Maria Friedman facts for kids

Maria Friedman (born 19 March 1960) is a talented British actress and director. She is most famous for her amazing work in musical theatre.

Maria has been nominated for the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award eight times, and she has won it three times! She won her first award in 1994 for her special one-woman show called By Special Arrangement. She also won the award for Best Actress in a Musical twice. These wins were for her roles in the original London shows of Passion and Ragtime.

From 2014 to 2017, she played the character Elaine Peacock in the popular TV show EastEnders.

About Maria Friedman's Early Life

Maria Freedman was born in Switzerland on March 19, 1960. She was one of four children. Her mother, Clair Llewelyn, was a concert pianist. Her father, Leonard Friedman, played the violin for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Maria's younger sister, Sonia Friedman, is a well-known theatre producer.

Maria started school in Germany, where her family lived for a while. When she was five, her parents divorced, and she moved with her family to England.

Maria Friedman's Acting Career

Maria Friedman began her acting career in 1989. She played the main female role of Hayyah in a play called Ghetto in London. The next year, she appeared in another play, Sunday in the Park with George, playing the character Dot.

Winning Awards for Musicals

Maria won an Olivier Award for her special one-woman show, Maria Friedman By Special Arrangement. She won another Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1997. This was for her starring role as Fosca in Stephen Sondheim's musical Passion. In 1998, she also starred as Roxie in Chicago in London's West End.

In 1999, Maria was the narrator in the film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

In 2003, she played the role of Mother in the musical Ragtime. For this role, she won her third Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2004.

Broadway and Health Challenges

In 2004, Maria created the role of Marian Halcombe in Lloyd Webber's musical The Woman in White. She performed this show in London and then on Broadway in New York City in 2005.

While preparing for the Broadway show, Maria faced a health challenge. She had to take a short break for treatment. Amazingly, she returned to the stage less than a week after her surgery and performed on opening night! She continued to perform in the show until it closed in 2006.

Other Performances and Albums

Maria has performed in many other musical shows. She sang in Hey, Mr. Producer!, a concert celebrating the works of producer Cameron Mackintosh. She also performed in Sondheim Tonight, singing songs from musicals like Follies.

She has created several of her own one-woman shows, performing them in top venues in the UK and New York. Maria has also recorded many cast albums and released several solo albums. These include Maria Friedman, Maria Friedman Live, and Maria Friedman Celebrates The Great British Songbook.

In 2010, Maria was a soloist in a special concert for Stephen Sondheim at the Royal Albert Hall. She sang the role of Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd.

Maria on Television

In October 2014, Maria joined the cast of the popular TV show EastEnders. She played Elaine Peacock, who is the mother of a main character, Linda Carter. She appeared in the show several times between 2014 and 2017.

Maria Friedman as a Director

Besides acting, Maria Friedman has also directed many musicals. In 2012, she directed a new version of Sondheim's musical Merrily We Roll Along. This show was very successful and moved to a bigger theatre in London's West End. Her direction of Merrily We Roll Along was also performed in Boston and later on Broadway in New York, where she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical.

In 2015, she directed a musical called High Society at The Old Vic Theatre. She also directed a revival of the play Stepping Out in 2017.

Maria Friedman's Personal Life

Maria Friedman has two sons. One son is with director Jeremy Sams, and her other son is with cameraman Oleg Poupko. She was previously married to dancer Roland Brine. Her current husband is Adrian Der Gregorian.

Maria Friedman's Stage Productions

• Blues in the Night (1987) - Girl with a Date
• Ghetto (1989) - Hayyah
• Sunday in the Park with George (1990) - Dot/Marie
• Square Rounds (1992) - Munitionette; Clara Haber
• Merrily We Roll Along (1992) - Mary Flynn
• By Special Arrangement (1994) - Herself
• April in Paris (1994) - Bet
• By Extra Special Arrangement (1995) - Herself
• The Break of Day (1995) - Nina
• Passion (1996) - Fosca
• Lady in the Dark (1997) - Liza Elliot
• Chicago (1998) - Roxie Hart
• The Witches of Eastwick (2000) - Sukie
• Ragtime (2003) - Mother
• The Woman in White (2005) - Marian
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) - Mrs. Lovett
• The King and I (2009) - Anna Leonowens
• Merrily We Roll Along (2012–13, 2017, 2022–24) (as director)
• Fiddler on the Roof (2019) - Golde

Maria Friedman's Film and TV Roles

• Red Dwarf (1989) - Waitress
• Heil Honey I'm Home! (1990) - Eva Braun
• Casualty (1991–92) - Patricia Baynes
• Hey, Mr. Producer! (1998) - Performer
• Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999) - The Narrator
• EastEnders (2014–17) - Elaine Peacock
• The Sound of Music Live (2015) - Mother Abbess

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Maria Friedman para niños