How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? (Canadian TV series)

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How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria (Canadian Version).png
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? (CBC)
Genre Reality competition
Created by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Starring Gavin Crawford (Host)>
Simon Lee (Judge)
Elaine Overholt (Judge)
John Barrowman (Judge)
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
Producer Temple Street Productions
Original release
Network CBC Television
ReleaseJune 15 (2008-06-15) 
July 28, 2008 (2008-07-28)

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? was a 2008 Canadian reality competition television series derived from a 2006 series of the same name broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom. The Canadian version aired on CBC Television between June 15, 2008, and July 28, 2008.

Contents

The premise of the contest was to find a musical theatre performer to play the lead role of Maria von Trapp in the 2008 Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Mirvish revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 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 Marias performing in front of Lloyd Webber in London, and then the 20 were cut to 10 with his input. Beginning June 22, the Marias performed live in Toronto every Sunday night with a live orchestra. The voting results aired on the following night.

Finalists

Ten contestants made it through the audition rounds and performed during the live shows.

FinalistAge*FromApron ColorStatus
Alison Jutzi29 Guelph, Ontario BurgundyEliminated 1st in Week 1
Allie Hughes 22 Toronto, Ontario Dark BlueEliminated 2nd in Week 2
Katie Kerr19 Windsor, Ontario Baby PinkEliminated 3rd in Week 3
Kyla Tingley24 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Hot PinkEliminated 4th in Week 3
Donna Lajeunesse22 Bowmanville, Ontario OrangeEliminated 5th in Week 4
Tamara Fifield21 Truro, Nova Scotia Sky BlueEliminated 6th in Week 4
Marisa McIntyre25 Waterloo, Ontario Dark GreenEliminated 7th in Week 5
Jayme Armstrong [1] [2] 24 Richmond, Ontario RedThird place
Janna Polzin24 Woodstock, Ontario Lime GreenSecond place
Elicia MacKenzie 23 Surrey, British Columbia PurpleWinner

* at the start of the contest

Results summary

PlaceContestantWeek 1Week 2Week 3Week 4Week 5Final
1EliciaSafeSafeSafeBottom 3SafeWinner
2JannaSafeSafeSafeSafeSafeRunner-up
3JaymeSafeBottom 2SafeSafeBottom 2Third Place
4MarisaBottom 2SafeSafeSafeEliminatedEliminated
5TamaraSafeSafeBottom 3EliminatedEliminated
6DonnaSafeSafeSafeEliminatedEliminated
7KylaSafeSafeEliminatedEliminated
8KatieSafeSafeEliminatedEliminated
9AllieSafeEliminatedEliminated
10AlisonEliminatedEliminated

Live shows

The live shows saw the finalists eliminated one by one (or two) following both individual and group performances. Once eliminated, the leaving contestant(s) ended the program by leading a performance of "So Long, Farewell" from The Sound of Music with the remaining contestants.

Week 1 (June 22, 2008)

Following the first week of the competition, Alison was the first Maria to be eliminated from the competition. The show performances were:

Contestants' performances on the first live show
ContestantPerformance PairOrderSongResult
Allie HughesPair 11"It's Oh So Quiet"Safe
Kyla Tingley2"Torn"Safe
Elicia MacKenziePair 23"Color My World"Safe
Donna Lajeunesse4"I Am Changing"Safe
Tamara FifieldPair 35"Over the Rainbow"Safe
Jayme Armstrong6"Son of a Preacher Man"Safe
Marisa MacIntyrePair 47"Jolene"Bottom 2
Katie Kerr8"Girls Just Want to Have Fun"Safe
Janna PolzinPair 59"My Baby Just Cares for Me"Safe
Alison Jutzi10"I'm Every Woman"Bottom 2

Sing-Off

ActSing Off SongResults
Marisa McIntyre"Take That Look Off Your Face" from Tell Me on a Sunday Saved by Lee
Alison JutziEliminated

Week 2 (June 29, 2008)

As the mission for this week, the potential Marias had to prove how fit they are by taking part in a thorough workout.

For their individual performances, the contestants sang songs by Canadian artists to celebrate Canada Day.

The show performances were:

Contestants' performances on the second live show
ContestantPerformance PairOrderSongResult
Donna LajeunessePair 11"Something to Talk About"Safe
Jayme Armstrong2"Constant Craving"Bottom 2
Marisa MacIntyreSolo Performance3"Seven Day Fool"Safe
Elicia MacKenziePair 24"Black Velvet"Safe
Tamara Fifield5"Complicated"Safe
Allie HughesPair 36"I Will Remember You"Bottom 2
Janna Polzin7"Turn Off the Light"Safe
Katie KerrPair 48"Insensitive"Safe
Kyla Tingley9"Dance Me to the End of Love"Safe

Sing-Off

ActSing Off SongResults
Jayme Armstrong"Another Suitcase in Another Hall" from Evita Saved by Lee
Allie HughesEliminated

Week 3 (July 6, 2008)

For their individual performances, the contestants sang songs from the musicals.

The show performances were:

Contestants' performances on the third live show
ContestantPerformance PairOrderSongResult
Katie KerrPair 11"Easy to Be Proud"Bottom 3
Elicia MacKenzie2"Cabaret"Safe
Marisa MacIntyrePair 23"If I Were a Bell"Safe
Janna Polzin4"Defying Gravity"Safe
Tamara FifieldPair 35"You Must Love Me"Bottom 3
Jayme Armstrong6"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"Safe
Kyla TingleyPair 47"All That Jazz"Bottom 3
Donna Lajeunesse8"Out of My Dreams"Safe

Sing-Off

ActSing Off SongResults
Katie Kerr"Superstar" from Jesus Christ Superstar Eliminated
Tamara FifieldSaved by Lee
Kyla TingleyEliminated

Week 4 (July 13, 2008)

As the mission for this week, the contestants act with the children to help separate between the potential Marias.

The show performances were:

Contestants' performances on the fourth live show
ContestantPerformance PairOrderSongResult
Elicia MacKenziePair 11"Shout"Bottom 3
Donna Lajeunesse2"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)"Bottom 3
Janna PolzinPair 23"California Dreamin'"Safe
Jayme Armstrong4"You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"Safe
Tamara FifieldPair 35"You Don't Own Me"Bottom 3
Marisa MacIntyre6"Downtown"Safe

Sing-Off

ActSing Off SongResults
Elicia MacKenzie"Tell Me on a Sunday" from Tell Me on a Sunday Saved by Lee
Donna LajeunesseEliminated
Tamara FifieldEliminated

Week 5 (July 20, 2008)

This week, just like the British version, the mission was a chemistry test with John Barrowman, which involved his giving the Marias a surprise kiss.

The show performances were:

Contestants' performances on the fifth live show
ContestantOrderSongResult
Janna Polzin1"Anyone Who Had a Heart"Safe
Elicia MacKenzie2"You Needed Me"Safe
Jayme Armstrong3"I Say a Little Prayer"Bottom 2
Marisa MacIntyre4"River Deep Mountain High"Bottom 2

Sing-Off

ActSing Off SongResults
Jayme Armstrong"As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard Saved by Lloyd Webber
Marisa MacIntyreEliminated

Week 6 (July 27, 2008)

For their individual performances, the contestants sang songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The show performances were:

Contestants' performances on the sixth live show
ContestantOrderAndrew Lloyd Webber songOrderSong of the SeasonResult
Jayme Armstrong1"I Don't Know How to Love Him"N/AN/A (already eliminated)Eliminated
Janna Polzin2"Don't Cry for Me Argentina"4"Defying Gravity"Runner-up
Elicia MacKenzie3"Memory"5"Cabaret"Winner

After the show

Elicia MacKenzie won the most votes, as announced prematurely on the Canadian Press wire at 7:30pm, July 28, half an hour before the show aired in the Toronto area.

On August 14, 2008, it was announced that runner-up, Janna Polzin, had been cast as an "alternate Maria" for the Toronto stage production. Janna played 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). [3]

Some viewers of the show have claimed that the panel and Lloyd Webber favoured Janna over the other performers in the competition. However, Elicia MacKenzie ended up beating Janna in the final.

References

  1. https://www.enchantedentertainment.ca/jaymes-bio [ dead link ]
  2. "Jayme Armstrong Main Page".
  3. "Turns out Janna's a 'Maria' after all | The Star". Toronto Star . 14 August 2008.