I would imagine neither Paige nor Ball have auditioned for years and years. Maybe Ball had to sing to Sondheim before Passion. If I'm wrong then apologies to all.
[/quote]


Michael Ball auditioned for his current role of Edna in Hairspray and is very proud of the fact.

I saw the recording of When Joseph Met Maria and i can assure you Connie and the rest of the Marias can dance.It was a great show and to say she cannot sing is ridiculous.connie has a great rapport with her audience and having been at many stage doors waiting for stars to come out who do not materialise.That cannot be said of Connie she signs and has photos with everyone.Kids love her.I hope to see her back in the West End as soon as possible.You may not like the format of how Connie and Lee got their roles but this resulted in record ticket sales in the West End.Musical Theatre has never been so popular

I heard that Connie is in talks about a brand new show that might be coming in to town

Lets hope you are right Greta.Cannot wait for Connie to be back in the West End.I think though that she could do with a break first.

What about Julie Jordan in a new production of "Carousel"?

If she ever got her hands on that role again, I'd probably kill myself. There's no way Billy Bigelow would give her a second glance.

What about Nancy in a new production of Oliver at Theatre Royal Drury Lane?

Please, no ... thought she was terrific in SoM but can't really wrap my head around CF as anthing near street-wise Nancy. I'm certain I'll get a thousand rabid fans telling me I am so, so wrong but I just don't see it!

Ah, no. I think shes done with reality casting. I wouldn't be surprised if she makes a guest appearance on the Oliver! show (and Lee Mead as well), but she won't be a contestant. Been there, done that.

If it weren't cast on TV, then maybe I could imagine her in it, but personally I'd rather see her in something like Sweet Charity.

Her next album, "From Connie With Love", will be released on the 21st of April. Here's the listing from play.com including the tracklist:

From Connie With Love

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cant wait some great tracks on there thanks for that

Does anyone actually like this girl?
We all no she's no talent...but she's not even a very nice girl.
shes won a talent show..big deal.

I know what you mean but connie fisher has proven she cant even sell tickets!

I like her and think she's very talented and nice because I've met her, but who am I? I'm just registered member, not an all-knowing "guest".

Of course registering on a site and meeting someone - makes you a perfect authority on someones character.

I too have met her and whilst I don't make any claims to "know" her I have to say she appears to have let The Sound of Music go to her head and i'm not convinced that she is going to have such an easy ride now that contract is over. I suspect she will end up in a touring show next and will struggle to get another West End lead.

I too have met Connie she is the most down to earth person you could ever meet.
Oh and you're so wrong! I dont think the Sound of Music has gone to her head plus she is going to become a bigger star!
She has the tv drama coming up plus she has other things lined up as well and if you want to know she turned down a west end lead! as she had other commitments.

You wish.

I'd absolutely love to know what role/show she was offered... I can't see her as any current West End leads.

She was offered something on Broadway as well, but had to turn it down because she was still in SOM at the time. Also, according to interviews she has turned down Mary Poppins (the tour, I'm assuming) and Cabaret, the latter because of a schedule conflict.

Thank god she turned Cabaret down. She'd actually be the worse Sally Bowles ever.

She wasn't AWFUL in the Sound of Music just nothing compared to the other Marias (Sophie, Aofie and Summer). But really she would be in Cabaret. Anyone who thinks otherwise I would seiriously love to know how you think she could ever tackle the role...

I also very much doubt Connie would've turned down her "dream role" in Mary Poppins. It'd be much more believeable that she wasn't offered it.

Hi,

I am a friend of Connies and can confirm that she was asked about 3 times to take the role of Mary Poppins but did indeed turn it down, i think she just wants to get away from the whole Julie andrews thing and doesnt want to be put into a bracket of that kind of thing, she is currently working on two tv projects and is having a great time so she tells me.

As for connie being a nice girl? She really is! she is polite and generous and I think that people who dont know her shouldnt talk about her as if they do!! All well and good if you have paid you money to comment on her performance but leave out whether she is NICE or not.

Why they would rather have her than the amazing Lisa O'Hare and Caroline Sheen I will never know.



I agree with this entirely. I did not think Connie's performance as Maria was anything amazing, but it is not any theatregoers' business, non concern whether Connie is nice as a person or not. Performing is a job and actors by no means have to be nice before or after the show to fans who hang around the stage door.

I never rated Connie on 'Maria' and really don't see that she deserves some massive career as a result of that show.

What she is like in person is neither here nor there to me - her performances are what count and there was nothing in them - to my mind - that stood out as innovative or inviting.

There were better people on that particular talent show and there are better people working in the West End

To each their own, I suppose, but I saw her as Maria and thought she was genuinely fabulous. I've seen several productions of SOM and some excellent Marias, but Connie was the best I've ever seen.

What bothers me about all this debate about Connie, is that I'm fairly sure that if she had got the part the traditional way there would not be nearly as much debate or controversy about her. Also, it bothers me when people who don't like a particular performer (be it Connie or anyone else) act like just because they don't like them, then it must be a foregone conclusion that that performer is terrible and everyone who doesn't agree is stupid or star-struck or whatever else. In Connie's case, she got great reviews from critics who had every reason to want her to fail, and she has won awards and SOM never had to offer discounts to sell tickets when she was in it. Say what you want about whether you like her as a performer, but please don't insult the intelligence of people who do by acting like it's a fact that she has no talent when there are many many people out there (professionals and average theatregoers) who think that she has loads of talent.

As for her personality, in terms of whether she's talented or not it wouldn't matter if she was the biggest diva on the planet--as long as she's got what it takes onstage it doesn't matter as much what she's like offstage. That said, though, I've met her and thought she was a very down-to-earth, nice person, and while I don't know her very well at all, I have friends who do and I'd rather take the word of someone's good friends as to what their personality is like rather than rumors or tabloid newspapers.

Fortunately for Connie, the success of her career does not depend upon the opinions of anonymous critics on internet message boards. Her success will depend on how well she does in the projects she works on. I wish her success with the TV drama and her album, and whatever stage show she ends up doing next because I have no doubt that she will end up back in the West End in the future.

I agree that it is not the fan's right to judge whether a performer is a 'nice' person or not but I think that it is quite reasonable to expect performers to at least be considerate and polite to the fans that wait outside the stage door considering the money they have paid (some fans pay several times to see a performer!) to see their performances. I'm not by any means saying that Connie is not considerate and nice to the fans and I agree that people are being to personal when judging her without knowing her, I just think it doesn't hurt to spare a couple of minutes to say hello. After all it's us fans that keep them where they are really!

Well I have seen Connie at the stagedoor on many occasions and she has always had time for her fans. It depends if she has guests or she might be feeling a bit under the weather she will always try and get out to sign autographs. So is this the reason you are disliking her because she did not come out to sign after the show ?

Not at all, and if you read my post closely you will read that I am NOT saying that Connie isn't considerate towards her fans, I was simply expressing my opinion on the general comment that "actors by no means have to be nice before or after the show to fans that wait outside the stage door". I have always thought that one of the reasons that they have the good fortune to be where they are is because of the fans. I absolutely have no problem with Connie whatsoever and I can not pass judgement on her performance becasue I never saw her in SOM and I can not have an opinion of her as a person because I have never met her and I don't know her.

My experience at the stage door was that Connie spent lots of time signing autographs, posing for photos, and chatting with fans, and other people I know who've been to the stage door several times have said that she was always extremely warm and nice to her fans. There were occasions when it was too cold or she wasn't feeling well or had guests, so she didn't come out the stage door, but she did the vast majority of the time and when she did she was always wonderful to her fans by all accounts I've heard.

I don't understand whyt so many people are so negative about Connie, I saw her twice and also had a long cht with her at the stage door- and no I'm not exagerating, we were disscussing drama school and thefact that I was applying to mv where she went. She's a lovely down to earth performer and I loved her performance and can't wait top
see what she does next!

I agree with you, but the problem is that people tend to want to buy tickets for people they like. The issue is not whether Connie is nice, but rather why many believe she isn't. Therefore it would be good advice for Connie to be unbelievably "nice" to counteract this reaction. It makes no difference whether it's true or not. The problem is the perception is out there.

I'm among those who was not overly impressed by Connie's performance in SOM. She was alright, and did a passable impression of Julie Andrews. Summer Strallen is better and that's an understatement.

Connie shot from nowhere thanks to winning a tv reality show. Once that memory fades with the public, Connie has to compete with the other talent available in musical theatre. Not only those straight out of drama school but experienced actresses who have proved themselves in more than one show. The reason many people object to Connie and others who are made "stars" overnight is that they sell theatre tickets on tv fame, not stage performance. Now Connie has to prove that she warrants other leads in musical theatre even when the tv fame has faded. I don't know whether she was offered Mary Poppins but if she turned it down, it would suggest she's incredibly out of touch with her own value or doesn't recognise how reality tv fame can vanish. It's the tv fame that makes Connie attractive to producers. Her performance is no better than her competitors in musical theatre.

I totally agree with all that you have said. Although I would like to repeat that I have never met Connie, never saw her in SOM and don't have a particular problem with her. I have however seen Summer in SOM and thought was absolutely fantastic in many ways.

What I really don't get is why Connie Fisher seems to provoke such active vitriolic aggression! What sort of dreadful crime was winning the Maria show supposed to be? And was it a crime to get excellent reviews, when the critics would really rather have preferred an excuse to get the knives out? Be real, people! What is achieved by being unpleasant for the sake of it? I'm no fan, but I don't wish the girl any ill will. And, frankly, the "opinions" of people who are so antagonistic aren't exactly worth a lot. Hardly objective are they?

Opinions will never be objective...

Opinions should ALWAYS be objective!

In your opinion.

No!..... Far too many people seem to think that to have an "opinion" means that that confers some right to spout absolute rubbish that is still supposed to be taken seriously. But the equivalent of the childish "I can say the moon is made of blue cheese, I can say whatever I like, because that's my opinion" is actually something that reasonable, intelligent, educated people just don't do, or if they ever did they grew out of it no later than puberty!

Well, I'm not sure opinions can always be 100% objective. Some people just like certain artists better than others, and everyone seems to have different favorites and non-favorites. I for one can never see the appeal of certain artists who are big stars but I know people who love them and that's fine. The same is true conversely--I have artists that I really like that some others don't like, and that's their right. Boards like this would be very boring if everybody agreed about everything.

What bothers me is when negative opinions cross the boundary into unfair--such as calling a successful performer a no-talent hack, or making personal comments about their character when these people have most likely never met the person, or at least do not really know them. That is what happens far too much with Connie, I think. Go ahead and say you don't think she's all that great as a performer, and I will politely disagree with you because I think she is extremely talented but that will not bother me really. We all have different opinions, but don't attack her character or say she has no right to be in the West End when she clearly has proved herself by doing the show for a year and a half, winning awards and getting great reviews from the critics. If people don't like her as a performer, they don't have to go see her, but personal attacks against her and her fans are just uncalled for, IMO.

As I wrote before, though, she is fortunate that her career does not depend upon the opinions of people on internet message boards. Her success is up to her and how well she performs in the projects she's working on. Some people will never like her no matter what she does, but I hope the majority will keep open minds and judge the performances as they are without putting personal grudges into it, even though I do understand why anyone would have a personal grudge against a performer they do not know personally. My hope is that Connie will be judged fairly as a performer, just like it is my wish that all performers be judged on their merits.

emkay, I agree with what you say re Connie and unpleasantness, but just because I have just been talking about it, that first paragraph is confusing objective opinion with subjective preference! They are not actually the same thing.

Really? To a certain degree they are different, I think, but they do overlap. There are some artists that I just cannot make myself like no matter how objective I try to be, but I do try my best to give them a fair hearing and not make it personal. I guess the difference is being able to objectively recognize that an artist has talent even if you do not personally prefer their performing style.

The thing is, though, I've seen enough opinions of the same performances that vary so widely, I think to some degree opinion is subjective. I don't mind that really, as long as people don't make it personal.

Sorry to be pedantic - but you can never have an objective opinion. By their very nature, an opinion is subjective.

I never warmed to Connie on the TV show and have no desire to ever see her on stage - there were others from the same show that I would much prefer to spend my money on seeing.

That is my opinion - based on my experiences and prejudices - as are all the opinions of posters on here.

Actually to have an opinion does confer "a right to spout absolute rubbish". It's called free speech. Who are you to dictate the definition of "rubbish"? Who are you to define what is "reasonable", "educated" or "intelligent"? That isn't meant to be unkind towards you, but simply to point out that your sensitivities and judgements are not necessarily "truths". Another person has as much right to draw their own conclusions in a different way entirely, and at a different level.

Many people don't seem to like Connie, justified or not. Whether she is the best in a role compared with other musical theatre performers is up for debate. Those who are experienced in relation to the performing arts, may judge her performance differently from a member of the public who goes to a West End show once in a while. Or a frequent theatre goer may compare the performances of other actresses and rate her differently. Each has a right to their opinion, but some people may base their judgement on specific knowledge with regard to acting or singing, while others may just like or dislike Connie from watching her on tv. What I'm saying is that there can be various levels of "educated" or "reasonable" or "intelligent" views and I don't think you can take it upon yourself to make a sweeping judgement as any sort of fact. on such matters. People have as much right to say they don't rate Connie's performance, as much as you are free to say you do.

I'm thinking that we are thinking about this a little too much. To cut a long and quite pretentious story short, some people like some performers and some people don't, if everyone liked a certain performer the world would be quite a boring place.

Fair enough, as long as it doesn't get personal. The fact is that she's an experienced, award-winning West End performer now, and I think she deserves to be treated like one. You have every right not to like her performances, though, just as I have the right to like them. There are other experienced, award-winning performers (and up-and-comers as well) that I like, and others that I dislike and others love. It's our right to have opinions--what I object to are personal attacks on performers. Oh, and I do have some education and experience in theatre and have been an avid theatregoer and musical buff for roughly 30 years. Educated theatregoers have differing opinions just as much as the rest of the general public. I do wish that regardless of whether someone personally likes a performer or not, or thinks others are better, that they would try to give the artists a fair hearing and treat them as legitimate performers even if they do not particularly like their performances.

So in your long years of experience are the personal attacks on CF without precedent, emkay?

Actually, not really, but it bothers me when it happens to anyone. The attacks on Connie, though, are unique to a degree in that her situation is unique. Reality casting is a new thing, and Connie is the first one cast in such a way, so she's the target for attacks by people who don't like the casting process. I don't think that's fair to her as a performer, though, because she did not invent the process--she just took advantage of the opportunity.

I know the media may well have misrepresented her - but the stories about her demanding to do all 8 shows per week and then falling ill and other similar incidents have laid her more open to attack.

I am not saying that she is a diva - but some of the media have portrayed her as such - and that hasn't helped

I find it astonishing that so many people feel the need to attack her as a person rather than as a performer even though they've never actually met her. If they've never met her in person what possible relevance can her personal conduct have? It looks for all the world as if they've decided they're not going to like her and now they have to find something, anything, to justify that opinion.

God help me, I've just read (alright, skimmed) back through this whole thread and whilst there is loads of conjecture about her appropriateness or otherwise for particular roles and much opinion about her acting and musical skills and her looks, which are all fair game given her exposure, I could only find one negative reference to her real-life personality (along the lines of "she's not even very nice"). So maybe the "so many people" needing "to attack her as a person" isn't borne out by the facts.

I think Matthew Winn was speaking generally, not just this people in this thread. And he is right, she did get a lot of stick for apparently going off with a SOM crew member and cheating on her long term boyfriend...there were also other issues the press lapped up. I have never met Connie. I went to see the show with an open mind and actually enjoyed it. My professional verdict of Connie is - a capable and good performer however, nothing ground breaking, one of the "pro MT crowd" auditioning and working in the West End and not a "star". She got lucky like some people do - BUT she did deliver every Saturday night and was the most suitable for the part of Maria in the traditional sense from the final 12 girls the public her to choose from on the television show. So in my opinion, deserved to win. As for her losing her voice part way through the run - not a surprise. This is the fault of the producers, it's risky casting someone 8 shows a week in a lead role that has never even been in the chorus in a West End show to build up their vocal stamina. Some can handle it but many also can't. There is a reason people start in the chorys, then become understudies, then leads and there is a reason why even long standing MT actors have alternates. Even Jill Paice lost her voice right after the opening of GWTW (most probably due to over-rehearsing and doing 4 hour previews). But Paice most probably also has the experience and practice in a West End setting to overcome this issue much more quickly than Connie.

Im friends with Connie and shes really not that nice. Shes self obsessed and seems to think shes some talent to rival Maria Friedman, Ruthie, Jo Riding..when really she was the best of a bad bunch on the tv show.....and when I went to see her sing in Bryn Terfels concert in wales...it wasnt until she sang alongside ruthie, that I realised how mediocre her 'talent' is......

^Some friend!

I heard the Faenol Festival concert on the radio broadcast online and thought she sounded great singing with Ruthie. Their duet was one of the highlights of the show for me.