Wizard Of Oz: BBC and Andrew Lloyd Webber search for Dorothy is back on!
I am very confused! Only weeks ago Andrew Lloyd Webber was criticising the BBC and saying that he wouldn’t be doing a show with them this year. In fact he hinted that he may take his Wizard Of Oz show to ITV instead.
However, today the BBC have announced that their search for Dorothy is back on. The show will be presented by Graham Norton and I am thinking that the BBC had a quick rethink when they faced the possibility of losing Lloyd Webber to ITV and Norton to Channel 4.
Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “Our previous musical talent searches have provided an incredible shot in the arm for musical theatre in Britain and I can’t wait to work with the BBC again in the hunt for Dorothy – an iconic role of course made famous by a young Judy Garland in the film in 1939, but, as a cat man myself, however, I approach casting Toto with considerable trepidation.”
Jay Hunt, Controller, BBC One said: “The Wizard Of Oz is one of the great musicals and I am sure BBC One audiences will delight in having a front row seat in the casting of a new musical star.”
Mark Linsey, Controller, Entertainment Commissioning said: “I’m thrilled to be announcing this commission today. BBC One has a proven track record in musical theatre talent searches so I’m delighted to be working with Andrew again and can’t wait to see what wonderful talent we unearth in the process.”
The search for Dorothy will begin with auditions in several UK cities in early 2010.
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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE inform me of when the auditions are this is my dream role!!
Hello Hayley,
Why not nip over to the forum and check out the details on the auditions board of past audition processes and if you regularly check in, you never know when the latest details will appear.
Enjoy.
please inform me of wen the auditions begin as it has always been my dream to play the role of dorothy ever since i was a young child even tho that it is out of my time ilove the filim and wud do anything for this role of a lifetime!!!
You need to look over on the auditions board with the forum or the BBC website and follow the links.
I,m 11 is that old enough ill be 12 in July
Hi IzBiz, it was on the radio this morning, and they mentioned the website and how to apply. when i went to apply, it said you had to be 16 years or older
I’m coming 15 this March, so I am absolutely gutted!!! I’ve ‘contacted the BBC’ and just asked is there any chance it could be lowered, but i seriously seriously doubt that will ever happen! Its always been my dream, and I am just so so so so upset that it wont happen :’(
xxx
Hi, i was just wondering how to apply for this? im very interested in auditioning.
im 11 how old do u have to be please answer
just heard about search for a Dorothy, very exciting, please let me know when and where, I am 12 years old and played “Annie” this year, which was amazing.
i am 13 years, how old do you have to be aned where do u get the aplication form to get an audition date… please answer..
thank you
can anyone PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can anyone tell me when and where auditions are taking place??? how can i apply!!?? PLEASE REPLY! xxx
Can anyone fill me in with details on application forms??? where can i get one please?!!
I love the wizard of Oz but I am nearly 17
if i am not too old i would love to audition LOL
if anyone finds out how to audition i would love to know, im desperate to apply if im not too old.
Anyone interested in this show should keep their eyes open to the television adverts on the BBC, or maybe they should write to the BBC to find information out if browsing the internet website proves difficult, otherwise we do tell people how to apply on our auditions forum pages. With reference to the latter though we can only do this when the information comes in.
So my top tip is join the forum.
I am truing to book flights for early 2010 too and am adiment for these 2 things not to clash does anyone know how long it will be until they release application forms and audition dates??
‘maureen’: how do you apply for the forum pages ?
Hello Charlotte,
Glad to be of help.
You have the newsfeeds coming through to your email so here are two routes to join the forum.
1. Underneath any news article will be a list of things to do where it says forum click on this and continue to fill out a registration slip which should ask for a user name and your email address, this will bring you to other options asking you whether you want to share or hide certain peices of information ie date of birth or email address etc. Follow through with what you’d like to share, but bear in mind to protect yourself with the invisbile options. You can even call yourself something else for fun or for the sake of protecting yourself that little bit further ie.. Nottinghamdoll, Livingprincess etc You get my gist. This is not like facebook where you should only speak with those you know. Having said that, this is the friendliest forum on the net and I trust it won’t be long, before you will settle in on our threads and learn about all those things you love.
2. You can also start on the forum at the top of a particular news feed.
As a professional person I have placed a number of educational threads on the boards with freebies lessons for beginners and those that bit more advanced. Plus some articles to stir up action from those who have constantly negative thoughts about singing acting dancing etc. Feel free to join in any chat and debate.
Good luck. Maureen
Sorry to be put a downer on the young guys who are getting excited about auditioning but I very much expect they will be searching for an adult Dorothy who can play young rather than a child. Anyone under 16 is limited to the number of hours (and days per year) they are allowed to perform, and this would cause too many problems for a West End lead.
Good Luck to those who do get the chance to audition.
Hello Lynn,
On our forum pages we have some special news deliberately aimed at the under 16’s. Re regulations etc.
Rules and regulation do apply re- licensing etc but I do also feel it is essential to point out that many of todays West stars made there debut’s pre 16.
Age is therefore not the problem you foresee.
I do agree, Maureen, but most of those who started young did so in much younger roles. To my knowledge, under 16’s are only used in the West End when small children are required. (eg; Mary Poppins, Oliver, Billy, Chitty etc.,) With any character in their mid to late teens it’s always the case that they look for someone over 16 who can play young. Even on film, where age is not such a problem, Judy Garland was 17 when she was cast as Dorothy. Being realistic, can you imagine the pressure on a school aged child having to perform six shows a week?
Even if the child has the experience or physical strength to do so, the law doesn’t allow under 16’s to work such long hours, and having to replace the main lead every few days/months would make it a logistical nightmare.
They have no choice with very young roles such as Dodger, Oliver and the Banks childen, but with the character of Dorothy that isn’t the case. I would be very very surprised if the auditions are open to under 16’s and I hate the thought of so many young girls getting their hopes up….. but who know’s… I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Good Luck to all whatever the case.
Lynn
Lynn
Hello Lynn,
Lets just say that all of these reality based searching for West end actors actresses and singers shows is a means to raising the issue of the closed doors of musical theatre.
From my own experience of this and I am a professional classical singer seriously disgruntled by the falling numbers of real singers in musical theatre, someone walking in off the street would not normally stand a chance. The old protocol that exists here is very much the reliable old warhorse of using those singers and actors who have either been born into musical theatre or have recently held long term television contracts. The latter here is then used to beef sales tickets whilst the remaining everyday cast or real leads pick up a % of the fees paid to television professionals. This is in the wake of Martine McCutcheon. Who spent as little time as possible performing in the lead role for My fair lady as an example. Instead her role was played for 98% of the shows run in three theatres by someone else. But it is she who is given the Lawrence Olivier award.
Meanwhile the theatre’s that operate this policy will make a profit at the beginning and then draw even or if very lucky will maintain equilibrium in the black.
The search for musical theatre stars child or adult, has proved to be a very profitable business for the production companies concerned hence using reality TV has come up with the goods. It has come up with the goods because the tv companies have attracted a large number of viewers to watch and vote for very ordinary people who have a skill that has not been developed. This is instead of using those who have studied for years in privately paid residential and non residential stage schools.
When children teenagers are given roles in Musical theatre the casting director normally casts more than one child in the role and the reason they do this is because it is the only way around the legislation which is not encouraging of child actors and singers.
It could also be a cunning business move to inject funds into a failing theatre as lets face it not all ten of Sir ALW’s owned theatres is in the black. So going further into the red and then bringing it massively out of the red into the black via a tv show is a fantastic way to do it. Once the show is running an equilibrium state should be reached some 6 to 9 months after the show has been running. In other words it should be steadily running in the black covering all of its running costs. The day and age when business entrepreneuralism and the rich making theatres sole benefactors of their fortunes is falling and the call in recent times has been towards funding from; the councils, the community and the arts bodies.
In the past two years the arts councils have had there funding slashed, this coincides with the economic downturn which ultimately means more theatres will have to learn to become more business like and run themselves without assistance.
Maybe you’d like to share your experiences on the forum Lynn it is very friendly and does hold many interesting debates from those wanting careers in music, drama, dance and television.
i would love you to see me act and sing as dorothy, film has been part of my life. however i am 39 but could probably get away with 29. i very often relate to the film in my everyday life the film keeps me young in my hearrt an audition would be great, keep me inform please, thank you.
You have to be 16 or over i think 16-25 or something.
Hello I’m singing the virtues of the forum again.
Anyone interested in auditions or learning of peoples personal experiences should join the forum.
The forum here enables a good way for wanabes to network and to learn from each other.
Besides we also enjoy having a good chat and the forum is the place to do it.
Feel free to join in.
is there any ways to audition eg forms etc i am 16 years old and have dark hair and have played dorothy in the past. I cant find any auditon forms for the show anywhere !!!! can you help!
Hi, I just saw an add on the tv about this but my dad switched before i could get any detalis. I will be 16 on may 24th, is it possible to apply yet? if it is, where and how?