Helena Blackman's debut solo CD The Sound of Rodgers and Hammerstein has recently been released by Speckulation Entertainment. The 12-track recording features the singer delivering such classics as "I Enjoy Being a Girl," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair," "Some Enchanted Evening," and "Climb Every Mountain." In addition, Jonathan Ansell and Daniel Boys join Blackman for duets of "I Have Dreamed" and "People Will Say We're in Love," respectively.

Blackman may be best known as runner-up from the BBC's reality show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?. Her stage credits include a UK tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific, and the West End première of Stephen Sondheim's Saturday Night. as well as The Wizard of Oz and Gypsy, among others.

Recently, Blackman agreed to do a quick Q&A for ScheckOnTheArts to talk about the disc:

ScheckOnTheArts: Do you remember the first time you heard a Rodgers and Hammerstein song or saw an R&H musical?
Helena Blackman: I can't remember which one it was. I remember watching The Sound of Music, The King and I, and Carousel but I'm not sure which one was first.

SOA: Asking you to pick a favorite song on the disc is a bit like asking a parent to pick a favorite child, so in lieu of that, am curious if there is one song on there that speaks to you more personally or deeply than the others.
HB: Hmmm. 'I Have Confidence', certain lines in that, particularly "I must stop these doubts all these worries". The song is very appropriate for my journey through my career so far, wanting to be positive and learning how to be. 'It might as well be spring', is lyrically wonderful. So many images conjured up and comparisons to everyday things, it's so descriptive and it's a joy as an actress to play these in my mind.

SOA: What are the R&H songs that "got away" on the disc? The one(s) that you wish there had been room/time for?
HB: 'You'll Never Walk Alone' is the one that always springs to mind. It's epic but so is Climb Every Mountain. It made more sense to use 'Mountain' but I think the other speaks to me a little more.

SOA: The orchestrations on the disc are particularly fresh. What can you say about their genesis? How much input did you have?
HB: I had a general idea for the feel of them and the team and I discussed this and gave a broad brief to the arrangers. I think a lot a lot of the freshness is a natural response, influenced by the way people are writing now, what's in and fashionable and what we wish we knew many years ago and maybe how the songs may have been orchestrated had they been written now.

SOA: If you could pick only one, which of the R&H leading ladies would you want to play?
HB: One day I would like to play Anna in The King and I. It's a lovely role, a feisty soprano which I .think I am.

SOA: Looking beyond the disc, and in a similar vein, what are the musical theater roles that you're yearning to play?
HB: I'd love to play Eliza Doolittle and Mary Poppins.

SOA: Any plans for a 'sophmore' recording? And, even if not, which songwriter or songwriting team would you want to explore on a single disc?
I'd quite like to do a Disney album, or rather the sound of animated movies and touch on my childhood and everyone else's. Singing the songs of Alan Menken...amazing.

SOA: And finally, what have I’ve missed? What are you up to these days and projects that you'd like to share?
HB: I'm still promoting the album and am back auditioning. I would really like to do some new and contemporary work as I haven't had the opportunity to touch on this yet and I'd like to tick that off.

For further information, visit:  www.speckulationentertainment.com