Over The Rainbow
The Wizard of Oz will be the basis of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s next TV talent search 'Over The Rainbow'. Each week the public will vote to decide who deserves to make friends with the legendary Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion as they journey to the Emerald City. Graham Norton will return as host for the Saturday night show, which will air on BBC One in the spring. Charlotte Church, Sheila Hancock and John Partridge have all signed up to sit in the judging seats for the now confirmed show..
Friends of DorothyCharlotte Church, who rose to fame through classical music and later pop, is thrilled to be working with Webber.
"I'm so looking forward to working with Andrew - he's an icon of the music industry, and a real hero of mine… My career started with Pie Jesu, which was of course written by Andrew, so it feels like I've come full circle."
Current Mother Superior in Sister Act Sheila Hancock will put down her habit to join the line up. On getting the position Hancock comments "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."
l-r: Andrew Lloyd Webber; original poster for MGM's classic movie; judge Charlotte Church
New songsWebber and his associates spent months trying to secure the rights to add songs to the show, and reportedly succeeded. The Wizard of Oz, while wildly successful on screen, has never caught the public’s imagination on stage, something Webber plans to change.
As it is, he told the Daily Mail, ‘it's missing what it needs to become an actual theatrical piece.' Critical features absent from the show are an opening number and songs for the Wicked Witch of the West and the Wizard. Webber plans to supply new songs to fill these gaps himself. These will be added to EY Harburg and Harold Arlen’s famous score, which includes such classics as We’re Off to See the Wizard and the Oscar winning Over the Rainbow.
l-r: Wicked Witch Elaine Paige?; Judge Sheila Hancock; Wicked- the Oz story as West audiences know it best today
Elaine Paige? Palladium?Apparently, Webber even took the precaution of booking the
Palladium for The Wizard of Oz. However, the success of
Sister Act may put paid to that plan and as Webber pointed out, ‘We haven’t even written anything yet!’ This has not stopped rumours about casting, with West End legend Elaine Paige reportedly considering the role of the Wicked Witch, and panel member John Barrowman suggested as a potential Wizard.
