Connie Fisher
(born 17 June 1983) is a British [1] actress and singer, who won the BBC One talent contest, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?
Fisher was delighted to be named Maria: "I feel on top of the world, thanks very much. I won't let you down. Every night will be an opening night. Thanks for making my dreams come true."
[2]
On 15 November 2006, she opened to excellent reviews in the part of Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music
in the West End, London on a six-month contract, which was extended until 23 February 2008. [3] She resumed the role of Maria in The Sound of Music
UK tour starting in July 2009.
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CONNIE FISHER TICKETS
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Biography
Early life
Fisher was born in
Lisburn,
Northern Ireland, and is daughter of a
British Army Royal Corps of Signals major. Fisher lived in
Dorset,
England until the age of six, when she moved to a village near
Haverfordwest in
Pembrokeshire,
Wales. She attended Hayscastle Junior School, and then went on to
Sir Thomas Picton School. She is a fluent Welsh speaker and during the final weeks of
How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?
she recorded several interview pieces for
Radio Cymru.
[4]
During her teenage years she was a member of Haverfordwest Operatic Society where she performed in
The Pirates of Penzance
and played Nellie Forbush in
South Pacific
. She was also a member of The Torch Youth Theatre where she performed in George Buchner's play
Woyzek
. She successfully became a member of
National Youth Music Theatre (1999-2002), where she played
Lady of the Lake in the UK Tour of
Pendragon
, and played the lead role,
Morgan Le Fay, when the production toured Japan in 2001. From an early age Fisher was a member of Côr Newyddion Da
[5] (English translation - "Good News Choir"), which introduced her to the
Eisteddfodic field and encouraged her to perform as a soloist. She competed annually in the
Urdd Gobaith Cymru,
National and
International Eisteddfods.
[6] In 2002 Fisher won the Wilbert Lloyd Roberts Scholarship in the National Eisteddfod "Songs from the Shows" competition
[7] and the Milford and West Wales Mercury talent competition.
[8]
Fisher won a full scholarship to the
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts,
[9], graduating in 2005 with a First Class BA Hons degree in Musical Theatre, as well as the Gyearbuor Asante prize for the highest score. At Mountview she performed in
Annie Get Your Gun
,
A…my name is Alice
,
Jerry’s Girls
and played Julie Jordan in
Carousel
.
Career
Fisher has made television appearances on
Jane McDonald's
Star for a Night
when she was sixteen;
Owen Money’s Just Up Your Street
, and
BBC Children in Need.
[10]
She has also recorded a Welsh song called
Curiad Calon
(Heartbeat) which was released on the compilation album
Cân i Gymru
(A Song for Wales). She also released a charity single for the Noah's Ark Appeal entitled 'Eyes of a Child'.
Fisher's first professional theatre appearance was at
Milford Haven Torch Theatre, Christmas 2005, where she played Princess Samina in the pantomime
Aladdin
. She then took the £1,000 cash prize and the Gower Trophy in the final of the 2006 Welsh Musical Theatre Young Singer of the Year Competition, held at
Swansea Grand Theatre.
Before being cast as Maria, she worked in media telesales, whilst auditioning for several West End parts – often getting down to the final two but never getting the part. Fisher cites
Julie Andrews and
Ruthie Henshall as her musical theatre role models. She claims to be a bit of a tomboy, and says that as an only child, she is very independent.
[11]
In early March 2007, she was ordered by her doctor to take two weeks' rest from
The Sound of Music
, after straining her vocal cords singing through a cold.
[12] On her return to the show, it was announced that Fisher would be reducing her workload to six shows a week,
[13] with Maria being played in the Monday evening and Wednesday matinee shows by
Aoife Mulholland, one of the runners-up in
How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?
.
On 1 July 2007, Fisher performed alongside artists including
Sarah Brightman,
Josh Groban,
Donny Osmond and
Andrea Bocelli in Lloyd Webber's segment of the
Concert for Diana at London's
Wembley Stadium in front of 63,000 people. She also appeared at
Bryn Terfel’s
Faenol Festival during the August Bank Holiday weekend, 2007.
[14] She also featured on the the 50th Anniversary studio recording of
West Side Story, singing "Somewhere".
In October 2007, she won the 2007 lastminute.com People's Choice Theatre Award for Favourite Theatre Actress.
[15]
On
Christmas Eve 2007 Fisher performed with Lee Mead and some of the other
Maria
and
Any Dream
finalists in a BBC special 'festive' reunion show called
When Joseph met Maria!
- celebrating both the hit Andrew Lloyd Webber BBC shows - it was recorded earlier on Dec 2nd 2007. The BBC show,
How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?
, featuring Fisher, won a prestigious international
Emmy Award in New York (2007) for best non-scripted entertainment.
[16]
Fisher ended her run as Maria on 23 February 2008 and was replaced by
Summer Strallen.
[17] It was rumoured that after her contract as Maria came to an end that she would play the lead in a Lloyd-Webber revival of
Funny Girl
.
[18] Fisher had been due to embark on an Andrew Lloyd Webber-sponsored solo concert tour of several cities in the UK, however the tour was cancelled on 13 February 2008 due to poor ticket sales.
[19] Also on 13 February 2008, it was announced that the planned Simply Bernstein concert celebrating the work of composer Leonard Bernstein, which Fisher was part of, had been cancelled. The event was due to run for five performances from 4 to 6 April 2008 at
Cadogan Hall.
[20]
In 2008 Fisher co-starred with
Alistair McGowan in a revival of the musical
They're Playing Our Song
at the
Menier Chocolate Factory.
[21]
Also, in November Fisher appeared in concerts at Truro Cathedral and at the Great Fosters Hotel in Surrey
[22]
On 11 December 2008 Fisher appeared in The Christmas Sparkler Concert at The Royal Festival Hall London and sang the Welsh lullaby "Suo Gan", but she had to pull out of the second song, which was supposed to be a duet of "O Holy Night" with Jonathan Ansell, as she had to go to The London Palladium to introduce an act for The Royal Variety Performance.
Also in December 2008, Fisher appeared with her mother in an episode of Bargain Hunt, Famous Finds. She also starred in her first TV drama.
Caught In A Trap
aired on
ITV1
on 26th December - in it she plays a young woman with an
Elvis Presley obsession. Her second solo album,
Secret Love
, was released on 23 February 2009.
It was announced on 25 November that Fisher is to return to the role of Maria for the UK touring production of
The Sound of Music.
[23]
In April 2009, Fisher's "Secret Love" UK Tour was cancelled in order for her to undergo an operation on her vocal cords. She suffers from "congenital fusion anomalies", a condition that she has had since birth. According to her doctor, "Effectively how Connie Fisher has ended up having a singing career is nothing short of miracle".
[24]
Between Monday
1 June and Friday
5 June 2009, Fisher guest presented the Scottish lifestyle show
The Hour
, alongside the show's main host
Stephen Jardine.
The UK Tour of
The Sound of Music
, starring Fisher, began previews in Cardiff, Wales on the 26th of July, 2009.
In August 2009, Fisher was made a member of the
Gorsedd at the 2009
National Eisteddfod in
Bala, Gwynedd.
[25]
Personal life
Fisher had been in a relationship with former
British Army soldier Neal Williams (born 1979), who served in Iraq in the 31st signal regiment, for several years. On November 19, 2006 the
News of the World alleged that Fisher and sound number 2 Leigh Davies from the
Sound of Music
had been having a relationship. Fisher has repeatedly denied these allegations.
[26]
[27]
In 2008, after her relationship with Williams had ended, Fisher briefly met international banker Jeremy Reed at
Cardiff Central railway station, when both were travelling. Reed gained Fisher's contact details via a mutual friend, and the pair started dating. The couple became engaged in July 2009 after Reed proposed over a meal in
Barry, South Wales.
[28]
Discography
Favourite Things
On 9 October 2006, Fisher released her debut album,
Favourite Things
which featured the following tracklisting:
#'Maybe This Time'
#'Natural Woman'
#'Dance The Dance'
#'Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend'
#'No Matter What'
#'Shout'
#'All The Love I Have'
#'All That Jazz'' (With
Helena Blackman and
Siobhan Dillon)
#'Another Suitcase In Another Hall'
#'As Long As He Needs Me'
#'The Sound Of Music Suite - Entr'Acte'
#'The Sound Of Music Suite - My Favourite Things'
#'The Sound Of Music Suite - Something Good'
[It reached #14 on the UK Album chart]
The Sound Of Music - London Palladium Cast Album
On 11 December 2006, the soundtrack to the new production of
The Sound of Music
, featuring Connie Fisher,
Lesley Garrett and the cast of the production, was released with the following tracklisting:
#Preludium
#
The Sound Of Music
#
Maria
#
My Favourite Things
#I Have Confidence
#
Do-Re-Mi
#
Sixteen Going On Seventeen
#My favourite things (Reprise)
#How Can Love Survive?
#The Sound Of Music (Reprise)
#
The Lonely Goatherd
#The Grand Waltz
#Ländler
#So Long, Farewell
#
Climb Ev'ry Mountain
#Entr'acte
#No Way To Stop It
#Something Good
#The Wedding Processional
#Sixteen Going On Seventeen (Reprise)
#
Edelweiss
#Climb Ev'ry Mountain (Reprise)
The album was produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nigel Wright for Really Useful Records.
Secret Love
On 23 February 2009, Fisher released her second solo album,
Secret Love
, which features the following tracklisting:
#'
I Could Have Danced All Night'
#'
Secret Love'
#'Next Time You Fall In Love' (featuring
Lee Mead)
#'
True Love Ways'
#'When She Loved Me'
#'I Guess I'll Miss The Man'
#'
You Must Love Me'
#'
Someone To Watch Over Me'
#'
Make Up My Heart'
#'If I Ever Fall In Love Again'
#'
Memory'
#'If Love Were All'
#'First Impression Counts'
References
- London's alive with the sound of Maria's success, ''Evening Standard'', 17 November 2006
- Found: One Maria!
- Press views: The Sound of Music
- Profile of Connie
- Côr Newyddion Da
- Profile of Connie
- Wilbert Lloyd Roberts Scholarship in the National Eisteddfod
- Wilbert Lloyd Roberts Scholarship in the National Eisteddfod
- Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts(website down)
- Profile of Connie
- Profile of Connie
- Connie Ordered to Rest
- Mulholland is Maria number two
- Bryn Terfel | Faenol Festival 2008
- The People's Choice: winners revealed
- BBC NEWS | Entertainment | British shows scoop Emmy awards
- Lloyd Webber Solves Maria Problem – Again
- Funny Girl plan for Connie Fisher
- Connie Fisher concerts axed due to poor ticket sales | Mail Online
- Photos%3A+Connie+Fisher+Does+Bernstein+After+Music
- Fisher+%26+McGowan+Play+Our+Song+at+Menier%2C+4+Aug
- An Evening With Connie Fisher
- Connie Fisher Returns to Tour The Sound of Music
- Connie Fisher Show Postponed
- Gorsedd honour for female stars
- Doh, Lay Me!
- ((cite web | url =
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/article-23428402-details/The+year+I+nearly+lost+my+voice+-+for+good/article.do
| publisher = The Evening Standard
| date = 2007-12-18
))
- 'I am deliriously happy': Connie Fisher engaged to the love she met on a train station platform