Yellow brick road to fame:search for Dorothy hopes to unearth star
Andrew Lloyd Webber might not be the Wizard of Oz. But he’s definitely the Wizard of West End and Broadway musicals.
And today the BBC revealed the judges who will be joining the impresario on his quest to find to find a new star to fill Dorothy’s ruby red slippers for a new West End musical production of The Wizard Of Oz.
Veteran actress Sheila Hancock, EastEnders star John Partridge and Welsh songbird Charlotte Church will make up the judging panel for BBC One show Over The Rainbow.
It follows previous similar shows Any Dream Will Do, and How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? which made West End stars of Lee Mead and Connie Fisher
Hancock, Partridge and Church replace previous show judges, singing star John Barrowman and Denise Van Outen, who fell for Any Dream Will Do winner Mead when she was a judge on the show and went on to marry him.
Classical crossover star and TV presenter Church described Webber as an “icon” and a “hero” and said: "My career started with 'Pie Jesu', which was of course written by Andrew, so it feels like I've come full circle.”
Soap star Partridge said: "Musical theatre has been always been my first love - it's where I began my career - so I'm hugely excited to be joining the panel. I can't wait to work with Andrew again and see what talent the country has to offer'.
Star of stage and screen Sheila Hancock added: "I've had such an interesting and varied career and I'm so looking forward to working with the panel and Andrew to seek out some fantastic new talent.
"I'm incredibly interested in TV series which really show the ins and outs of live theatre, and Over The Rainbow will do just that.
"The Wizard Of Oz has to be one of the most well-known and best-loved musicals, so it's a real thrill to be involved in the process of updating it for new audiences."
Speaking about the latest search for a star and the new judging panel Webber: “Each member of the panel brings something new and exciting which will take Over The Rainbow even further than the previous shows."
"We have a fantastic wealth of talent within our judges, and I know they're going to be bringing some incredibly valuable expertise and opinions in our search for Dorothy."
The search for Dorothy has already begun with auditions having taken place in five UK cities – Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, Manchester and London.
35-year-old presenter Denise van Outen claimed she had been axed from the show because she is six months' pregnant with her first child and felt "let down" and "disappointed" by the decision.
When asked if her being pregnant had been discussed with BBC bosses, she confirmed: 'It was mentioned to me that being pregnant was an issue.'
However a BBC spokeswoman denied that her absence was nothing to do with the fact that she was pregnant.
"Over the Rainbow is a brand new show for BBC1 with a completely new lineup of judges," the BBC said in a statement. "As a result neither Denise Van Outen nor John Barrowman nor any of the other five previous judges will be taking part on the panel."
