Musical is the adjective form of music. It may also refer to:

MusicAL: Albanian Television channel which broadcasts Albanian folk music

Musical artist

Musical composer

Musical composition, an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music

Musical ensemble, a group of two or more musicians who perform instrumental or vocal music

Musical film: musicals on film produced for the cinema

Musical instrument, a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds

Musical Instrument Digital Interface, an industry-standard protocol that enables electronic musical instruments, computers and other electronic equipment to communicate and synchronize with each other

Musical keyboard, the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano

Musical theatre: any dramatic work heavily involving music; often called a "musical"

''Musical Merry-Go-Round'', a NBC TV series which aired from 1947 to 1949

ca:Musical he:מיוזיקל pt:Musical

name	Sally Bowles
first	''Sally Bowles'' (1937 novella)
last	''Cabaret'' (1972 film)
creator	Christopher Isherwood
relationships	}}

Sally Bowles is a fictional character created by Christopher Isherwood. She originally appeared in Isherwood's 1937 novella ''Sally Bowles'' published by Hogarth Press. The story was later republished in the novel ''Goodbye to Berlin''. Sally is a central character in the 1951 John Van Druten stage play ''I Am a Camera'', the 1955 film of the same name, the 1966 musical stage adaptation ''Cabaret'' and the 1972 film adaptation of the musical.

Creation and description

Sally Bowles is based on Jean Ross, a woman Isherwood knew during the years he lived in Berlin between the World Wars (1931—1933). Isherwood took the last name "Bowles" from Paul Bowles, whom he had met in Berlin in 1931. Explaining his choice, he wrote, "[I] liked the sound of it and also the looks of its owner". He describes Sally by writing:

I noticed that her finger-nails were painted emerald green, a colour unfortunately chosen, for it called attention to her hands, which were much stained by cigarette smoking and as dirty as a little girl's. She was dark....Her face was long and thin, powdered dead white. She had very large brown eyes which should have been darker, to match her hair and the pencil she used for her eyebrows.

In the novel Sally is British, purporting to be the daughter of a Lancashire mill owner and an heiress. She is a singer at an underground club called The Lady Windermere. Isherwood describes her singing as poor but surprisingly effective "because of her startling appearance and her air of not caring a curse what people thought of her". She aspires to be an actress or in the alternative to ensnare a wealthy man to keep her. Unsuccessful at both, Sally departs Berlin and is last heard from in the form of a postcard sent from Rome with no return address.

Isherwood apparently began writing the story that would become ''Sally Bowles'' in 1933, writing to friend Olive Mangeot in July of that year that he had written it. He continued to revise it over the next three years, completing his final draft on June 21, 1936. In a letter to poet and editor John Lehmann dated January 16, 1936, Isherwood briefly outlined the piece, envisioning it as part of his novel ''The Lost'' (which became ''Mr Norris Changes Trains''). He describes it as akin to the work of Anthony Hope and as "an attempt to satirize the romance-of-prostitution racket". Later in 1936 Isherwood submitted the piece to Lehmann for possible publication in his literary magazine, ''New Writing''. Lehmann liked the piece but felt that it was too long for his magazine. He was also concerned about the inclusion in the manuscript of Sally's abortion, fearing that his printers might refuse to typeset it, and about the possibility that Jean Ross might file a libel action. In a January 1937 letter, Isherwood explained his belief that without the abortion incident Sally would be reduced to "a silly little capricious bitch" and that the omission would leave the story without a climax. Ross hesitated in giving her permission to publish, worried that the abortion episode, which was not fictional, would strain her relationship with her family. Ross ultimately gave her permission and Hogarth published the volume later that year.

Isherwood never revealed publicly that Jean Ross was his inspiration for Sally until after her death in 1973. Despite this, those who knew her had little difficulty in spotting her as the character's genesis. Ross did not seek any benefit or publicity from her association with the character and, when sought out by reporters when ''Cabaret'' was first mounted on stage, declined all invitations to see the show.

In his diary from October 1958, Isherwood records that a composer named Don Parks had expressed interest in writing a musical based on Sally but that Isherwood planned to deny him permission.

Portrayals

Julie Harris originated the role of Sally Bowles in John Van Druten's 1951 play ''I Am a Camera'', for which she received the 1952 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play. Isherwood described Harris as "more essentially Sally Bowles than the Sally of my book, and much more like Sally than the real girl who long ago gave me the idea for my character". Barbara Baxley took over the role when Harris departed. Harris recreated the role in 1955 for the film adaptation, also called ''I Am a Camera''. Dorothy Tutin starred as Sally in a successful 1954 British stage production.

When ''I Am a Camera'' was adapted into the musical ''Cabaret'' in 1966, Jill Haworth originated the role of Sally. As the run continued, Penny Fuller, Anita Gillette and Melissa Hart also played the part. ''Cabaret'' was revived on Broadway in 1987 with Alyson Reed playing Sally. The musical was revived again in 1998 with Natasha Richardson as Sally. Richardson won the 1998 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. As the run continued actresses including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Susan Egan, Joely Fisher, Gina Gershon, Deborah Gibson, Teri Hatcher, Melina Kanakaredes, Jane Leeves, Molly Ringwald, Brooke Shields and Lea Thompson appeared in the role.

''Cabaret'' debuted on the West End in 1968 with Judi Dench in the role of Sally. West End revivals have featured Kelly Hunter (1986), Toyah Willcox (1987), Jane Horrocks (1993) and Anna Maxwell Martin (2006) playing the part.

The musical adaptation was itself adapted for film, in 1972's ''Cabaret''. This Sally differs from her predecessors in that she is not British but American. Liza Minnelli won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Sally.

Notes

References

Fryer, Jonathan (1977). ''Isherwood: A Biography''. Garden City, NY, Doubleday & Company. ISBN 0385126085.

Isherwood, Christopher (1935). ''Goodbye to Berlin''. Collected in ''The Berlin Stories''. ISBN 0811200701 (New Directions Paperbook edition).

Isherwood, Christopher (1963). ''The Berlin Stories'' New Directions. ISBN 0811200701.

Isherwood, Christopher (1976). ''Christopher and His Kind''. Avon Books, a division of The Hearst Corporation. ISBN 0380017954 (Discus edition).

Isherwood, Christopher, and Katherine Bucknell (ed.) (1996). ''Diaries Volume One: 1939—1960''. Michael di Capua Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0061180009.

Lehmann, John (1987). ''Christopher Isherwood: A Personal Memoir''. New York, Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0805010297.

Wilmeth, Don B. (2007). ''The Cambridge Guide to American Theatre''. Cambridge University Press. 2007. ISBN 0521835380.

External links

Article on Sally Bowles

Article on Jean Ross by her stepson

Category:Characters in British novels of the 20th century Category:Fictional British people Category:Fictional characters introduced in 1937 Category:Fictional singers Category:Fictional versions of real people Category:Musical theatre characters

Name	Siobhan Dillon
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Siobhan Patricia Dillon
Birth date	September 01, 1984
Origin	Lichfield, Staffordshire, England
Genre	Pop, musicals
Occupation	Singer, actress
Years active	2006–present
Website	}}

Siobhan Patricia Dillon (born 1 September 1984, Lichfield, Staffordshire) is an English actress and singer, who rose to fame when she performed in the British talent show-themed television series ''How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?'' on BBC One in 2006. Since then she has played roles in musicals like Sandy in the musical ''Grease'' at the West End's Piccadilly Theatre and as Vivienne Kensington in the musical ''Legally Blonde'' at the Savoy Theatre in the West End.

Background

Dillon's mother is a drama teacher. Her father is Irish from Dún Laoghaire. For her tenth birthday Dillon asked her parents for singing lessons, and had vocal training with singing teacher Richard Paul up to the age of 16. Siobhan attended The Friary School in Lichfield where she performed in shows, but as she did not think she would become a singer, she turned to the fashion world. She was a member of Lichfield Operatic Society and in October 2001 performed the title song from the musical ''Whistle Down the Wind'' as part of the society's show, ''Whistle Down the West End'' at The Friary School Theatre in Lichfield. After Michael Parkinson heard a tape of her singing, he asked her to sing at his charity cricket ball in 2003, where she got a standing ovation. Prior to appearing on ''How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?'' Dillon was in the middle of her first year of a BA Hons degree in Product Design and Development for the Fashion Industry, Accessories pathway at Cordwainers College, University of the Arts London. She also performed in 'Cabaret' in the Floral Pavilion 2009.

Career

''How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?''

Dillon was 21 years old when she appeared on the BBC television show, ''How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?''. She reached the final of the show and finished in third place behind Helena Blackman and winner Connie Fisher. Despite being one of the favourites during the first round of auditions, Dillon initially did not make the final ten after an illness had affected her vocals during the final stages. However, after finalist Emilie Alford dropped out of the competition, Dillon, being the last person eliminated during the selection process returned to the show and was given the nickname, "Second Chance Maria".

In week one of the live shows Dillon sang the Shania Twain hit, "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!". In week two she sang the Tina Arena song, "Chains". In the lead up to the third week's show, David Ian talked to the girls about fitness and stamina and sent them on a fitness test mission with Olympic Athlete Iwan Thomas, requiring the Marias to complete an assault course. Dillon completed the course in the fastest time of under two minutes. On the show she sang the Pointer Sisters hit, "Jump!". Zoe Tyler then asked her to sing the final lines from her audition piece, "I Could Have Danced All Night".

In week four she sang "Songbird" by Christine McVie, which resulted in her being named the unofficial "Maria of the night". Andrew Lloyd Webber chose her to perform "Truly Scrumptious" with the children from the musical ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang''. In the fifth week, when there were two live shows, she sang "All That Jazz" from the musical ''Chicago'' accompanied by six male dancers. Dillon successfully got through to the second live show of the evening but faced the second sing off with Aoife Mulholland. They sang "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" from the musical ''Evita''. Lloyd Webber saved Dillon because he believed she "had the strongest voice which could carry eight shows a week".

In the run-up to the final in week six, the three finalists and Lloyd Webber went to Salzburg in Austria and visited some of the locations made famous by ''The Sound of Music'', including Leopoldskron Palace and Nonnberg Abbey, to give the finalists a chance to understand the real Maria von Trapp. On the final night she performed two songs, "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "My Favorite Things" from ''The Sound of Music''. She was eliminated during the night's first public vote, which meant she came third overall.

Performances on ''How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?''

Please note this is a list of her individual performances only

!Show	!Song
!Week one	"Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"
!Week two
!Week three
!Week four	"

''Grease''

Dillon made her [[West End theatre">Rumours#Track listing !Week five !Week six (final) "[[Anyone Who Had a Heart (song)

''Grease''

Dillon made her Grease''. Her first appearance in the show was on 25 July 2007 at the Piccadilly Theatre in London. Show producer, David Ian said of Dillon, "I knew that Siobhan was something special when I first saw her for The Sound of Music, and I am very pleased that she will be joining the cast of Grease." On 16 November she performed on the BBC's Children in Need 2007 live broadcast as part of the cast of ''Grease''.

Dillon was also the understudy for the characters of Sandy and Marty and played both roles several times during her run in the show. She finished the role on 14 June 2008.

Dillon returned to the production on 25 January 2010 this time taking over the lead role of Sandy from Emma Stevens. She played her final performance on 24 July 2010 and was succeeded by ''Over the Rainbow'' contestant Lauren Samuels.

''Can't Smile Without You''

In July 2008 she was cast in the tour of ''Can't Smile Without You'', a new musical based on an original idea by Bill Kenwright and featuring the hit songs of Barry Manilow, alongside Chesney Hawkes and ''I'd Do Anything'' contestant Francesca Jackson. It opened at the Churchill Theatre, in the London Borough of Bromley on 28 August 2008 and toured in England and Scotland until 29 November.

Other work

Dillon won a record deal with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s company the Really Useful Group (RUG) after ''How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?''. She is said to be writing and recording her first album, although on her Myspace page she is quoted saying, that after Andrew Lloyd Webber announced during one of the live ''How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?'' shows that "a major record label" were interested in working with her, she started writing songs for her album and worked with producers and writers but that "due to unfortunate circumstances the album was never released..."

On Christmas Eve 2007 she performed along with Lee Mead the winner of ''Any Dream Will Do'' and Connie Fisher together with other 'Maria' and 'Joseph' finalists in the BBC special festive reunion show "When Joseph Met Maria" celebrating both the hit Andrew Lloyd Webber BBC shows.

From late 2009 Dillon took over the role of Sally Bowles in the UK tour of ''Cabaret'' from former ''I'd Do Anything'' contestant Samantha Barks.

Dillon took over the part of Vivienne Kensington from Caroline Keiff in the West End production of ''Legally Blonde'' on 25 October 2010. She therefore became the second ''How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?'' finalist to star in the musical, as fellow ex-contestant Aoife Mulholland was playing Brooke Wyndham at the time she took the role.

Beginning performance 13th January 2012, Dillon replaced Caissie Levy in the lead role of Molly Jensen in ''Ghost the Musical'' at the Piccadilly Theatre in London's West End. The official press night for the new cast took place 28th February.

Dillon and her ''Ghost'' co-star Mark Evans (who plays Sam Wheat) appeared on ''Live With Gabby'' on 7th March 2012.

References

External links

Siobhan Dillon Fan Blog

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:English musical theatre actors Category:People from Lichfield Category:English female singers