• Maria |
• News |
• 13 September 2006

The Hills are Alive...

Our three finalists went on a special trip this week.

On Sunday our final three Marias were sent on a surprise trip to Salzburg and the locations made famous in The Sound of Music.

It was a packed trip. They started the day by dancing across Mozart Bridge. Then they sang I Have Confidence in Residence Square by the famous fountain with the horses. The girls splashed the water in the fountain like Julie Andrews did in the film and made a wish with a Euro! They really liked it there - you could see up to the Abbey and they really felt as if they were treading in the real Maria Von Trapp's footsteps.

Next on the agenda was the Mirabell Gardens (where a large part of Do Re Mi was filmed). There they jumped up and down on the steps and danced round the fountain. Whilst there, tourists stopped and chatted to them, wished them good luck and took photos of them.

Next they went to Leopoldskron Palace - which was one of the buildings used as the Von Trapp villa in the film. It was here that the iconic lake scene was filmed where Julie Andrews and the kids fall in the water, and also the balcony scenes where the children met the Baroness and Maria danced with the Captain at the party. The girls thought it was beautiful. The sun came out properly and everyone started getting a tan!

Our hopefuls ended their tour at Nonnberg Abbey. It was not only used in the film - the real Maria Von Trapp was a nun here and got married to the Captain in the Abbey.

Here they were surprised by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Andrew gave the girls a pep talk and said the trip was not only about having fun but was a chance to understand the real Maria Von Trapp. All the girls found the Abbey very emotional and were tearful.

Then Andrew took the girls to the hills to perform The Sound of Music - the natural acoustics meant the girls voices echoed back off the mountain - Andrew and the Maria's were amazed. It sounded very impressive.

Click here to view a slideshow of photos from their trip.

Tune in on Saturday at 6.45pm and 9.15pm to see footage of our finalists' trip and to review Maria Missions gone by.