Are you Andrew Lloyd Webber’s next leading lady? Could you be his Dorothy in the new West End production of The Wizard of Oz?

Do you want to follow in the footsteps of previous winners Connie Fisher, Lee Mead and Jodie Prenger? If yes – then you are in luck because the BBC has just opened applications for their newest reality TV show ‘Over The Rainbow.’

Auditions are open to everyone, no matter how much or how little experience you have and nationwide auditions for Dorothy begin in January 2010.

All applicants must have been aged 16 or over by 26 June 2009.

Apply now to book your place

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is being treated for prostate cancer it has been revealed.

His spokesman said in a statement that the condition was currently in its very early stages and the outlook is good for Lord Lloyd Webber.

“Andrew is now undergoing treatment and expects to be fully back at work before the end of the year,” it said.

Andrew’s newest musical ‘Love Never Dies’ is due to open in February and he will be judging a new BBC talent show soon after.

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.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has spoken out for the first time on the disagreement which saw him cancel his planned 2010 show on BBC.

Webber had planned to launch a search for Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz with the channel, but disagreements over the mention of his new musical ‘Love Never Dies’, led to the composer pulling out. He also hinted at the possibility of moving the show to ITV.

“I felt it was extremely difficult to go ahead with the BBC, who want to do The Wizard Of Oz,” the Daily Express quotes him as saying. “Last year there was a bit of criticism about the BBC using licence payers’ money to show me promoting Oliver, even though it was not my musical.

“Personally, I think it’s nonsense. The BBC has said we cannot mention Love Never Dies. If every paper is mentioning it and there’s no mention of it on the programme it looks curious.

“On ITV, it doesn’t matter as it’s not using licence payers’ money. I just want to enjoy putting the show on at this stage of my career and I don’t want the waters muddied by unnecessary negative PR.”

Here at Unreality TV, we have our own reservations about Lloyd Webber launching a show on ITV. You can check out our article on the matter here.

ITV are reportedly trying to lure Andrew Lloyd Webber onto their channel after he revealed that he would not be working with the BBC next year.

Lloyd Webber was due to launch his search for a lady to star as Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz next year on BBC but pulled out over concerns that he would be accused of promoting his own new musical ‘Love Never Dies’, due out at the same time.

An ITV source told The Sun that talks were “at an advanced stage”.

He added: “Andrew’s TV shows so far have been exciting and creative and we would love to strike up a relationship with him.

“At ITV, Andrew would be freed up to use more of his own works on TV – as we don’t have the BBC strict rules over commercial links.”

I’m not sure that Andrew switching allegiance would be in his best interests. Whilst I would be delighted to see Lloyd Webbers own brand of reality TV back on our screens, I’m not convinced that ITV would do him justice. In their attempt to maximise all possible profits the channel often sacrifice the quality of their shows. They engage in over hyping tactics which leaves their show stars in the prime position for falling flat on their face. When the show fades, so often does their careers.

BBC talent shows are more contestant focused. Andrew Lloyd Webber strives to help his performers grow, improve and tries to prepare them for their future on stage. He stays in touch with some after the show and many of the runners up go on to have successful stage careers as a result, a career it should be said which Lloyd Webber makes not one penny from.

ITV is more worried about the next ’scandal’. Will Sharon throw water at Louis again? Does Dannii really hate Cheryl? The winners are signed for as long as they are deemed profitable (which may be as little as one album) and ditched unceremoniously when the next big thing comes along (think Steve Brookstein, Leon Jackson).

If ALW signs with ITV it will have to be with a huge book of stipulations, he will have to oversee the whole format of the show before he agrees to put his name to it. He really could be risking his reputation on this one.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has scrapped plans to run a reality TV show for the BBC. Similar to ‘Any Dream Will Do’ and ‘I’d Do Anything’, Lloyd Webber had planned to launch a search for the a girl to star as Dorothy in a west end version of ‘The Wizard Of Oz.’

However as Webber gears up to launch his newest musical ‘Love Never Dies’ next year, he was worried that people would criticise him for trying to gain exposure for his own show.

“We will not be finding Dorothy through a BBC reality show – we’ve pulled it,” said Webber’s business partner André Ptaszynski.

“It’s just too risky. It’s only been in the last two or three weeks that we’ve realised how much of a field day people would have with it.

“Andrew would be accused of doing the BBC show just to get publicity for Love Never Dies. The BBC would then be made to look like it was giving him undue prominence.

“We spoke with BBC director general Mark Thompson and we agreed to pull it.”

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has pleaded with the British public to give tonight’s Britain’s Got Talent a miss and tune into the Eurovision Song Contest instead.

Sir Andrew has penned tonight’s British entry for the show and he will be playing piano for Jade Ewen who will be performing it.

He has told the British public that it is their duty to watch the show and told The Sun:

“I know Britain’s Got Talent is a great show but Jade really is something special. I genuinely think she is in with a strong chance.

“She is such a professional and a really fantastic singer.

“I’ve seen a lot of the entries this year and I really think Jade is top of the tree. The British audience will be in for a real treat.”

“Rather than launching a British star on a British stage we’ll be launching a British star on an international stage.”

“It doesn’t get more exciting than that.”

So what show will you be tuning into tonight? We are having a real dilemma and a hard time choosing between the two. All suggestions would be gratefully received.

I Heart (love) Eurovision by eurovision
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Andrew Lloyd Webber has said that he would love to see Britain’s Got Talent singer Susan Boyle in one of his West End shows. The musical genius even has a role in mind.

He told The Sun: “She is a terrific sport and she’s a great fan of my shows.

“If she wanted to be in one, well it could happen. It would have to be the right role. Maybe I know what it could be, but I’m not telling. She’s got a great future.”

Sir Alan Sugar’s right hand man Nick Hewer has criticised Apprentice hopeful Noorul Choudhury.

Noorul may have avoided the boardroom so far but general consensus seems to be that this is down to his ability to melt into the background rather than his business acumen.

Speaking about this week’s advertising challenge, Hewer told The Mirror: “Noorul decided to melt in the background. And if that wasn’t possible he hid, sweating, in the Pants Man suit.

“Unbelievably, Noorul lives to fight another day. But you can’t hide in a Pants Man suit every week.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber is reported to have caused some friction between the two daughters of Judy Garland.

Judy starred in the original movie version of the Wizard of Oz and as he begins his search for Dorothy on BBC, Andrew is said to have asked Liza Minnelli to join his judging panel.

However in making this request Lloyd Webber is said to have offended Liza’s 56-year-old half-sister Lorna Luft.

‘Andrew thinks Liza will bring glamour to the judging panel,’ a source told The Daily Mail.

‘But it hasn’t gone down well with Lorna. She hates the fact that she’s always in Liza’s shadow.’