Born March 19th, 1960 in Switzerland. The third child (of four) to
musical parents, Leonard a violinist and co-founder of the Scottish
Chamber Orchestra, and Claire, a concert Pianist, and opera coach. All
the children played piano as well, but brother Richard is a violinist
and conductor of all sorts of orchestras, older sister Sarah was a
flutist, but took her career elsewhere and is now a university
scientist, and younger sister Sonia also played cello, and violin, and
is now an acclaimed producer in the West End of London. Maria was
supposed to be a cellist, but didn't like to practice. Ironically, her
musical/vocal career was an accident. At the age of 14 she saw Stephen
Sondheim's "A Little Night Music", but it wasn't until 5 years later
when she got her first part. In 1980, she was cast in the chorus of the
national tour of Oklahoma!, only because her boyfriend at the time got
a part and he asked them to take her as well. Maria, eventually
understudied and played the parts of Ado Annie and Laurey at some point
during the run.
After a few odds and ends jobs here and there, Maria's next big break
came about 7 years later in "Blue's in the Night" - at the Piccadily
Theatre which received a SWET nomination for best Musical. The show was
later transferred to the Donmar and got wonderful reviews.
Maria next played Hayyah in The Ghetto at the Royal National Theatre,
which won an Evening Standard Award for Best Play. (This is where she
met Jeremy Sams, partner and father of her two children.) In 1990,
Maria got the opportunity in her first Sondheim musical as Dot/Marie in
Sunday in the Park with George - also at the Royal National Theatre,
which won an Olivier Award for Best Musical and for which Maria was
nominated for an Olivier for Best Actress in a Musical. Co-star Phillip
Quast received an Olivier award for his role as George. This was
directed by Stephen Pimlot who also directed The Joseph video 9 years
later, and musical direction was by Jeremy Sams. Maria had to audition
7 times before receiving the part.
Mary in Merrily We Roll Along at the Haymarket Theatre, Leicester in
1992 was her second Sondheim show. In 1994 Maria appeared in her
one-woman show at the Donmar Warehouse, Covent Garden, "Maria Friedman
by Special Arrangement". The production was a huge success winning
Maria the Olivier award for "Best Entertainment"(1995). After the
November birth of Maria's first son Toby, the show transferred to the
Whitehall Theatre as "Maria Friedman by Extra Special Arrangement" It
is from this show that Maria's first solo album was produced.
Maria went on to play the role of Fosca in the London production of
Stephen Sondheim's musical "Passion" to much acclaim. She played
opposite Michael Ball to rave reviews and won the Olivier award for
"Best Actress in a musical". This to date is one of her most memorable
parts, as many were unsure of Maria for the role, simply because she is
known as a comedic actress.
Maria was next seen at the Royal National Theatre's Lyttleton theatre
in 1997. She played the role of Liza Elliott in the first London
production of "Lady in the Dark". It had taken over 50 years to get it
to the London stage and once again Maria received rave reviews for the
show and was nominated for another Olivier award. She also received an
Evening Standard award. Following Lady in the Dark, she took over the
role of "Roxie Hart" in the smash hit London production of "Chicago".
When Maria was asked to do the role following Ruthie Henshall in the
shows revival debut, she originally turned it down. Maria saw the
character as someone with longer legs and more dancing ability, someone
she could not see herself necessarily pulling off. However, when Maria
was asked to meet with choreographer Ann Reinking, She was convinced
the show might be worth a go and something different. Thus, yet again
she was a huge hit in the show. Reviewers raved over her performance,
many saying she took the show to new heights of vocal and comedic
excellence. In an unusual move Maria was nominated for the Olivier
award for best actress in Chicago. Ruthie Henshall who had created the
role of Roxie in London had also previously been nominated for the
role. Maria starred along side Nicola hughes, and Valerie Pettiford.
In 1998, Maria took a break from Chicago to play the role of the
Narrator in the video production of "Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolour Dreamcoat". It was released early in 1999 and opened up a
whole new audience to Maria worldwide, particularly in the United
States. Donny Osmond, Joan Collins and Sir Richard Attenborough starred
along with Maria, and her oldest son Toby makes a small appearence in
the beginning, as the little boy she goes into the audience to sing to.
In 2000 she returned to the West End as "Sukie" in "The Witches of
Eastwick" . The show debuted at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane before
transferring to the Prince of Wales theatre. It was a new Cameron
Mackintosh musical, with Maria, and Joanna Riding and Lucie Arnaz.
Maria ended her run in the show in June 2001. The show closed in
October of 2001.
After Witches Maria made several concert appearances. She has also
appeared as senior police officer 'Gillian Raines' in the BBC drama "In
Deep". She was also heard in the BBC Radio 4 play "Swan Song". In 2002
Maria gave birth to another son, called Alfie, and in October she made
an appearance at the International Theatre Festival in Wales, playing
the role of Mother in "Ragtime". The show received such response that
Maria teamed up with her sister, Sonia, a producer at the Ambassadors
theatre group, and brought the show to the West End. Opening in March,
and booking only a twelve week run, the show again got such response it
extended through September.
Maria next appeared and toured with her concert, Maria Friedman Live!,
and finally debuted in the United States! She was asked by Stephen
Sondheim and Barbara Cook, to appear at the Cafe Carlyle in New York
for three weeks. The show was a smash! She also took the show to Spain,
and Switzerland. In February 2004, she won an Olivier Award for Ragtime
and in autumn will appear in the new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, The
Woman in White, at The Palace Theatre, London.
