The Wizard of Oz Dorothy Contenders Updates

The Wizard of Oz Dorothy Contenders

Whilst The Wizard of Oz waits until December to begin rehearsals with Danielle Hope as Dorothy, the public’s eventual favourite, an interesting picture is building up of the various activities from news surfacing from the rest of the Over The Rainbow Contestants.

Sophie Evans

Sophie Evans, the runner up to Danielle will be Dorothy after all, she gets to play understudy for Danielle Hope’s holidays and also every Tuesday night at The London Palladium. Sophie has had some high profile appearances in Wales, particularly when the alternate Dorothy role was announced at the Cardiff Millennium Centre, at the big weekend festival in Pontypridd and helping to promote a new ice cream venture for the valleys.

Sophie Evans Will be Alternate Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz

Lauren Samuels

Lauren Samuels who came third, was the first Dorothy to appear on the West End Stage as a leading lady when she snagged the lead role as Sandy in Grease and she’s been working hard at it every night and twice on Saturdays since July. Well done Lauren!

Lauren Samuels in Grease

Steph Fearon

Steph Fearon rushed straight into a London theatre role in Smokey Joe’s Cafe at the tiny Landor Theatre off West End in South London. The show and Steph have met with much critical approval and there’s a good chance it will transfer sometime after finishing this week. Meanwhile Steph is going to be in “Wizz” a kind of motown version of “The Wizard of Oz” in Milton Keynes.

Stephanie Davis

Stephanie Davis was offered some musicals but chose to take up a regular part on Channel Four TV as a new character in Hollyoaks, her favourite TV soap. Stephanie plays 15-year-old Sinead on Hollyoaks, part of a new family called the O’Connors.

Jenny Douglas

Jenny Douglas will be playing the prestigious part of ‘Meat’ in the touring version of ‘We Will Rock You’

Dani Rayner

will be playing Jasmine in Aladdin at the Liverpool Empire this Christmas! With Pamela Anderson and Les Dennis. 10th December-2nd January.

Danielle Hope

While Danielle Hope waits to begin rehearsals for The Wizard of Oz in December, there is little else to report. She’s done a few chat show interviews and that kind of thing, finished off her exams, and has been going to see a lot of London theatre shows.

Danielle Hope is Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz

via wizardofozlondon.co.uk

The Wizard of Oz doesn’t start until next February or March but what has become of the ambitions of the many talented girls who cam so close but so far away from being Dorothy?

The Wizard Of Oz London

Danielle Hope will play Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz when it opens next March in London at the Palladium theatre. Here she is with Sophie Evans, who will also be appearing as Dorothy in Wizard of Oz on Tuesdays, and Lauren Samuels who was another of the Dorothy contenders and is currently playing Sandy in Grease.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/91sk

via Amplify.com

Old Wizard of Oz Picture

When I see these funny old Wizard of Oz pictures taken from the 1939 film in newly invented technicolour, or illustrations form the book or posters and other memorabila, sometimes it makes me wonder ho they are going to bring the Wizard of Oz in London up to date.I suppose it comes down to a new generation of people fro whom the old film characters and Judy Garland are more a part of cultural history than a part of our own childhood. I mean, Danielle Hope herself is only eighteen, so what she brings to the role will be modern almost by definition.

Ah, forget it. It's probably just me being a bit of a munchkin. Follow the yellow brick road is as modern as musical theatre itself.

The Wizard Of Oz London

Wizard of Oz London Palladium

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s revival of The Wizard of Oz will not only feature all the songs made famous by Judy Garland in the original 1939 film – Somewhere Over the Rainbow, If I Only Had A Heart, We’re Off To See the Wizard and Follow the Yellow Brick Road – but also a selection of new Lloyd Webber numbers. It ha now been almost confirmed that Tim Rice will be collaborating again with Lloyd Webber for the first time in many years for this new and high profile production.

The London Wizard of Oz will be directed by Jeremy Sams, choreographed by Arlene Phillips and designed by Robert Jones, the same creative team that was responsible for Lloyd Webber’s revival of The Sound of Music.

London Palladium

The London Palladium theatre is currently showing “Sister Act” with Sheila Hancock, one of the jduges in Over The Rainbow. Sister Act finishes later this year and then the Palladium will be transformed in time for Wizard of Oz. The London stage set will include restoration of the listed theatre’s revolving stage which was once a key feature of “Sunday Night at the London Palladium”, a hugely successful TV variety show that ran from 1955 to 1967.

Andrew Lloyd Webber:

We are incredibly excited to be adapting The Wizard Of Oz for the stage and re-telling this all time classic family story. I have long been a huge fan of the original movie, the songs and characters and am really looking forward to bringing it to life again.

Danielle swaps to a red carpet – Manchester Evening News

I was hoping to find the full length photo of Danielle on the red carpet at the Sex and the City 2 launch in the West End of London recently, and found this report from the Manchester Evening News. (Danielle Hope comes from Urmston, Greater Manchester)

Trafford’s musical star Danielle Hope swapped the yellow brick road for the red carpet when she attended the British premiere of Sex and the City 2.

Danielle, 18, from Urmston, who won the BBC’s Over the Rainbow talent show, joined Sarah Jessica Parker and the rest of the film’s cast at London’s Odeon in Leicester Square.

Fellow cinema goers at the screening included Kylie Minogue, Tess Daly, Alan Carr and Peaches Geldof.

The US series drew millions of devotees around the world who followed the ups and downs in the love lives of Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda.

The first movie based on the series was a box office smash in 2008.

Over the moon: TV talent show winner Danielle Hope attended the Sex and the City premiere in London MEN

via Danielle swaps to a red carpet – Manchester Evening News.

Danielle Hope Before Over The Rainbow

Danielle Hope Before Over The Rainbow

Originally uploaded by Danielle Hope Blog

Danielle Hope Before Over The Rainbow and even longer before the Wizard of Oz in London in which she will star next April.

Danielle Hope and Dave in Hello! Magazine

Danielle Hope and Dave in Hello! Magazine

Originally uploaded by Danielle Hope Blog

Danielle Hope and Dave in Hello! Magazine