Gossip

Liza Chooses Dorothy for West End Oz???

| London's West End |

12 March 2009

Word from the Daily Mail is that a new stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz will be gracing the West End in 2010. And what’s more, Liza Minelli, daughter of original Dorothy Judy Garland, is allegedly in line for a place on the judging panel of a new BBC casting show to find her mother’s successor in the role.

According to the Mail‘s Baz Bamigboye, the production is “earmarked for the Palladium next year” – which is slightly odd considering that the new Sister Act musical is opening there in June. Could The Wizard of Oz be a back-up plan if the Whoopi Goldberg-produced production flops? Or perhaps the Sister Act team are planning a transfer once it’s up and running? Either way the money men will no doubt be hoping that a new staging of Oz will benefit from the success of its recent musical prequel Wicked.

The Wizard of Oz was last seen on the London stage in a production staged at the Southbank Centre last year. The cast included Gary Wilmot as the Lion and Adam Cooper as the Tin Man. Sian Brooke stepped into Garland’s ruby slippers as Dorothy (See Review Round-up, 30 July).