{{short description|British musical theatre actress (born 1982)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Use British English|date=May 2013}} {{Infobox musical artist | image = Helena Blackman -Cardiff 21Oct2006.jpg | caption = | image_size = | name = Helena Blackman | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|12|10|df=y}} | death_date = | origin = Southampton, England | instrument = Singing | genre = Pop, Musicals, Theatre | occupation = | years_active = 2006 – present | label = | website = {{url|www.helenablackman.com}} | current_members = | past_members = }}
'''Helena Blackman''' (born 10 December 1982 in Southampton) is a British musical theatre actress, best known for being the runner-up in the hit BBC1 Reality TV programme ''How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?''.
She trained at the Guildford School of Acting.
==Biography== On 29 October 2006, Blackman was seen as Gypsy Rose Lee in a production of ''Gypsy'' which was performed at the Wales Millennium Centre as part of the ''Cardiff International Festival of Musical Theatre''. In December 2006, Blackman played Dorothy in an acclaimed run of ''The Wizard of Oz'' at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester.<ref name="times review">{{cite news | last = Kingston | first = Jeremy | title = The Wizard of Oz | work = The Times | publisher = Times Newspapers Ltd | date = 30 December 2006 | url = http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/article1265088.ece | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110517072842/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/article1265088.ece | url-status = dead | archive-date = 17 May 2011 | accessdate = 13 December 2007 | location=London}}</ref>
Blackman is a cabaret performer at corporate events, she has been featured as a soloist in ''The Night of a Thousand Voices'' at the Royal Albert Hall and in Tim McArthur's one-man show ''Sister Mary McArthur Comin' At-Cha!'' at the Jermyn Street Theatre in London.
In May 2007, Blackman was seen mentoring contestant Ben Ellis in an episode of ''Any Dream Will Do'' and in July 2007 she appeared as a soloist on BBC Radio 2's long-running ''Friday Night is Music Night'' opposite Daniel Boys. Blackman toured the UK extensively as the lead role of "Nellie Forbush" in a successful run of Rodgers and Hammerstein's ''South Pacific'' from 2007 - 2008.
On Christmas Eve 2007, Blackman performed with Lee Mead and Connie Fisher and some of the other 'Maria' and 'Joseph' finalists in a BBC special 'festive' reunion show called ''When Joseph met Maria!'' - celebrating both the hit Andrew Lloyd Webber BBC shows - it was recorded earlier on 2 December 2007. The BBC show, HDYSAPLM, featuring Blackman, won an international Emmy Award in New York (2007) for best non-scripted entertainment.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7102271.stm | work=BBC News | title=British shows scoop Emmy awards | date=20 November 2007 | access-date=4 May 2010}}</ref>
From 10 February - 14 March 2009, Helena Blackman played the lead role of Helen in Stephen Sondheim's ''Saturday Night'' at the Jermyn Street Theatre in London.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}
On 14 February 2011, Blackman released her debut album, The Sound of Rodgers & Hammerstein, consisting of classic Rodgers and Hammerstein material, as well as some of their lesser known songs.<ref>{{cite web|first=Scott|last=Matthewman|url=http://matthewman.net/2011/02/14/helena-blackman-rodgers-hammerstein/|title=Helena Blackman, Delfont Room/The Sound of Rodgers and Hammerstein|date=14 February 2011|publisher=matthewman.net|accessdate=24 April 2014|archive-date=24 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424233633/http://matthewman.net/2011/02/14/helena-blackman-rodgers-hammerstein/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
From 5 to 31 December 2011, Blackman appeared in the title role of ''Snow White'' at the Redditch Palace Theatre.
From September 2013 to May 2014 she played the leading role of Milly in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers on the UK and Ireland tour.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}
From 7 to 20 August 2017 Blackman starred alongside Daniel Boys and Sherman Brothers' musical scion, composer Robert J. Sherman in ''A Spoonful of Sherman'' at "Live At Zedel" in London.<ref>{{cite news|last1=News Desk|title=Cast Announced For A SPOONFUL OF SHERMAN Live at Zédel|url=http://www.westendwilma.com/news-spoonful-of-sherman-zedel/|accessdate=25 July 2017|publisher=West End Wilma|date=14 June 2017}}</ref>
In April 2023, she appeared in an episode of the BBC soap opera ''Doctors'' as Helen Macdonald.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Timblick |first1=Simon |title=Doctors spoilers: WHO is annoyed by Suni Bulsara? |url=https://www.whattowatch.com/spoilers/doctors-spoilers-who-is-annoyed-by-suni-bulsara |access-date=26 April 2023 |work=What to Watch |publisher=(Future plc)}}</ref>
==Reviews== Blackman has been reviewed by several print and web publications. ''The Times''' Jeremy Kingston said of her performance in ''The Wizard of Oz'' "Helena Blackman's voice soars to the yearning high notes, and yet she is not afraid to sing in the softest whisper. Every word is clear and cuts to the heart."<ref name="times review" /> Alfred Hickling of ''The Guardian'' also gave Blackman praise in the role saying "She gives a sparklingly assured performance, marred only by the usual drawback of appearing at least 20 years too old for a pinafore dress."<ref>{{cite news | last = Hickling | first = Alfred | title = The Wizard of Oz | work = The Guardian | date = 8 January 2007 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2007/jan/08/theatre3 | access-date = 13 December 2007 | location=London}}</ref>
''The Stage'' said of her performance as Nellie Forbrush in ''South Pacific'' "...she exudes enthusiasm in the....numbers - especially the excellent Thanksgiving Follies scenes - and she looks perfectly 1940s."<ref>{{cite news | last = Duke | first = Robin | title = South Pacific | work = The Stage | publisher = The Stage Newspaper Limited | date = 29 August 2007 | url = http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/18094/south-pacific | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130505061221/http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/18094/south-pacific | url-status = dead | archive-date = 5 May 2013 | accessdate = 13 December 2007 }}</ref> BBC Nottingham's Heather Hinchley also reviewed Blackman's performance positively saying "Without a doubt the star of the show was Helena Blackman".<ref>{{cite news | last = Hinchley | first = Heather | title = South Pacific | work = BBC Nottingham | publisher = BBC | date = 14 November 2007 | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2007/11/13/south_pacific_review_event_feature.shtml | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100315195619/http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2007/11/13/south_pacific_review_event_feature.shtml | url-status = dead | archive-date = 15 March 2010 | accessdate =13 December 2007 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|http://www.helenablackman.com}} *{{IMDb name|id=2381511}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110307204511/http://www.thesoundofrandh.com/ The Sound of Rodgers & Hammerstein]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackman, Helena}} Category:1982 births Category:English musical theatre actresses Category:Living people Category:Actresses from Southampton Category:21st-century English actresses