Fisher to Play 8 Shows a Week in London Sound of Music

Connie Fisher, who after winning the reality show talent search "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria," will star in the upcoming London revival of The Sound of Music, will play eight performances a week, according to the Really Useful Group's website.

She perform the eight performances "unless indisposed in which case she would be covered in the usual manner by the understudy." 

Emma Williams, who has starred in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and other London musicals and who originally signed on as the Maria alternate, recently withdrew from the production.  According to the Really Useful website, Williams "looks forward to working with Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian, The Really Useful Group, Live Nation and (director) Jeremy Sams in the future and wishes Connie every success with the role.

The Sound of Music begins previews at the London Palladium on November 4th and opens on November 14th.  Fisher was chosen as the star of The Sound of Music on the wildly popular BBC show "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria,"which featured the revival's producer Andrew Lloyd Webber among its panel of judges (although popular vote determined the ultimate selection of Maria). 

The revival of The Sound of Music, which features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II, will also star Simon Shepherd as Captain Von Trapp and Lesley Garrett as the Mother Abbess.  Partially due to the reality show furor and to the enduring popularity of The Sound of Music, the London revival has so far racked up £6million in advance sales.