Wizard of Oz London Cast

The Full Wizard of Oz cast list has been announced today. Edward Baker and David Ganley fill in the missing pieces to the jigsaw puzzle that is the new cast for the London Palladiium production of The Wizard of Oz opening in March next year, 2011. And a very strong cast it is too.

It looks like the full Wizard of Oz London cast has been announced now with no new surprises.

Edward Baker-Duly is the Tin Man

David Ganly, The Cowardly Lion,

Paul Keating as The Scarecrow

Emily Tierney as Glinda

Hannah Waddingham as the Wicked Witch of the West

Michael Crawford as The Wizard and of course Danielle Hope as Dorothy

via wizardofozlondon.co.uk

Danielle Hope talks Wizard of Oz on the Alan Titchmarsh Show

Danielle Hope was on The Alan Titchmarsh Show yesterday to talk about her upcoming role in The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium.

Rehearsals start in six weeks time with previews starting on February 7th 2011.

Danielle Hope will be doing seven shows a week as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and is currently in training at the Arts Educational School.

via wizardofozlondon.co.uk

The Scarecrow – Paul Keating

Paul Keating cast as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz

There’s a very strong rumour that Paul Keating has been cast as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. It’s leant total credibility by tweets from Paul Keating himself:

So Who is Paul Keating?

Well, Paul Keating has a distinguished stage career already.  He was Tommy in the West End production of Pete Townshend’s musical in 1996 gaining an Olivier award nomination.

Paul has also appeared in

* Lost in Yonkers (1992/3) at the Novello Theatre

* Assassins at the New End Theatre.

* Escape from Pterodactyl Island at the Pleasance Theatre

* La Cava (2000) at the Piccadilly Theatre and Victoria Palace Theatre .

* Closer to Heaven, a musical by the Pet Shop Boys and Jonathan Harvey, receiving a second Olivier award.

* The Rose and the Ring at the Hen and Chickens Theatre (2001/2)

* Full Monty at the Prince of Wales Theatre .

* Don Carlos by Frederick Schiller at The Crucible Theatre Sheffield and Gielgud Theatre, London.

* Gladiator Games by Tanika Gupta at the Theatre Royal Stratford East.

* Little Shop of Horrors at the Menier Chocolate Factory and  the Duke of York’s Theatre and Ambassadors Theatre.

* Blowing Whistles, alongside Stuart Laing and newcomer Daniel Finn.

* Tick… tick… BOOM!  at the Duchess Theatre.

Here’s a trailer video from the little Shop of Horrors in which Paul Keating starred opposite Sheridan Smith who is currently in Legally Blonde

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via wizardofozlondon.co.uk

More Wizard of Oz Casting : Hannah Waddingham as Witch

More news from the Wizard of Oz casting process is coming out, as yet unconfirmed, that Hannah Waddingham will play the Wicked Witch of The West. The news follows close after the official announcement just three days ago that Michael Crawford is to be the Wizard of Oz

Hannah Waddingham is best known for being the original Lady of The Lake in Spamalot for which she received an Olivier Award nomination and in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music and many other shows including Grease.

Hannah Waddingham – Witch of The West

“I play the Witch” – Hannah Waddingham

* Disclaimer : The information that Hannah Waddingham is to play the Wicked Witch of The West in The Wizard of Oz is entirely unofficial and may yet even turn out to be a false rumour or disinformation, although this seems unlikely, there is a slight possibility it was spun up out of the list of people who attended the new Wizard of Oz workshop:

• Hannah Waddingham  – The Wicked Witch
• Scarlett Strallen – Glinda
• David Ganly – Cowardly Lion
• Paul Keating – The Scarecrow
• John Marquez – The Tinman
• Sam Kelly – Wizard

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via wizardofozlondon.co.uk

Lloyd Webber and Karimloo on the Michael Ball Show

It's at 3 O'clock in the afternoon on a weekeday, but even if you're not a day time TV addict with the wherewithall to indulge then you can always catch up on the "view later" service that ITV provides. It will be interesting to see what Andrew has to say about the Wizard of Oz because we haven't heard any real news for a little while.

 

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ramin Karimloo will be a guests on the Michael Ball Show on Saturday September 10th. Michael Ball will be hosting an exclusive interview with Webber about Love Never Dies as well as his production of The Wizard of Oz. Ramin Karimloo of course plays the role of The Phantom in the Adelphi Theatre production of Love Never Dies. The episode can be seen live on ITV1 on Friday September 10th at 3pm in the afternoon, or later on the ITV Player at : http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=the%20michael%20ball%20show Michael Ball and Andrew Lloyd Webber have worked together many time in the past, for example when Michael played Raoul in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, and Alex in Aspects of Love at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London and on Broadway. Michael Ball DVDs

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.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

The Wizard Of Oz London

The Wizard of Oz London

The Wizard of Oz opens in London next year starring Danielle Hope as Dorothy. It's going to be a big old fashioned musical theatre show, a bit like the famous film The Wonderful Wizard of Oz but brought up to date by Andrew Lloyd Webber with a modern twist and some new songs. The new songs in particular are going to be exciting because they'll be written by Andrew Lloyd Webber in partnership with Tim Rice, thus reviving the old team that was responsible for so many big musical hits back in the 1970s such as Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita.  The main characters of the tin man, the cowardly lion and the scarecrow will be in it as usual, alongside the witches, the Wizard of Oz himself and the munchkins.

Danielle Hope in The Wizard of Oz

The role of Dorothy in the new Wizard of Oz musical will be played by Danielle Hope who emerged as
the winner from out of thousands of applicants who went through a
process conducted eventually on prime time TV with the UK audience
voting for their favourites. Danielle Hope won that casting
competition but in an interesting turn of events, Sophie EVans who
came second, has also been invited to be Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz
as Danielle's understudy - with a guaranteed appearance in Tuesdays
and some other holidays when Danielle Hope has time off.

The Wizard of Oz opens in March 2011 at the famous
London Palladium theatre where Whoopi Goldberg is currently appearing
in Sister Act.

See and download the full gallery on posterous