The sound of success

“I was petrified throughout the whole process,” he admits. “That kind of show had never been done before and we didn’t know how it would turn out. We knew who the strong contenders were but it would have only taken a contestant’s cat to die or something and the whole thing could’ve turned on its head. Let’s face it, viewers love a sad story.”

The 2006 BBC1 show, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, followed Lloyd Webber’s quest to find a leading lady for his much-anticipated revival of The Sound of Music. Thousands of hopefuls turned out for auditions and were whittled down to a final ten who battled it out on live Saturday night TV shows.

The winner was, of course, Connie Fisher who went on to wow critics at the London Palladium. After a 15-month West End run, Connie is playing Maria on a UK tour of the show which comes to the Bradford Alhambra – the tour’s only Yorkshire venue – for a month in September. Choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Philips, the lavish production features some of musical theatre’s most memorable songs, including My Favourite Things, Edelweiss, Climb Ev’ry Mountain and the title song.

“Andrew and I knew Connie was perfect,” says David, when we meet for a coffee in the Alhambra’s Circle Bar. “As well as being a talented performer she had comedic skills and Maria’s youthful, spirited quality. We knew she’d be fabulous – if she got the part. But that was down to the viewers’ vote. We kept thinking ‘What if the great British public gets it wrong? What if they choose an underdog?’ It could have all gone a bit John Sergeant,” he grimaces, referring to last year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing when the popular broadcaster became a front-runner despite, or because of, his two left feet.

“Thankfully, Connie triumphed. It goes to show that the public recognises talent,” says David.

The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, based on the memoirs of Maria Augusta Trapp, is the story of a young nun who becomes governess to seven children. Under her guidance, the Von Trapps become a singing family, eventually forced to flee Nazi-occupied Austria on the eve of the Second World War.

The original Broadway production opened in November 1959 and became a smash hit worldwide. It opened in London in 1961 and four years later came the Oscar-winning film, starring Julie Andrews. “It hasn’t toured for 25 years,” says David. “We had a massive response to the show in London and we haven’t scaled it down for the tour. It looks exquisite.”

So what’s the enduring appeal of this rather odd story of a nun who falls for a father-of-seven?

“It’s got romance, drama, a fabulously catchy score, it’s good overcoming evil,” smiles David. “When I’m producing a show there are three things I consider – the book, the book and the book. That’s what separates a concert from a play. This is a David and Goliath story, with nuns versus Nazis.

“It’s such a well-loved film, there’s a sense of ownership among its fans. So there was a huge responsibility bringing it to the stage.”

David says a blend of vulnerability and feistiness made Connie ideal. “In the novel she’s a young girl, people lose sight of that because they always think of Julie Andrews,” he says. “It was originally written for Mary Martin, who was in her twenties. But Maria is barely older than Von Trapp’s eldest daughter who, as we know from the song she sings, is ‘16 going on 17’.

“In the Maria song that the nuns sing there’s the line ‘She climbs a tree and scrapes her knee, her dress has got a tear.’ She’s not a serene woman, she’s a tomboy. That’s something Andrew was keen to capture and Connie was perfect, so full of beans.”

Winning the show was only the beginning of Connie’s journey. “We knew she was great but there’s always a worry about whether someone can carry a show,” says David. “She proved herself with fabulous reviews, but it’s a massive responsibility to take on.”

TV shows such as How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria and Grease Is The Word - ITV’s search for a Sandy and a Danny for the West End run of Grease – have come under fire for giving out lead roles as prizes. David, a judge on both shows, says it’s a format that won’t always work.

“It only works with iconic roles,” he says. “It wouldn’t be the same with Nellie Forbush in South Pacific, for example, because she’s not widely familiar. I think these TV shows may have run their course now.

“There was an outcry when we did the first one, especially from the industry, but as far as I’m concerned it’s an open contest. These TV shows were available to both professionals and amateurs. The contestants went through a long audition process before reaching the live shows so it wasn’t a case of just turning up and becoming an overnight sensation.

“If you look at the four shows – Maria, Grease, Joseph and Oliver – the public made the right choices in the end. All the winners had had training and had worked for a long time before they got their break. The message coming out of that is that talent will out.

“And the TV exposure brings people into theatres, sometimes for the first time. If they enjoy it, hopefully they’ll return.”

Regarded as one of the most influential figures in UK theatre, David started as a performer in musicals such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Pirates of Penzance. He set up his first production company with actor Paul Nicholas in 1991, producing West End shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Singin’ in the Rain, The Producers, Guys and Dolls, Saturday Night Fever and Grease.

In 1996 he formed David Ian Productions, based in Covent Garden, which has produced shows like The Sound of Music, La Cage Aux Folles, Flashdance, Chicago, Cats and the Britain’s Got Talent UK arena tour. Last year, together with Arlene Phillips, he produced ITV’s Britannia High series.

The economic slump has been tough on theatre-land but David says when times are hard, people look for entertainment.

“Historically, theatre does well in recession. Last year we had record figures in the West End,” he says. “The credit crunch means bookings tend to come much later – people don’t book hugely in advance as they might normally – but although they might be more selective, they’re still going to the theatre. The Sound of Music is sitting on big advance sales. We’re making sure pricing is as keen as it can be, with good rates for families.”

David has also brought Chicago and Flashdance to the region this year. Is there any show he’d particularly like to produce?

“I always thought An Officer and a Gentleman would make a great show and we’re making enquiries about that,” he says. “The Producers was one I particularly wanted to do, so I’m delighted we did that. It’s one of my favourites.

“Getting a show on is a long process; just sorting copywright for all the different songs can take a year. Flashdance took a while because I particularly wanted Arlene Phillips to do the choreography. “From day one, when someone approaches me about putting on a show, I always warn them it’ll take at least two years to get to the stage.” It was certainly all about the timing as far as David’s revival of Chicago was concerned.

“When Chicago opened it was the middle of the OJ Simpson trial. Here was this show all about a celebrity trial, carried out in the glare of the media’s flashbulbs, and it was happening in real life too. It couldn’t have been better timed for us,” he smiles.