True story: about ten years ago, I auditioned for the part of Dorothy in a community production of The Wizard of Oz. Sadly, the director thought my baritone voice really didn't do the part any justice, so they cast me as the Lion instead.

If there's any musical character more iconic than Dorothy, however, it has to be Maria von Trapp from The Sound of Music.

While I'm sure I could make a wonderful Maria in the upcoming Toronto production of the popular Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, it turns out that producer Andrew Lloyd Webber is pretty adamant about finding a young woman to play the part.

And yes, that woman can be you. (Unless, like me, you're a man.)

In order to cast the role of Maria in the musical, Lloyd Webber is partnering with Mirvish Productions and the CBC to create a reality show (modeled after the popular BBC show of the same name), How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, that will give Canadian television-viewers the opportunity to vote for their favorite Maria.

Open auditions in Toronto take place this Friday at the CBC Building. If you, like me, have aspirations of becoming the next Maria, be sure to get there early for registration. You can find more information about the audition process and even a video of what Lloyd Webber is looking for in his Maria over on the Are You Maria? website.

And since I'm probably not welcome to play Maria, if you do decide to audition your singing and dancing talent, come back here and let us know how it went!