The public have decided live on BBC One tonight, that Chris Barton will not be Joseph.
After last week’s shock double eviction, the theme of tonight’s Any Dream Will Do was decades – since Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was written in 1967, and is still going strong 40 years later.
The eight remaining finalists performed two songs taken from each intervening decade – the Seventies, Eighties, Nineties and Noughties – to show they have the power, range and charisma to land one of the best loved and most prized roles in the West End.
After performing their songs and receiving full and frank feedback from Andrew Lloyd Webber and the expert panel of Denise Van Outen, John Barrowman, Bill Kenwright and Zoe Tyler, the Josephs faced the agony of the public vote.
When asked by host Graham Norton who was not Joseph, Zoe Tyler said Lee Mead, Bill Kenwright said Rob McVeigh or Chris Barton, Denise Van Outen said Rob McVeigh and John Barrowman said Lewis Bradley.
Chris Barton and Craig Chalmers gained the least public votes, and had to sing a joint rendition of The Beatles’ classic The Long And Winding Road.
Then it was up to Andrew Lloyd Webber alone to choose which Joseph should be saved. He said: “This is difficult … I will save Craig.”
Explaining his decision, he added: “He wasn’t quite there, you didn’t have confidence and I just think a West End audience wouldn’t have the confidence to see you. I’m sorry, but I don’t think they would.”
Chris Barton said after his eviction: “I’m obviously very disappointed after getting a taste of being on stage I don’t want to go back to my old life. I can’t thank Andrew and the panel enough for this experience.”
Before leaving the stage Chris Barton joined the other Josephs for the now traditional rendition of Poor Poor Joseph/Close Every Door from Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, before taking his final bow.
This week’s group song was Dead Ringer For Love by tonight’s special guest Meat Loaf, who also performed Cry Over Me in the studio and reminisced about his roles in Hair and The Rocky Horror Show.
The seven remaining hopefuls go on to next week’s show where they will again audition for the nation to decide who could be Joseph in the new West End production of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
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