for best newcomer, sharing the prize with Andrew Garfield.[38] Reducing her performances to six per week in March 2007 following an order to rest her voice,[39] her run in the show was extended until 23 February 2008, when actress Summer Strallen took over the role following a tie-in with the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.[40] Fisher has also made numerous appearances on stage and on television, released two albums, and performed the lead role in the ITV1 drama Caught in a Trap on 26 December 2008.[41] She reprised her role as Maria in a UK tour of the production in July 2009.[42]
Several of the other final ten contestants have taken on leading roles in musicals following the series. Aoife Mulholland was cast in December 2006 as Roxie Hart in the West End musical Chicago,[43] and took on the role of Maria in the West End production for two shows per week in April 2007 after Fisher's reduction in performances.[39] In July 2007 Siobhan Dillon started in the role of Patty Simcox in the musical Grease and later went on to play the lead role of Sandy in January 2010.[44] Fellow finalist Helena Blackman played Nellie Forbush in a UK tour of South Pacific.[45] Mulholland originated the role of Brooke Wyndham in the West End production of Legally Blonde,[46] and Dillon took over the role of Vivienne Kensington in October 2010.[47]
A follow-up programme How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? – Connie's Story aired on 27 December 2006 and followed Fisher during rehearsals for her new role up to and including the opening night.[48] Fisher and several other finalists appeared in a special programme on 24 December 2007 with the winner and finalists from Any Dream Will Do titled When Joseph Met Maria.[49]
Reception[edit]
Lloyd Webber was initially criticised for wanting to cast the role through a television talent search,[36] and he and the BBC were also criticised by the actors union Equity. They stated that they believed their members would find the series "demeaning to their profession" and that it was not a "proper way" to choose a performer.[50]
The series opened to mostly negative reviews from the press,[51] with the Daily Mail stating that the series was a "trainwreck".[52] In response to the criticism, Lloyd Webber told The Times:
"This programme is providing a platform for musical theatre that it has never had before. The only people upset with Maria are a few precious luvvies who think things should be done a certain way."[52]
Lloyd Webber and the BBC were also criticised for giving the production "11 hours of free publicity on prime-time television"[53] and that the series could be "considered commercial advertising". The BBC Trust's Editorial Standards Committee disagreed, saying that the corporation retained "editorial control of the programme" and avoided "disproportionate prominence for Lloyd Webber and the production".[54]
The first programme attracted 5.1 million viewers with a 32% audience share,[55] with 4.9 million viewers (30% share) watching the first of the live finals, and 4.7 million (23% share) viewing the results programme.[56] The series dropped to a low of 4.4 million viewers (24% share) against the third series of The X Factor on ITV1, which started the week before.[57] The X Factor continued to gain higher viewing figures as the weeks progressed, with the final of Maria? attracting 5.5 million viewers (28% share) for the main show and 7.7 million (35% share) for the results show.[58]
Following the conclusion of the series on a ratings high and positive reviews for Fisher following her opening night, the series was followed by a number of similar series from both the BBC and other broadcasters in the UK and abroad. It was credited with helping London theatres reach record ticket sales and attendances in 2007 and, according to The Independent, for "persuading a new, younger audience to see the shows in the flesh".[59]
The series was shown on BBC America in the United States from June 2009. It was described as being "refreshing in its simplicity" in a "landscape that lately seems dominated by audition-heavy musical competitions" by LA Times critic Mary McNamara,[60] but Brian Lowry of Variety didn't feel that it would be successful in the U.S.[61]
Awards[edit]
The series won three awards, and received nominations for another two:
2007 International Emmy Awards: winner – non-scripted entertainment[62]
2006 Royal Television Society Awards: winner – best entertainment programme[63]
2007 Broadcast Awards: winner – best entertainment programme[64]
2007 British Academy Television Awards: nominated – best entertainment programme[65]
2007 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards: nominated – best comedy/entertainment[66]
Ratings[edit]
Episode
Airdate
Viewers
(millions)
BBC One weekly ranking
Share
Auditions 1 29 July 2006 5.15 14 32.0%[67]
Auditions 2 5 August 2006 4.69 18 31.0%[68]
Results 5.20 13 27.0%[69]
Live Show 1 12 August 2006 5.07 14 30.0%[70]
Results 1 4.80 15 23.0%[71]
Live Show 2 19 August 2006 4.47 18 23.0%[72]
Results 2 5.35 15 N/A
Live Show 3 26 August 2006 4.45 18 23.7%[73]
Results 3 5.67 11 27.8%[74]
Live Show 4 2 September 2006 5.36 13 24.0%[75]
Results 4 5.92 10 26.0%[76]
Live Show 5 9 September 2006 4.76 17 24.4%[77]
Results 5 6.40 10 30.0%[78]
Live Final 16 September 2006 5.82 12 28.3%[79]
Final Results 8.20 4 35.0%[80]
Average 5.42 N/A 27.5%
Follow-up and international series[edit]
The success of the series led to its becoming the first in a series of West End themed talent contests produced by the BBC in collaboration with Lloyd Webber. 2007 saw Any Dream Will Do search for a new male lead to play Joseph for a production of Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This was followed in 2008 by I'd Do Anything, which sought a lead to play Nancy and three young performers to play the lead in a production of the musical Oliver!. In 2010, Over the Rainbow cast Dorothy and a dog to play Toto in the forthcoming stage production of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The BBC also collaborated with Lloyd Webber to find a performer for Britain's entry into the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 through Eurovision: Your Country Needs You.
On 20 August 2006, it was reported that Lloyd Webber had taken legal action against David Ian. Lloyd Webber reportedly wanted to take the format to the United States to cast a Broadway theatre production of Grease. Lloyd Webber discovered that Ian had already brought the idea to NBC, who announced they will look for unknowns to play Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko, via reality TV show Grease: You're the One that I Want! with Ian and BBC Worldwide, leaving Lloyd Webber furious. Ian said "I don't understand the problem. Andrew has no connection with the stage show Grease, which I have successfully produced in the UK. There is a new production of Grease on Broadway in the spring of 2007, that's why I've been asked to judge on You're The One That We Want."[81] This was followed in the UK with the ITV1 series Grease Is the Word, with Ian as a judge. It aired against Any Dream Will Do in 2007.
Op zoek naar Evita (Looking for Evita) was produced in the Netherlands in 2007, followed by Op zoek naar Joseph (Looking for Joseph) in 2008, Op zoek naar Mary Poppins (Looking for Mary Poppins) in 2009 and Op zoek naar Zorro (Looking for Zorro) in 2011 and even Op zoek naar Annie (Looking for Annie) in 2012.
In 2008 a Canadian version of the show with the same title, searched for a Maria for an upcoming Toronto production of The Sound of Music; this show was initiated by Lloyd Webber, and was aired on CBC Television.
In 2009 Vtm aired a Flemish version titled Op zoek naar Maria (Looking for Maria).
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^ Jump up to: a b Bale, Joanna (17 November 2006). "Maria climbs highest mountain". The Times. London. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
Jump up ^ Cummins, Fiona (23 September 2006). "How do you solve another problem like Maria?". Daily Mirror. UK. Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
^ Jump up to: a b "West End debut for Sound of Music star". Daily Mail. UK. 15 November 2006. Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
Jump up ^ "Press views: The Sound of Music". BBC News. 16 November 2006. Archived from the original on 7 September 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
Jump up ^ "TV's Maria shares newcomer award". BBC News. 31 January 2007. Archived from the original on 20 May 2008. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
^ Jump up to: a b "Mulholland is Maria number two". Official London Theatre Guide. 20 March 2007. Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
Jump up ^ Nathan, John (4 January 2008). "Lloyd Webber Solves Maria Problem – Again". Playbill. Archived from the original on 5 January 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
Jump up ^ McLean, Gareth (24 December 2008). "Our Christmas television special". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
Jump up ^ Paddock, Terri (26 November 2008). "Connie Fisher Returns to Tour The Sound of Music". whatsonstage.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
Jump up ^ Teodorczuk, Tom (4 December 2006). "Aoife goes from the Alps to Chicago". thisislondon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 June 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
Jump up ^ GREASE celebrates its 1000th performance and announces a new cast of Rydell High 2010 with SIOBHAN DILLON as Sandy[permanent dead link]
Jump up ^ Somensky, Amy (24 August 2007). "U.K tour of South Pacific opens today". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on 11 January 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
Jump up ^ Dunn, Carrie (26 March 2010). "Over the Rainbow is a talent show worth taking seriously". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
Jump up ^ Denise Van Outen, Siobhan Dillon and Carley Stenson to Join West End's Legally Blonde Archived 2 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
Jump up ^ "Connie's Story". BBC. 13 December 2006. Archived from the original on 26 February 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
Jump up ^ "When Joseph Met Maria". BBC. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
Jump up ^ "Maria show "disappointing", programme should not be made, Equity says". Equity Magazine. Summer 2006. Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
Jump up ^ Teeman, Tim (8 August 2006). "How do you find a girl to play Maria?". The Times. London. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
^ Jump up to: a b Teeman, Tim (4 September 2006). "Lord Angry lays into the luvvies". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
Jump up ^ Riding, Alan (13 September 2006). "Six Million Casting Directors I.S.O. Maria". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
Jump up ^ Hemley, Matthew (20 September 2007). "BBC did not unfairly promote Lloyd Webber". The Stage. Archived from the original on 7 July 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
Jump up ^ Deans, Jason (31 July 2006). "BBC1 musical reality show pulls 5m". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
Jump up ^ Holmwood, Leigh (14 August 2006). "Nikki's return perks up Big Brother". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 25 September 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
Jump up ^ Deans, Jason (29 August 2006). "X Factor holds its ground". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 25 September 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
Jump up ^ Deans, Jason (18 September 2006). "Ant and Dec perk up ITV's Saturday". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
Jump up ^ Byrne, Ciar (18 January 2008). "Reality TV shows create boom in theatre attendance". The Independent. UK. Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
Jump up ^ McNamara, Mary (6 June 2009). "Review: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? on BBC America". LA Times. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
Jump up ^ Lowry, Brian (3 June 2009). "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?". Variety. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
Jump up ^ Fitzsimmons, Caitlin (20 November 2007). "UK shows dominate International Emmys". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2008.
Jump up ^ "Dame Helen is small screen queen". BBC News. 14 March 2007. Archived from the original on 24 January 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2008.
Jump up ^ "Previous winners, 2007". Broadcast Awards. Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
Jump up ^ "British Academy Television Awards 2007 nominations". The Times. London. 11 April 2007. Retrieved 26 May 2008.
Jump up ^ "Life on Mars leads TV nominations". BBC News. 1 March 2007. Archived from the original on 5 October 2007. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
Jump up ^ https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/jul/31/overnights2
Jump up ^ https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/aug/07/overnights1
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Jump up ^ https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/aug/14/overnights1
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Jump up ^ https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/comment/10734668#Comment_10734668
Jump up ^ https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/comment/10734668#Comment_10734668
Jump up ^ https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/comment/10804094#Comment_10804094
Jump up ^ https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/comment/10804094#Comment_10804094
Jump up ^ Wenn (1 February 2007). "David Ian: 'I don't understand Andrew's problem'". contactmusic.com. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 27 August 2006.
External links[edit]
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? at BBC Online
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? on IMDb
[show]
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Without Prejudice? (2003)
Brat Camp (2004)
Top Gear (2005)
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (2006)
How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria? (2007)
De Grote Donorshow (2008)
The Phone (2009)
Caiga Quien Caiga (2010)
The World's Strictest Parents (2011)
The Amazing Race Australia (2012)
Go Back to Where You Came From (2013)
Educating Yorkshire (2014)
50 Ways To Kill Your Mammy (2015)
Allt för Sverige (2016)
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Andrew Lloyd Webber musical revival search
Series and contestants
How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria? (2006)
Connie Fisher
Helena Blackman
Siobhan Dillon
Aoife Mulholland
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Any Dream Will Do (2007)
Lee Mead
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I'd Do Anything (2008)
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Musicals
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United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center
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United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center
Logo of NSRDEC
Country
United States
Branch
Army
Type
Research and development
Garrison/HQ
Natick, Massachusetts
Website
Official Website
Parent unit
RDECOM
The U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), also known as the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center (NSSC), or simply as Natick Labs, is an element of the United States Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM), headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and a tenant unit on the installation of the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center (SSC) at Natick, Massachusetts.
NSRDEC exists to develop and test new material systems for U.S. Army soldiers. It has been the prime developer of MREs, elements of the Future Force Warrior System, the PALS grid and other items and methods used in the modern American military.
References[edit]
External links[edit]
NSRDEC's Official website
This article contains information that originally came from US Government publications and websites and is in the public domain.
Coordinates: 42°17′18″N 71°21′40″W / 42.28833°N 71.36111°W / 42.28833; -71.36111

This United States Army article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
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text:
Lars and the Real Girl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Lars and the Real Girl
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Craig Gillespie
Produced by
Sarah Aubrey
John Cameron
Sidney Kimmel
Written by
Nancy Oliver
Starring
Ryan Gosling
Emily Mortimer
Paul Schneider
Kelli Garner
Patricia Clarkson
Music by
David Torn
Cinematography
Adam Kimmel
Edited by
Tatiana S. Riegel
Distributed by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
September 16, 2007 (2007-09-16) (TIFF)
October 12, 2007 (2007-10-12) (United States)
Running time
106 minutes
Country
Canada
United States
Language
English
Budget
$12 million[1]
Box office
$11.3 million[1]
Lars and the Real Girl is a 2007 comedy-drama film written by Nancy Oliver and directed by Craig Gillespie. It stars Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, and Patricia Clarkson. The film follows Lars (Gosling), a sweet but socially awkward young man who develops a romantic yet platonic relationship with an anatomically correct sex doll, a "RealDoll" named Bianca.
Though a commercial failure, Lars and the Real Girl was critically acclaimed, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, while Gosling received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.
Contents
[hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
4 Release
5 Critical reception
6 Accolades
7 References
8 External links
Plot[edit]
Lars Lindstrom lives a secluded life in a small Wisconsin town. It is gradually revealed that his mother died when he was born, causing his grief-stricken father to be a distant parent to Lars and his older brother, Gus. Gus left town as soon as he could support himself, returning only to inherit his half of the household when the father died.
The inheritance has been divided between the brothers: Lars lives in the converted garage; Gus and his pregnant wife Karin live in the house proper. Karin's attempts to invite Lars into the house for a family meal are usually unsuccessful; when he does come, conversation is difficult and he doesn't stay long. He avoids social contact, finding it difficult to interact with his family, co-workers, or members of his church. A co-worker, Margo, is interested in him, but he avoids anything more than brief encounters.
One day a large package arrives; that evening Lars tells Gus and Karin that he has a visitor whom he met via the Internet, a wheelchair-mobile missionary of Brazilian and Danish descent named Bianca. They discover that Bianca is a lifelike doll which Lars apparently ordered from an adult website. Concerned about his mental health, they convince Lars to take Bianca for a checkup to the family doctor, Dagmar, who is also a psychiatrist. Dagmar diagnoses Bianca with low blood pressure and advises Lars to bring her in for weekly treatments. Her aim is to have regular contact with Lars, hoping to get to the root of his behavior. She explains to Gus and Karin that his delusion is a manifestation of an underlying problem that needs to be addressed. She urges them to assist with his therapy by treating Bianca as a real person.
Lars begins to introduce Bianca as his girlfriend to the townspeople. Due to their concern for Lars, everyone treats Bianca as a real person. Lars soon finds himself interacting more with people. During this time, Margo has begun to date another co-worker, which silently bothers Lars.
Lars asks his brother when he knew he had become a man and what being a man means. Gus says when he began doing the right things for the right reasons, even when it hurts. Gus gives several examples, including their father keeping them, and taking care of them, even though he didn't know how. Gus says that he never should have left Lars alone with their father, and he apologizes for being selfish. Their conversation seems to reach Lars and his dependence on Bianca immediately seems to shift.
When a co-worker with whom Margo has been playing pranks goes a bit too far, Lars comforts her. During the ensuing conversation, Margo reveals she has broken up with her boyfriend. She invites Lars to go bowling, which he initially declines before reconsidering. The two spend a pleasant evening together along with some other townsfolk. Lars is quick to remind Margo he could never cheat on Bianca. Although obviously disappointed, Margo replies that the thought never crossed her mind. As they part, Lars takes his glove off to shake Margo's hand – a significant advance in his ability to interact with others; he earlier explained to the doctor that others' touch felt like "burning".
One morning soon after, Lars announces that Bianca is unresponsive, and an ambulance rushes her to the hospital. Once there, he tells his family that her prognosis is not good and that Bianca would like to be brought home. The news spreads through town, and everyone whose life has been touched by Bianca sends flowers or sits with Lars at the Lindstrom home. Gus and Karin ask Dagmar why this is happening, and she reveals that it indicates a significant shift for Lars. They suggest that Lars and Bianca join them for a visit to the lake. While the couple is hiking, Lars gives Bianca a very sad farewell kiss. As Gus and Karin make their way back from the hike, they discover despondent Lars in the lake with a 'dying' Bianca.
Bianca is given a full-fledged funeral that is well-attended by the townspeople. After Bianca is buried in the local cemetery, Lars and Margo linger at the grave site. When Margo states that she should catch up with everyone else, Lars asks her to take a walk with him instead, to which she happily agrees.
Cast[edit]
Ryan Gosling as Lars Lindstrom
Emily Mortimer as Karin Lindstrom
Paul Schneider as Gus Lindstrom
R. D. Reid as Reverend Bock
Kelli Garner as Margo
Nancy Beatty as Mrs. Gruner
Doug Lennox as Mr. Hofstedtler
Joe Bostick as Mr. Shaw
Liz Gordon as Mrs. Schindler
Nicky Guadagni as Mrs. Petersen
Patricia Clarkson as Dagmar Berman, MD
Karen Robinson as Cindy
Maxwell McCabe-Lokos as Kurt
Billy Parrott as Erik
Sally Cahill as Deb
Angela Vint as Sandy
Liisa Repo-Martell as Laurel
Boyd Banks as Russell
Darren Hynes as Moose
Víctor Gómez as Hector
Tommy Chang as Nelson
Arnold Pinnock as Baxter
Joshua Peace as Jerry
Aurora Browne as Lisa
Alec McClure as Steve
Tannis Burnett as Nurse Amy
Lauren Ash as Holly
Lindsey Connell as Victoria
Production[edit]
In The Real Story of Lars and the Real Girl, a special feature on the DVD release of the film, screenwriter Nancy Oliver reveals the inspiration for her script was an actual website, RealDoll.com, which is featured prominently in the film. While researching "weird websites" for an article, Oliver found RealDoll.com. She wrote the script in 2002.[2]
The film, set in the American state of Wisconsin, was filmed with a US$12 million budget on location in Alton, Elora, King Township, Toronto, Uxbridge, and Whitevale, all located in the Canadian province of Ontario.[3][4] Film credits include Rosalie MacKintosh as "Bianca wrangler" and Karly Bowen as "assistant Bianca wrangler."[5][6]
Release[edit]
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2007 before going into limited release in the U.S. on October 12, 2007. It initially opened on seven screens in New York City, New York; and Los Angeles, California, and earned $90,418 on its opening weekend. It later expanded to 321 theaters and remained in release for 147 days, earning $5,972,884 domestically and $5,320,639 in foreign markets for a worldwide box-office total of $11,293,663.[1][7]
The film was featured at the Austin Film Festival, the Heartland Film Festival, the Torino Film Festival, the Glasgow Film Festival, and the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival.[citation needed]
Critical reception[edit]
Lars and the Real Girl received overwhelming positive reviews from critics, with Gosling's performance being universally acclaimed.[8] On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 81% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 134 reviews with the consensus stating "Lars and the Real Girl could've so easily been a one-joke movie. But the talented cast, a great script, and direction never condescend to its character or the audience."[9] On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 70 out of 100, based on 32 reviews.[10]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times observed, "The film wisely never goes for even one moment that could be interpreted as smutty or mocking. There are so many ways [it] could have gone wrong that one of the film's fascinations is how adroitly it sidesteps them. Its weapon is absolute sincerity. It has a kind of purity to it."[11]
Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle called the film "a gentle comedy, offbeat but never cute, never lewd and never going for shortcut laughs that might diminish character."[12]
Manohla Dargis of The New York Times said, "American self-nostalgia is a dependable racket, and if the filmmakers had pushed into the realm of nervous truth, had given Lars and the town folk sustained shadows, not just cute tics and teary moments, it might have worked. Instead the film is palatable audience bait of average accomplishment that superficially recalls the plain style of Alexander Payne, but without any of the lacerating edges or moral ambiguity."[13]
Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times described it as "the sweetest, most innocent, most completely enjoyable film around," "a film whose daring and delicate blend of apparent irreconcilables will sweep you off your feet if you're not careful. The creators of this film were fiercely determined not to go so much as a millimeter over the line into sentiment, tawdriness or mockery. It's the rare film that is the best possible version of itself, but Lars fits that bill."[14]
Lou Lumenick of the New York Post awarded the film three out of four stars, calling it "an offbeat comedy that plays as if Preston Sturges came back to life and collaborated with the Coen Brothers on an updated version of the Jimmy Stewart film Harvey (1950). He added the script "eschews cheap laughs for character-driven humanist comedy, and is sensitively directed by Craig Gillespie."[15]
Alissa Simon of Variety stated, "Craig Gillespie's sweetly off-kilter film plays like a Coen brothers riff on Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon tales, defying its lurid premise with a gentle comic drama grounded in reality ... what's fresh and charming is the way the characters surrounding the protagonist also grow as they help him through his crisis."[16]
The film has received favorable reviews from Christian faith-based media,[17] and has been recommended as an instructional tool and a means for opening a dialogue on tolerance.[18]
Accolades[edit]
Award
Date of ceremony
Category
Recipients and nominees
Result
Academy Awards February 24, 2008 Best Original Screenplay Nancy Oliver Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association December 13, 2007 Best Actor Ryan Gosling Nominated
Most Promising Director Craig Gillespie Nominated
Critics' Choice Awards January 7, 2007 Best Actor Ryan Gosling Nominated
Best Screenplay Nancy Oliver Nominated
Golden Globe Awards January 13, 2008 Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Ryan Gosling Nominated
Humanitas Prize September 17, 2008 Feature Film Nancy Oliver Won
National Board of Review January 15, 2008 Top Ten Films Lars and the Real Girl Won
Best Original Screenplay Nancy Oliver Won
Satellite Awards December 16, 2007 Best Film – Musical or Comedy Lars and the Real Girl Nominated
Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Ryan Gosling Won
Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Emily Mortimer Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Nancy Oliver Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards January 27, 2008 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Ryan Gosling Nominated
St. Louis Film Critics Association December 24, 2007 Best Film – Musical or Comedy Lars and the Real Girl Nominated
Best Actor Ryan Gosling Nominated
Best Screenplay Nancy Oliver Nominated
Writers Guild of America Awards February 9, 2008 Best Original Screenplay Nancy Oliver Nominated
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c "Lars and the Real Girl". Box Office Mojo. IMDb Inc. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
Jump up ^ Wloszczyna, Susan (October 8, 2007). "'Lars' star Bianca isn't just your average movie actress". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
Jump up ^ [1] IMDB "Filming Locations for Lars and the Real Girl"
Jump up ^ Goodman, Lee-Anne (2008). "The Real Deal". AOL. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
Jump up ^ [2] IMDB "Crazy Credits for Lars and the Real Girl"
Jump up ^ Staff writer (undated). [3] "The Love of His Life Is a Real Doll". The Vancouver Sun. Accessed April 24, 2010.
Jump up ^ "BoxOfficeMojo.com". BoxOfficeMojo.com. 6 March 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
Jump up ^ "'Lars and the Real Girl' Breaks a Wooden Heart". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
Jump up ^ "Rotten Tomatoes.com". Rotten Tomatoes.com. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
Jump up ^ "Metacritic.com". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger (October 19, 2007). [4] "Lars and the Real Girl". Chicago Sun-Times. Accessed April 24, 2010.
Jump up ^ LaSalle, Mick (October 19, 2007). [5] "Review: Lars and the Real Girl – A (Platonic) Love Story". San Francisco Chronicle. Accessed April 24, 2010.
Jump up ^ Dargis, Manohla (October 12, 2007). [6] "Lars and the Real Girl (2007)". The New York Times. Accessed April 24, 2010.
Jump up ^ Turan, Kenneth (October 12, 2007). [7] "Lars and the Real Girl – The Movie Centers a Delightful, Capra-esque Story Around a Most Prurient Prop." Los Angeles Times. Accessed April 24, 2010.
Jump up ^ Lumenick, Lou (October 12, 2007). [8] "Midwestern Love for Dummies". New York Post. Accessed April 24, 2010.
Jump up ^ Simon, Alissa (September 11, 2007). [9] "Lars and the Real Girl". Variety. Accessed April 24, 2010.
Jump up ^ [10] "Lars and the Real Girl". Christianity Today.
Jump up ^ Simmons, Rachel (July 28, 2009). [11] "Teaching Tolerance with Lars and the Real Girl". rosalindwiseman.com. Accessed April 24, 2010.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Lars and the Real Girl
Lars and the Real Girl on IMDb
Lars and the Real Girl at AllMovie
Lars and the Real Girl at Rotten Tomatoes
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