Following the success of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, Any Dream Will Do and I’d Do Anything, Over The Rainbow reunites host Graham Norton and Andrew Lloyd Webber, who, along with a brand-new panel of experts (Sheila Hancock, Charlotte Church and John Partridge) and BBC One viewers, will choose a Dorothy to perform in the West End production of The Wizard Of Oz next year.

The second show of the new series puts the 20 Dorothy hopefuls through their paces. As one of their tasks (to be seen in tonight’s – Saturday 27 March – show) the girls get to work through a performance with five of the West End’s most well-respected leading ladies – Kelly Ellis (soon to replace Jodie Prenger as Nancy in Oliver!), Ruthie Henshall (currently appearing in Chicago), Sheridan Smith (Legally Blonde), Tamzin Outhwaite (Sweet Charity) and Melanie C (Blood Brothers) – to gain a valuable insight into the life and profession that awaits them when they reach the end of the yellow brick road.

First up were Emma, Stephanie, Jenny and Tegan, who were thrilled to be working with Kerry Ellis, one of the most highly regarded performers in the West End. Ellis originated the role of Meat in We Will Rock You (2002-4) and has starred in numerous productions in the West End and on Broadway.

Ellis welcomed the girls to the Dominion Theatre, where she workshopped their group performance of Someone To Love from We Will Rock You. Jenny had never been in a West End theatre before and was overcome with the sheer size of it. Once the workshop got under way, Kerry said that the girls were “fantastic” and would “make the other girls jealous … because you’ve got the rock song!”

When the next group – Camille, Jessica, Stephanie Davis and Sophie – arrived at the Cambridge Theatre to meet star of stage and screen Ruthie Henshall, their excitement was overwhelming … and loud! Jessica immediately started screaming when she saw the picture of Ruthie and realised she was going to get to meet one of her idols. “She’s my hero – one of my absolute heroes … I’ve never been so excited in my life!” and when they entered the auditorium where Ruthie was waiting for them, there were tears from both Jessica and Camille.

Having portrayed both Roxie and Velma in Chicago, there is nobody better placed to mentor the girls through their performance of All That Jazz – and when Ruthie introduced herself to the girls, Stephanie was so overcome with excitement she got a fit of the giggles!

When Sophie said her biggest fear was messing up in a performance, Ruthie calmed her nerves: “I’ve messed up in every show I’ve ever done … I have forgotten lyrics, had to put props back and start again, had to stop the orchestra, missed whole verses of songs. This is live theatre, it’s just how it works. You are going to mess up many times in your career. It’s nothing to be afraid of.”

There were more tears when Katie, Bronte, Lauren and Claire arrived at the Savoy Theatre for their workshop with Sheridan Smith – star of BBC TV’s Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps, Gavin & Stacey and Jonathan Creek, and making her acclaimed West End stage debut in Legally Blonde – and they weren’t just from the girls!

Sheridan, carrying one of the Chihuahua dogs from the show, was moved to tears following the girls’ first rendition of Over The Rainbow, the ballad from which the BBC programme takes its title. “This is such an honour for me, I’m the world’s biggest Wizard Of Oz fan … that was just brilliant girls, that’s how it should be done. I should take tips from you!”

The remaining girls – Amy, Danielle, Emilie, Claire, and Tasheka, Dani Rayner, Phillipa and Sarah – met up with Tamzin Outhwaite and Spice Girl Melanie C respectively, to perfect their renditions of If They Could See Me Now from Sweet Charity and Tell Me It’s Not True from Blood Brothers.

Outhwaite – who is about to open in the West End at the Haymarket Theatre following a successful run in Southwark – was very excited to be working with the girls, and Melanie C, appearing in the long-running production of Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre, saw a lot of talent and quality in her group, singling out Tasheka for having “a beautiful air and tone to your voice”.

View the original post Over The Rainbow: Kelly Ellis, Ruthie Henshall, Sheridan Smith, Tamzin Outhwaite & Melanie C mentor contestants on Unreality TV

Dancing On Ice judge and West End star Ruthie Henshall has become the latest in a long line of celebrity supporters of Susan Boyle.

Ruthie has played leading ladies in shows such as Oliver!, Chicago and Les Miserables, where she sang I Dreamed A Dream, the song Susan sang in her Britain’s Got Talent audition.

Ruthie told The Mirror: “I absolutely think Susan has a West End-standard voice. Definitely. Her dreams can come true.

“But to be in a musical she needs to be able to act as well. She’s got to make people believe what she’s singing. If she can act, no problem.

“Any producer would jump at the chance to have her. They’d make so much money out of her as her profile would guarantee bums on seats.”

View the original post Ruthie Henshall Says Susan Boyle Could Be On West End on Unreality TV

West End star, Ruthie Henshall, has been named as the new judge for this years Dancing On Ice extravaganza!

Henshall has had a glittering career to date and appeared in countless major shows such as Chicago, Cats and Oliver.

She told The Sun: “Really and truthfully I think there is so much to the show other than the technicality of what you see on the ice.

“I know from my dance career that there are times when technically you’re not on the ball but you’re putting your heart and soul into it. You have to actually give it the face. Often you can get away with murder if the top half of you looks great!”

And Ruthie thinks she will bring a new element to the judging panel.

She said: “You’ve got quite a few people on the panel who are experts on the skating and I just don’t think it only comes down to that.

“I’ve had nearly 22 years in the business and so I really want to bring that experience of watching people doing very, very different shows; everything from Chicago to Cats.”

View the original post Dancing On Ice 2008: Ruthie Henshall New Judge on Unreality TV