Let's start at the very beginning...

In London, England of 2006 his lordship Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Ian decided to revive the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound of Music. When it came to casting the pivotal role of Maria von Trapp, they appealed to the public in search of the perfect young lady to fill the wimple of this challenging role. How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? became a BBC series and led to the discovery of musical theatre's newest sensation, Connie Fisher.

Today the two producers have teamed up with Mirvish Productions to bring The Sound of Music to Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre in the Fall of 2008. As the great governess role would not be any easier to cast in Canada, CBC Television also came on board to create a homegrown version of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? airing this summer.

In the winter of 2008, the crew set out on a national open casting call in search of the new Maria von Trapp. Traveling coast-to-coast to seven cities, thousands of governess hopefuls came out to audition for the famous role. The selection process narrowed numbers down to 200 lucky young women who assembled in Toronto for callbacks and the opportunity to audition for the celebrity judges.

Fifty performers were chosen to attend "Maria School" where they were coached on everything from vocal exercises to spinning on mountaintops. The list was further cut to the Top 20 after a demanding week of training and assessment. These candidates then bade "adieu" to Canada and flew to England to perform at the London Palladium for impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber. The group was cut in half following their performance evaluations by the judging panel. Ten women were selected to appear in a live CBC Television series, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?

Beginning in June 2008, Canadians will have the opportunity to judge and vote on the final leg of the audition process. The elite panelists will offer their feedback after each live performance show and the voting viewers will determine who will win the coveted role of the flibbertigibbet, the will-o'-the-wisp, the clown – Maria von Trapp.

To Book Tickets for the Mirvish Production of The Sound of Music in Toronto visit : http://www.planetmall.ca/som/index.php