Looks like this is on track for next spring:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8250256.stm

What a bizarre line about being a "cat man". D'you suppose he was trying to be clever re Cats?

Nah, I think he just means he likes cats. I'm sure he owns several; theatre fans who have been following the Love Never Dies project with apprehension and dread will surely join me in bowing our heads for a moment's silence in honour of Otto, the kitten who got inside the Lord's electric piano, deleted parts of the score, and was later run over in a mysterious parking accident. (No, I'm not making any of that up. Poor Otto, he was a pretty kitty, and o how we hailed him as a hero! )

It doesn't say when it is to air though. The difficulty, as I recall, was that if it was to go ahead, it had to be fairly soon or ALW would lose the rights, whereas the BBC didn't want it to be seen as promotion for Love Never Dies.

Hmm...

I am generally a fan of these ALW shows. I didn't watch HDYSAPLM, liked ADWD, and absolutely loved IDA.

The thing that's getting me about this venture though is that I can't think of a more boring part than Dorothy to devote a months long talent contest to.

^Agreed

Me too! The Wizard of Oz is a bit of a boring musical altogether. It works much better on screen than on stage and there is only one decent number in the whole production. Apart from that I can think of a few young actresses who would make great Dorothy's- Jessie Buckley would be perfect for example.
Does anyone know what they are looking for age wise? do they want an older actress who looks younger or will they open it to under 16's?

I'd imagine they'd be looking for an adult actress that looks younger. I'm sure they wouldn't want to encounter all the legal issues concerning under-age performers.

Frankly I'm mostly looking forward to casting Toto (and wondering if all the Legally-Blonde-reject-rat-dogs are auditioning). No, I am serious. I cannot for the life of me imagine how one auditions a dog on a *reality show*. I am half-hoping ALW asks the puppy to sing something from Ernie Get Your Gun...

Teehee.

I have to agree about The Wizard of Oz, it works much better as a film than a stage musical although I did like the RSC production, wasn't it staged at the South Bank just a year ago?

Apparently ALW is going to make changes and add a few new songs with the help of Glenn Slater. I wonder if Wicked will be affected or will it receive a boost.

I wonder what theatre they're aiming for, I'm thinking The Palladium or the Palace.

Meanwhile, what has happened to all those other "discoveries" from these ALW reality shows? Are they just now vague memories? Connie Fisher seems to have done very little of any consequence recently, and is now stuck in a SOM time warp; one hears little or nothing of Lee Mead (at least I think that was his name) nowadays; Jessie Buckley was poorly cast, and way out of her depth, in A Little Night Music. Jodi P still has to prove her worth when Oliver comes to an end. Only Daniel Boys, whom I always regarded as the most talented of all the performers on these shows, has made a well-deserved permanent mark in the world of musicals. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned about pushing inexperienced young people into the spotlight before they are really ready for it, and instant fame is not necessarily the way to a great career in the theatre.

Even a supremely talented artist like Liza Minelli spent years in the theatre, films and TV before "Cabaret" came along, and Judy herself started performing as an infant long before she made The Wizrd Of Oz.

Enormous profits for ALW, the judges and the BBC, but what about the contestants?

A lot of the Maria, Joseph and Nancy contestants are still working in the industry some in leading roles. I understand your point though Tintin but I believe these shows have cast some very talented people some of which still need to prove their longevity.

Lee Mead (that was his name ) has been doing an acting course in New York and is actively involved in Children In Need this year, performing with Hayley Westenra at Longleat soon. In October he is performing at the Royal Albert Hall in October for this: http://www.helpingtheheartofmusic.com/index.asp.

As for The Wizard of Oz... I'm really not sure this is the right one to do. I agree Dorothy could be quite boring to search for for that amount of time and don't get me started on Toto!

I love these shows , but i hate the Wizard of Oz, and I agree about Dorothy being a boring part. I want them to audition boys again!! Wasn't there talk of a Jesus Christ Superstar comeback...?

After the SoM tour, Connie is quitting stage roles to concentrate on a TV career in acting and presenting. Bit of a slap in the face to everyone who voted for her after giving all the old classics "it's all I've ever wanted to do", "musical theatre is my life".

Yeah, right.

I agree with you Cat, I think it's time for some men to have a shot! But then, females get accused of only voting because they "fancy" someone. Is that true? Not sure.

I didn't vote on 'Any Dream Will Do' because it was obvious to me that Lee would win no matter what!! I just so happens that he was on of my favourites anyway...

Just to clarify - Connie had an operation on her vocal chords earlier this year (to correct a defect that she was born with). It was touch and go as to whether she'd be able to sing again, let alone go back to a full-time singing/MT career! From what I can gather, she made the decision to move away from a full-time MT career because, whilst she has made a good recovery, her voice wouldn't stand up to the impact of working in show after show. When Connie was talking about her desire for an MT career, she had no idea about the defect in her vocal chords.

I don't think moving away from MT is a 'slap in the face' to anyone! She was voted into the role of Maria and played the role successfully until the end of her tenure! She's gone back to the role for the tour (enabling more of the people who voted for her to see her in the role of Maria)! I think she's more than paid back the public for their votes - and going into TV won't stop them being able to see her - they can watch her TV stuff!

With regard to Lee Mead, he hasn't 'disappeared'. He's done an acting course in New York, has been recently working on stuff for CIN (he's at Longleat next week, recording something), has a concert appearance scheduled for October (25th, I think) and, as far as I'm aware, is still planning to do a WE show next year!

I agree, we have had maria, nancy and now dorothy...give us boys a chance ..and the wizard of oz..it was done at the RFH last year very dull muscial..just trying to ride on the back of wicked fame no doubt , Andrew Lloyd webber is going to write new songs into that MGM classic what a load of shit that will be .., and as for connie fisher wanting to give up musical theatre and move on to tv presenting she would need a personaliity transplant first...CAN SEE BE ANY MORE FUCKEN DULL IN INTERVIWES, AND FIX THOSE WOODEN PEG TEETH LOVE!!!!AAAAAAAAAAARRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

My thoughts exactly.

Another easy role that's going to need an alternate for whatever untrained amateur gets it.

The Wizard of Oz is not a boring musical!?!

I think everyone will be excited about the new songs that ALW will add paricultarly the one he will be doing for TWWOFW.

I'm also hoping that the SFX will be mind blowing for this show because it has to be OTT if it is not to be like another lacklustre school production...

I'm not saying that Wizard Of Oz is a boring musical, more that Dorothy is a boring part. The way I see Dorothy is that she is a flat character (albeit with a great solo song), who is used to introduce the much more interesting round characters, ie Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion.

You think The Wizard Of Oz is trying to mooch off of the fame of Wicked? Are there unicorns and pixies in this other world of yours?

Me too

Haha! That probably will happen. I do enjoy these shows because I think they have found some genuinely amazing talent and have also produced two great shows - SofM and Joseph (not so keen on Oliver - it was over-hyped and disappointing). But I agree that Wizard of Oz is a terrible choice. Boring! And it's never worked as a stage musical. They should have done Jesus Christ Superstar instead or wasn't there talk of My Fair Lady??

New London for WoO - and it is a crap show that has never worked live. Dull dull dull!!

Connie Fisher was a graduate of Mountview and Lee Mead had 7 years of working in touring productions behind him (and he was working in a WE production at the time he auditioned for ADWD). I'd hardly refer to them as 'untrained amateurs'! And most of the people in the final 10 of HDYSAPLM and the final 12 of ADWD and IDA had some level of experience! So the whole 'untrained amateur' thing is a nonsense!

As for needing an alternate - isn't that something that's pretty much standard practice in the WE?

I've been visiting this board for a week or so now and as a reletive newbie, what has struck me the most is the 'inverted snobbery' with regard to performers! It would appear that to some people, the only decent performers are those who aren't well-known to the wider public! So Connie Fisher and Lee Mead are sneered at, whilst Aoife Mulholland and Daniel Boys are treated with respect ("They went through the TV casting process, but it's OK because they didn't win, so we're allowed to respect them as performers"). I like all four of the performers I've just listed and hope they all have long and successful careers - I judge them on their talent, not on where they finished in their respective casting shows, or how well known (or not) they are!

No-one ever said the entertainment industry was fair! It's a hard slog to the top, and a lot of talented people never get the recognition they deserve! But that doesn't make it right to sneer at those who through a combination of talent, luck and hard slog, have made it!

Absolutely not! Only usually for the most demanding roles - Evita being the obvious one. Not Maria or Nancy! Many actors have played Sweeney, Valjean, Albin, Mama Rose, Eliza etc. without missing performances. There are very few roles that are genuinely too demanding to be done eight times a week - mostly it's just that the performers aren't up to it (or the producer thinks they're not).

The idea that Nancy in Oliver!, for example, needs an alternate is utterly ridiculous given the number of people that have played it full-time over the years. Same for Maria.

I agree that Nancy shouldn't need an alternate. I'm not too sure about SOM though. Did Summer Strallen have an alternate when she took over?

I believe there was still an alternate after Summer Strallen took over, yes, but the role of Maria does not need one - as proven by all the people who have played it eight times a week in the past, including the role's creator, Mary Martin, who was one of those famous "never miss a show" stars.

Now, I want to just point out that I'm not one of those people who thinks that actors should perform through any illness or injury and never take a holiday. That's silly. I respect that as employees they are entitled to a certain amount of holiday, and as humans there will probably be days when they are too ill to perform. What annoys me are the producers who hire a "star" who isn't up to the job and then when they start missing performances (scheduled or otherwise) claim it's because the role is too difficult.

Oh yes. I understand where you're coming from

Is that definite? I was thinking it would go to the Cambridge or Palace.

Gosh, Matthew Winn, I think this actually might be the first time I've really disagreed with you. I think any producer would be absolutely nuts not to try to piggyback off the fame of Wicked -- whether it works or not (last season's South Bank production doesn't seem to have done so).

I'm rather more curious about why you think a WoOz would *not* at this point in time not try to ride the Wicked wave of fame? Clearly (or at least I hope clearly) these thoughts have precisely zero to do with the excellent of WoOz itself as a musical -- it is a stunning one without question -- but it's really hard for me to see how anyone anywhere would think for half a second about producing this musical without imagining the Wicked spillover.

I said that because The Wizard of Oz is still a fantastically popular and well-known film, while comparatively few people have heard of Wicked. (I only know one person who isn't a regular theatregoer or involved in theatre who has heard of Wicked.) Wicked was launched on the back of the popularity of The Wizard of Oz, and it makes no sense to say that the same would happen in the other direction because the newer show is still benefiting from the popularity of the older. The film would have to suffer an astonishing fall in its fortunes for any production of the show to benefit from its far less well known derivative.

Wicked is neither as well-known nor as important as its fans want to believe, and among the audience that a reality-cast production is aimed at its influence would be too low to be a consideration.

I mean, come on. For The Wizard of Oz to benefit from Wicked would require a significant number of people in the audience who have seen and loved Wicked but are unaware that it's essentially a prequel to another story. I'd be very surprised if there are any such people at all, and certainly not enough to influence a producer.

Really? most people I know who aren't into musical theatre have heard of Wicked amd it seems to be the show that more and more people are choosing to go and see when they go on a weekend break to London.
I love the WoO film but have always considered the stage production to be more of show that you would go and see as an amateur production or in panto. It's one of the few shows that I wouldn't pay to see in the West End as I don't like the score or the characters enough to care.
Saying that I think that with the right production team and a massive re-vamp it could go on to be as spectacular and as popular as Wicked in the West End. There is no doubt that it will do well after all the tv publicity, I didn't think Oliver! would be as popular as it is.

I'm no expert in the employment of dogs in the West End, but would I be correct in assuming there would be more than one pup needed? Or will a high profile alternate be needed here?

Agree that it is an odd choice of musical in the first place, and Dorothy a dull part for a lengthy audition process. Unless it is a massively overhauled Wicked style production with some new songs?

Will watch, of course, but more out of curiosity than anything this time.

I think it's precisely *because* people are aware that Wicked is a prequel that the "other story" gets spillover. So yes, it does seem to me that a family one its once-a-year trip to the West End might actually be influenced a little bit in the direction of Wizard of Oz rather than some other show because they saw Wicked last year. (And don't forget as well that tourists who don't see UK reality shows also go to West End shows.) Moreover, I grew up with Wizard of Oz, but sadly I know far too many teenagers and twenty-something (even in my own family) who are aware that Wizard of Oz exists but haven't seen the film and barely know the score -- those people certainly aren't going to see Wizard of Oz because it's a popular and well-known film.

I don't by any means think "Wicked spillover" is the only reason or even one of the biggest reason the producers are reviving Wizard of Oz, but in this particular economic climate anything that gives a show even the smallest edge over its competition is a huge plus.

How is the part of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (why all the abbreviating?!) any more or less boring than the part of Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat? Neither of them really have a character.

I for one will give both the series and the show a miss. I have always found the Wizard of Oz a total bore.

Erm, why, please? I think the people who love Wicked realise that it is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz and this is precisely *why* its possible TWoO will benefit from Wicked fangoers. For instance, I had little or no interest in TWoO before I became a fan of Wicked, now I would almost certainly see the show because of my interest in Wicked.

Not saying all would follow my lead, but rather I aim to prove by counter-example

The Wizard of Oz is a couple of orders of magnitude better known and more popular than Wicked. The point here is that if you're thinking of producing a show, the fact that The Wizard of Oz has a prequel with a transient fanbase that might just increase sales by a fraction of a percent is going to be utterly insignificant when measured against other factors such as how well the public know the show and whether there's a clearly defined reality-castable role.

And it will only be a fraction of a percent. A reality show can pull in well over a million people in its run. The number of Wicked fans who are enthusiastic enough to see a show because it has a connection to Wicked but wouldn't see it if it hadn't is probably no higher than a few hundred, if that. Most theatregoers simply don't care about any show as much as you do. For Wicked to be a significant factor the producers would need to be confident that there'd be at least a hundred thousand Wicked lovers who would see The Wizard of Oz because of that link but definitely wouldn't see any other show.

It's like a car manufacturer fussing over the size of the vanity mirror in the passenger's sun visor instead of thinking about fuel efficiency, number of seats, engine power, colour of paintwork, ease of maintenance, reliability, and many other factors that will far greater an effect on sales than the mirror. There may be some fans of Wicked who will see The Wizard of Oz but wouldn't see anything else, but there won't be anywhere near enough of them to make that a determining factor in the choice of show.

With respect, your comment had virtually nothing to do with mine so I'm a bit confused why you quoted my post.

Saw an advert for auditions for this yesterday! The TV show to be called 'Over the Rainbow' is open for applications now: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorothy/

Applicants must be 16 or over by the 26th June.

Is anyone going to try out for it? Good luck if so!

Phoebe

Oh, no... really?? I was hoping for another "Joseph"... Beautiful men who can sing is what Saturday night tv is all about... I am a little astounded that this program is going ahead with all the press regarding ALW's health...

I loved Maria when the idea was fresh and original, and of course, thoroughly enjoyed the search for a joseph in a loincloth but didn't dig Nancy too much although it was bearable... This however, for me, is not.

I'd have loved ALW to search for the leads for "Love Never Dies" - although I am quite content with Ramin & Sierra

No upper age limit? Susan Boyle can apply?

All a bit odd because several Maria's and Nancy's and their bootcamp companions have already played the role to good reviews and there's probably other actresses in the same position. Are they now too qualified? Does he want someone really young and how does he put them on TV when the usual argument is that younger people shouldn't be exposed to public criticism and voting? If he wants 18 year olds or people who can play that age I would have thought there were quite a few people who have been or are Cosette or Christine or Bet or a Von Trap daughter who could do it - does he want someone new?

Is it just for Dorothy? Not for her friends?

I was going to take my boxer dog to audition for Toto but he's still recovering from not getting Bruiser in Legally Blonde, I'm not sure he could take any more rejection

ALW did say that he hoped to be back at work by the end of the year though, so hopefully he is on the mend. I agree, it would be nice for another show to cast a male lead. Or perhaps one to cast a leading man & leading lady. The Lord has said in the cast that he'd like to cast Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady which I'd like to see.


Haha that made me laugh!

Phoebe

I don't think it's utterly ridiculous that Nancy would need an alternate. What you have to realise is the amount of press Jodie would have been required to do in the run-up to the show opening. It's not like the public vote her the winner of IDA, she gets the role and quietly dissappears. She was hauled around every talk show, chat show and Lottery live draw in the country for a good few weeks before the show opened. And because the public know her, they will want to talk to her every night at stage door. I'm sure she's happy to oblige, but this means less time for vocal and physical rest, and more pressure to be "on" all the time. Playing a lead in the W/E is one thing; playing it when you've won the role in a reality show is another altogether. There is more pressure on you to PR the show and as such, I think it's perfectly acceptable to use an alternate.


PS - keep an eye on Sheridan Smith in the run up to LB opening. The poor girl is not getting a moment's rest..... much as she is loving it, I'm sure, I expect they'll be using an alternate for Elle from pretty early on, cos with all the PR she's doing, 8 shows a week would be a very big challenge. Otherwise, it will be 8 shows a week till Feb, then burn out.