Somewhere Over The Rainbow – Dorothy and The Wizard Of Oz
Posts tagged dorothy
The Wizard of Oz – in Cardiff
Jun 1st
The Wizard of Oz is such a classic musical for any theatre company to put on that is stands to reason there will be a production of some sort current at almost any time of year.
From June 1st Wales’ leading amateur theatre company, Orbit, celebrates its 41st year with the opening night of a week-long run of its own version of The Wizard of Oz at the New Theatre in Cardiff.
Dorothy is sung by Nicola Caldwell and the Wales Online reporter Dave Owens spoke to her about the role:
Nicola Caldwell:
I’m 22 years old, I come from Penarth and I’ve just qualified from university as a primary school teacher.
Probably the biggest role I’ve done is Les Miserables in London’s West End for the 20th anniversary, which was fantastic. They chose 3,000 kids under 18 to apply, I was 17 at the time, and had done a school edition of the show. Out of the 3,000 who auditioned and sent tapes off, 35 got in. And I was one of the lucky ones!It’s every little girl’s dream, to play Dorothy, isn’t it, to wear the red ruby slippers and sing Over The Rainbow? It’s such an honour. It’s the archetypal dream role.
On the runner-up, Welsh girl Sophie Evans, and the winner, Danielle Hope?
Nicola:
Actually I liked the girl who finished third, Lauren Samuels. She was my favourite. She was really bubbly and very magnanimous and gracious when she went out.
The Wizard of Oz is showing at the New Theatre in Cardiff from 1st 5th June
By L. FRANK BAUM
With Music and Lyrics of the MGM motion picture score
by HAROLD ARLEN and E.Y. HARBURG
Background Music by HERBERT STOTHART
Book Adaptation by JOHN KANE from the motion picture screenplay
Tuesday 1st to Saturday 5th June 2010
New Theatre
Park Place
Cardiff
Book Online via The New Theatre, Cardiff
When Danielle Hope is not Dorothy
May 23rd
If you are eagerly looking forward to seeing the newly emerged Wizard of Oz Dorothy, Danielle Hope, winner of Over the Rainbow it may be worth taking note of the following information when booking tickets for next year.
Danielle is not guaranteed to play the following performances of Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium on:
Tuesdays.
The winner’s annual holidays have also been reserved as:
Week commencing 2nd May 2011
Week commencing 5th September 2011
Week commencing 12th September 2011
Of course nothing can really be guaranteed and in the event of illness etc the part of Dorothy will be played by an understudy but if you want the best possible chance of seeing Danielle Hope in the role then avoid booking Wizard f of Oz tickets or theatre breaks for a Tuesday or those three weeks in May and September next year.

Final Performance – Winner Danielle Over The Rainbow
May 23rd
Danielle Hope winner of the part of Dorothy in the forthcoming Wizard of Oz musical in London triumphantly sings “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” for the last time on the TV casting show, but not for the last time by any means in her new career as a West End Star – Yes you are Danielle!!
Best Acting Dorothy?
May 22nd
There’s been a lot of focus on the singing and dancing performances of the remaining Dorothys but which one would really be best suited to playing the part night after night in Wizard of Oz?
One of the recent missions was about maintaining the Kansas accent and here you can see each of four contestants in a scene from Wizard of Oz that allows us to really evaluate their abilities as actors.
Now Andrew Lloyd Webber seemed to be bowled over by Danielle, so we get a clue here perhaps as to who he would like to see the public vote for tonight, but he also praises Lauren’s professionalism and wonders if she can pull out just a little bit more from inside her own emotion for us. Personally, I found the Danielle performance just a tad drawn out and over done, but there’s no doubt she would make a smashing Dorothy, as would any of them really.
After watching them each have a go at the real acting, who do you think comes out of this mission in the best position for tonight’s vote?
Over The Rainbow Charity Single with Winning Dorothy
May 20th
On Saturday 22nd May, the winning Dorothy will be finally chosen by Over The Rainbow viewers, and now it has been announced that the lucky Dorothy, as well as going on to play the part in The Wizard of Oz when it opens in London next April, will also get to release a single of the iconic ‘Over The Rainbow’ song, as first sung by Judy Garland in the 1939 film.
The charity single will be rushed out as a download available from midnight on Sunday 23rd May and all profits net of agreed expenses will be split fifty-fifty between two favoured charities of the TV show’s producers, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and the BBC: Prostate UK and The BBC Performing Arts Fund.
But the big question remains, whose voice will be singing “Over The Rainbow” on the charity single – will it be Lauren, Sophie or Danielle?
Sierra Boggess From Love Never Dies
May 18th
Sierra Boggess From Love Never Dies spent some time with the Dorothys last week giving advice and answering questions, specifically related to maintaining the stamina needed to fulfil the requirements of performing up to 8 times a week on the West End stage in London. She explained that the winning Dorothy who gets to perform in The Wizard Of Oz can expect not just a wonderful job but also a complete lifestyle as a leading lady. Sierra was impressed that the amount of working being put in by all at the Dorothy house was already a good preparation for the real thing.
On Sunday night’s Over The Rainbow, Sierra Boggess performed the title song from the new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Love Never Dies







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