{{short description|Canadian musical theatre actress (born 1985)}} {{Infobox person | name = Elicia MacKenzie | birth_name = Elicia MacKenzie | birth_date = 1985 | occupation = musical theatre actress | years_active = }}

'''Elicia MacKenzie''' (born 1985) is a Canadian musical theatre actress who won the 2008 CBC Television contest ''How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?''.<ref name=CanadianPress>{{cite news|last=Ahearn|first=Victoria|date=28 July 2008|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/468902|title=Maria found: Elicia MacKenzie wins coveted role|newspaper=Canadian Press|location=TheStar.com|access-date= 2009-05-18}}</ref>

As a result of winning the contest, she played Maria, the lead, in the Toronto revival of ''The Sound of Music'' from October 2008 through January 2010.<ref>{{cite news|title=Elicia MacKenzie lands Rock of Ages lead|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/elicia-mackenzie-lands-rock-of-ages-lead-1.861910|access-date=9 August 2011|newspaper=CBC News|date=15 December 2009}}</ref><ref name=Portman>{{cite news|last=Portman|first=Jamie|date=9 April 2009|title=Vancouver's solution to problem of Maria: After six months on stage in Toronto, Elicia MacKenzie is still hearing sound of music in revival of classic musical|newspaper=The Vancouver Sun|page=D13}}</ref> She went on to star as Sherrie in Mirvish Productions' ''Rock of Ages'' at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre from April 2010 through January 2011 and on the first U.S. tour. She appeared as Dorothy in ''The Wizard of Oz'', Ross Petty Productions' 2011 pantomime at Toronto's Elgin Theatre from November 2011 through January 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ross Petty Productions Presents THE WIZARD OF OZ, begins 11/24|url=http://toronto.broadwayworld.com/article/Ross-Petty-Productions-Presents-THE-WIZARD-OF-OZ-Begins-1124-20110809|access-date=9 August 2011|newspaper=BroadwayWorld|date=9 August 2011}}</ref>

MacKenzie is currently represented by Toronto agency [http://www.talenthouse.ca/roster.html The Talent House] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120002629/http://www.talenthouse.ca/roster.html |date=2011-11-20 }} and [http://carriertalent.com/ Carrier Talent Management] in Vancouver.

==Biography== MacKenzie was born in Moncton, New Brunswick. A self-described tomboy<ref name=CanadianPress/> growing up in Surrey, British Columbia, she participated in children's choirs and various singing competitions.<ref name=TorontoLife>{{cite news |last=Stren |first=Olivia |date=April 2009 |url=http://www.torontolife.com/features/fresh-start/ |title=Fresh start |newspaper=Toronto Life |volume=43 |issue=4 |pages=21–22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416054833/http://www.torontolife.com/features/fresh-start/ |archive-date=2009-04-16 }}</ref> Her first job was at age 15, at De Dutch Pannekoek House in Vancouver.<ref>{{cite news|date=December 20, 2008|title=Getting personal with Elicia MacKenzie|newspaper=Toronto Star|page=E3}}</ref> At age 16 she auditioned for ''Canadian Idol'' but was passed over because she sounded "too musical theatre".<ref>{{cite news|last=Broverman|first=Alison|date=27 December 2008|title=Her most favourite of favourite things: Sound of Music star Elicia MacKenzie finally feels comfortable in Toronto, but isn't ready to go to your house for dinner|newspaper=National Post|page=TO2}}</ref> She graduated in 2008 from the musical theatre program at Capilano College, and had major roles in productions such as ''High School Musical'' in North Vancouver in 2007, in which she portrayed Gabriella .<ref>{{cite news|last=Mitges|first=Lynn|date=5 January 2009|title=Plant is pleased to eat you|newspaper=The Province|page=B2}}</ref> She was about to take a part in a community theatre production of ''Cinderella'', as a wicked stepsister,<ref name=TorontoLife/> and was also considering a career in massage therapy,<ref>{{cite news|last=Bradshaw|first=James|date=30 January 2009|title=The hills are alive into summer|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|page=R3}}</ref> when her uncle noticed the audition call for the CBC show.<ref name=TorontoLife/>

On ''How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?'' after thousands of people auditioned in early 2008, she competed against 47 other finalists, who were eliminated by a combination of judges' decisions and viewer voting, although once the final two were selected, the winner was chosen only by fans. She beat out Janna Polzin of Woodstock, Ontario, who was widely expected to win.<ref name=CanadianPress/> Composer and judge Andrew Lloyd Webber referred to MacKenzie as "the dark horse" of the competition.<ref>{{cite news|last=Farquharson|first=Vanessa|date=29 July 2008|title=Problem like Maria solved by Vancouver's Mackenzie: CBC talent show|quote=I was so shocked to hear my name|newspaper=National Post|page=AL3}}</ref>

The role of Maria was her first professional acting credit.<ref name=TorontoLife/> Reviews of the Toronto show weren almost uniformly positive,<ref>{{cite news|last=Birnie|first=Peter|date=7 November 2008|url=http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/arts/story.html?id=bc29fac5-5664-4a71-9e10-c8f28b9304ae|title=Upbeat shows survive hard times: Elicia MacKenzie in Sound of Music still singing]|newspaper=The Vancouver Sun|access-date=2009-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329133717/http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/arts/story.html?id=bc29fac5-5664-4a71-9e10-c8f28b9304ae|archive-date=29 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the show's success, despite the recession, was credited largely to MacKenzie.<ref name=TorontoLife/> She played the role of Sherrie Christian in the Toronto production of the musical ''Rock of Ages'' and on the first U.S. tour.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.eliciamackenzie.com/ Elicia MacKenzie] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504064251/http://www.eliciamackenzie.com/ |date=2009-05-04 }} *[http://www.talenthouse.ca/roster.html Talent House Agency] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120002629/http://www.talenthouse.ca/roster.html |date=2011-11-20 }}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackenzie, Elicia}} Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian musical theatre actresses Category:Participants in Canadian reality television series Category:People from Moncton Category:Reality casting show winners Category:Actresses from New Brunswick Category:Actresses from British Columbia Category:Capilano University alumni