Op zoek naar Maria

The story

Op zoek naar Maria is a talent competition program that aired in Belgium on Vtm. It premiered on 25 March 2009. The premise of the series was to find a musical theatre performer to play the role of Maria von Trapp in the 2009 Albert Verlinde and Roel Vente revival of The Sound of Music at the Efteling Theatre. The show is hosted by Koen Wauters and featured Frank Van Laecke, Linda Lepomme, and Peter de Smet as the judges for the show. Following a public telephone vote, 27-year-old Deborah De Ridder was chosen as Maria with 25-year-old Fleur Brusselmans as the runner up and Liv Van Aelst in 3rd place. A commercial advertising the show, featuring over 200 dancers dancing, seemingly spontaneously, to "Do-Re-Mi" in Antwerpen-Centraal railway station, has received over 20,000,000 hits on YouTube.