Visitors to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane will also be able to view the beauty of the world-famous statue, The Three Graces, a copy of which was bought at Christie’s by Lord Lloyd Webber for £600,000 in March this year, especially for the theatre. The exquisite marble sculpture representing the three phases of love will be permanently displayed in the Lower Rotunda.

There have been four theatre buildings on the Drury Lane site since 1653. The current building, designed by Benjamin Dean Wyatt, dates from 1812 and the royal staircases, Rotunda and Grand Saloon are unique examples of early nineteenth-century architecture.

Grand Saloon

Rotunda

The specialist team commissioned by Lord Lloyd Webber to undertake the restoration included architectural historian, Edward Bulmer.

All statues and pictures which were part of the original decorative scheme have been cleaned and restored revealing details not seen for years.  The central window in the Grand Saloon, bricked up for many years, now lets in the daylight and the south coffee room, which had suffered the indignity of being turned into a kitchen, is once again a public room. The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane has been visited by every reigning monarch since it opened, is the only theatre with two Royal Boxes and was where the public first heard both the National Anthem and “Rule Britannia”.

Audiences arriving with golden tickets to see director Sam Mendes’ production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (previewing from Wednesday 22^ndMay) will be the first to enjoy the newly-restored theatre.

The “The Andrew Lloyd Webber Programme” will give every child at participating schools the opportunity to study a musical instrument as part of the compulsory curriculum in order to exceed, by ages 16 and 18, the expected academic outcomes for all students.

The aim is to improve discipline, commitment to learning, develop team working skills, and to enrich the lives of students by providing regular music tuition and performance opportunities as part of ensemble and orchestral groups. At Highbury Grove, the programme has demonstrated that music can improve the entire academic experience of students, and it should be noted that this is not about creating performing artists, but changing the lives of secondary school students.

The programme is modeled after the hugely successful scheme developed by Truda White, former head teacher at the Highbury Grove School, Islington North London. Before implementing the music scheme, Highbury Grove had an Ofsted rating in 2002 of 4 and whilst described as effective and improving, the inspectors noted there was much to be done. By 2007, one year after beginning the programme the school was judged to be good and three years later, once the music scheme was implemented, the Highbury Grove School received an Ofsted rating of 1 (outstanding).

Schools will be selected through a thorough application process with top priority being given to schools in areas of deprivation or communities where access to high quality arts projects is limited. Other criteria include an Ofsted 3 judgment of satisfactory – requires improvement and having high aspirations for all.

After extensive research into potential partner schools, 4 were invited to submit an expression of interest. The Lister School in Newham has been successful and will become the first partner school for September 2013. Both the Lister School and Highbury Grove School will run the programme during the 2013 – 2014 academic year, with a further two schools for 2014 – 2015.

Madeleine Lloyd Webber says: “We are delighted to be joining forces with The Charles Wolfson Trust to launch the Music In Secondary Schools Trust, which we believe will have a profound impact on learning for generations to come. The Highbury Grove School has started something very special with their music programme, and this new initiative will expand the work they’ve done to impact upon thousands of secondary school pupils. This is one of the most exciting projects The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation has been a part of.”

FOR MORE INFORMAITON ON MUSIC IN SCHOOLS TRUST AND “THE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER PROGRAMME”, VISIT: musicinschoolstrust.org.uk/

The first music from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new show Stephen Ward will be released through Mercury Classics / Deutsche Grammophon and available for download on Easter Sunday (31 March), following its world premiere performance by the chart-topping star guitarist MILOŠ, during the ITV special ‘Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years’.

PRE-ORDER NOW »

The ‘Theme from Stephen Ward’, by Lloyd Webber, was specially arranged for classical guitar, and performed by Miloš Karadaglić, a 29 year old Montenegrin, recently described by The Times as “a new classical guitar God”.

The arrangement is taken from music from Stephen Ward, a new musical in development by Andrew Lloyd Webber with book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. The show tells the story of the Profumo Affair from the perspective of Dr Stephen Ward, the society osteopath at the centre of the scandal. Directed by Richard Eyre, the show chronicles the emergence of 60s cultural revolution and the repression and revolt of the old guard against the new concepts and ideals.

The production is still in development, but is expected to be in the West End in 2014.

Andrew said: “I was absolutely thrilled when Milos agreed to perform the Theme from Stephen Ward. I have wanted to work with him since I saw him perform at the first London “Yellow Lounge” event in Bermondsey Street Tunnels in 2011 – collaborating with him has been a real privilege.”

‘Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years’ will be broadcast on ITV1, Easter Sunday, 31 March at 6.30pm.

The 90-minute special, hosted by Michael Ball, features a star-studded line up performing some of Andrew’s best-loved music, as the award-winning composer and producer celebrates an unbroken run of 40 years of shows in the West End.

Stars including Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberley Walsh, Melanie C, Myleene Klass, Il Divo, Tim Minchin and Samantha Barks, will perform special versions of some of Andrew’s greatest hits, including songs from Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar and Tell Me On A Sunday.

Andrew says: “I was flattered when ITV approached me about a 90-minute special, but I said I would only do it if it wasn’t some po-faced tribute to a bloke who’s about to collect his bus pass. I also said it must include the wet sari number from Bombay Dreams! I still don’t know what I’m letting myself in for, especially as Simon Cowell has filmed an interview for the show.”

The special will also feature an eagerly-anticipated world first performance of a track from Andrew’s forthcoming musical, Stephen Ward, by classical guitarist Miloš. This will be an exclusive opportunity for fans to hear new music from Andrew and learn more about his next West End production.

Throughout the show, Andrew will share anecdotes and discuss the evolution and influences behind his biggest music masterpieces – just how did he turn biblical figures, domestic pets and roller-skating trains into global entertainment spectacles? And where did Andrew develop his instinct for spotting star talent?

Cameras will go behind the scenes to provide a glimpse into Andrew’s working life, while speaking to some of his closest friends and colleagues, including Michael Caine and Alex Ferguson.

For the show’s finale Love Changes Everything will be sung by Michael Ball accompanied by a chorus of pupils from London’s Highbury Grove School.

Andrew visited Highbury Grove School last year to commend the once-failing school for putting music at the core of its curriculum and inspiring a new generation to fulfil their potential and enjoy the arts.

John Kaye Cooper, Controller of Entertainment for ITV, said: “Andrew’s contribution to musical theatre is unrivalled and we are delighted to be celebrating his four decades in the West End with an evening that promises some spectacular performances and a deeper insight into the man himself.”

3,000 young performers, aged 6-18 years, are set to take part in Britain’s largest ever performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats.
To purchase tickets please visit The Ticket Factory

Part-time theatre school network Stagecoach Theatre Arts is celebrating its 25th anniversary with an epic performance of the world-renowned musical at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham on Sunday 24th March. Exclusive permission has been given by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group for the extensive arena production, with thousands of performers from Stagecoach schools nationally and internationally taking part.

The main cast will comprise 50 specially selected dancers and 500 singers in a grand choir from 13 Stagecoach schools. An additional 2500 young performers from a further 47 schools throughout the UK, Malta, Germany and Ireland have been allocated a selection of the Cats score to bring their own individual creative dances to life within the vast arena. These students will be supported by a virtual choir of international students from Stagecoach schools in Canada, Germany, Gibraltar, Ireland, South Africa, Spain and USA, visible on large screens. An orchestra will play the famous score under the direction of world renowned conductor, Paul Leddington Wright.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that so many young people will be able to take part in this very special performance of Cats. Happy 25th Birthday Stagecoach and thank you for giving your students the opportunity to perform the show in such a spectacular way.”

Since Cats received its world premiere in London in 1981, it has been seen by millions of people all over the world and translated into many languages including German, Hungarian, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Swedish, French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Korean and Mandarin.

Veronica Bennetts, Director of Education for Stagecoach, says: “We are honoured to have been allowed to perform Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical and are hugely excited to celebrate our quarter-century anniversary in this way. To bring together so many students from across the UK, and globally, has truly been team work on a vast scale and the final outcome will be something to remember forever.

T.S. Eliot’s poetry combined with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music has been inspirational and the students have been in their element in rehearsals singing, dancing and acting. As it has not been feasible for many of our international schools to physically be at the performance they have submitted clips which are being made into a video collage to be played at the live event.”

Stagecoach, founded in 1988 with three schools in Surrey now has almost 600 centres throughout the UK with a further 72 overseas in Australia, Canada, Germany, Gibraltar, Ireland, Malta, Spain and the USA. It offers quality training in drama, dance and singing to young performers from 4-18 at weekends and is designed to build confidence and develop communication through performance skills.

To purchase tickets please visit The Ticket Factory or telephone 0844 5814962

The Perfect Song - was written following a bet made by their good friend Sir Michael Caine.

Andrew reveals: “Leslie and I were having dinner with Michael Caine and Michael said he couldn’t believe that we had never written together professionally.  We pointed out that we had written a little song as a wedding present for Michael Winner.

“I said to Leslie: ‘You give me a great song title and I will write a song.”

“Michael bet us that we wouldn’t come up with anything.  Leslie immediately came up with the title The Perfect Song, I wrote the melody on the way home in the taxi, emailed it to Leslie and he wrote the lyrics within a day.

“I happened to run into Michael Ball at a Downing Street reception (as one does!) and he asked me if I had anything new for his album.”

Andrew was delighted to have the opportunity to write with long-standing friend, Leslie, whose credits include What Kind of Fool Am I, The Candy Man, Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice.

The pair have both won Academy Awards, Oliviers, Tonys, Grammys and have triumphed in musical careers that span decades.

THE PERFECT SONG will be released on 18^th March and can be downloaded as a single from iTunes, Amazon and all other digital music stores. Click here to pre-order on iTunes »

BOTH SIDES NOW (the album) will be released on 25^th February  and also includes a special arrangement of Andrew’s Love Changes Everything performed by Michael and Il Divo.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said, “It’s wonderful to have a new production of PHANTOM touring America in the same year that the show celebrates 25 years on Broadway. Director Laurence Connor has done an amazing job and this production has received huge critical acclaim in the UK.”

Cameron Mackintosh said, “After a glorious celebration last month of 25 phenomenal years on Broadway with no end in sight, I’m delighted to be able to bring this dazzling new production of PHANTOM — which has been phenomenally well-received by both audiences and critics in the U.K this past year — to America. With an exciting new design and staging, retaining Maria Björnson’s amazing costumes, I am confident American audiences will fall in love with the PHANTOM in his new guise — for the first time or all over again.”

The new production of PHANTOM has been an enormous hit on its inaugural UK tour with audiences and critics alike…

“An intense and spectacular new production with a stunning new design, fresh drama and added momentum.”

“Cameron Mackintosh’s flawless new PHANTOM is the best production of this musical ever.”

“Take a deep breathe and prepare to be dazzled; this kind of gorgeous escapism is exactly what audiences need.”

“A PHENOMENON.”

“Andrew Lloyd Webber’s luscious music – a great theatrical experience PHANTASTIC.”

This new production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is directed by Laurence Connor (the 25th Anniversary Les Misérables now on tour and headed for Broadway, Jesus Christ Superstar) with choreography by Scott Ambler, set design by Paul Brown, Tony Award-winning original costume design by Maria Björnson, lighting design by Paule Constable, sound design by Mick Potter and musical supervision by John Rigby. The production is overseen by Matthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; lyrics are by Charles Hart (with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe) and the book is by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Orchestrations are by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA continues its record-breaking runs in London and on Broadway. There are currently five productions around the world: the flagship London production (26 Years and counting), New York (25 years and counting – PHANTOM celebrated its 25th Anniversary on Broadway on January 26 of this year), Budapest (Hungary), Kyoto (Japan), and Seoul (Korea).

Since its debut, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has grossed over $890 million on Broadway. Even now, it is consistently among Broadway’s highest-grossing shows and remains a box office champ. Earlier this year, the production shattered the house record at The Majestic by having its best weekly gross in its entire 25-year history. Total attendance is now over 15 million and it continues to play with no end in sight.

The musical’s international success – equally staggering – is represented by total worldwide grosses estimated at over $5.6 billion. This colossal figure makes PHANTOM the most successful entertainment venture of all time, with revenues higher than any film or stage play in history, including Titanic, Star Wars and far surpassing the world’s highest-grossing film Avatar (at $2.8 billion). Worldwide, over 65,000 performances have been seen by 130 million people in 28 countries and 148 cities in 13 languages.

The flagship London production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, which opened in 1986 at Her Majesty’s Theatre, celebrated 25 years in October 2011. That milestone was celebrated with a special production at London’s Royal Albert Hall directed by Laurence Connor.

The show has won more than 70 major theater awards, including seven 1988 Tony Awards (including Best Musical) and three Olivier Awards in the West End. The original cast recording, with over 40 million copies sold worldwide, is the best-selling cast recording of all time. In September 2010, student productions of PHANTOM started being licensed through R&H Theatricals, and so far have been performed at hundreds of high schools and colleges across the U.S. and in Canada.

The new touring production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA will be the first to tour the U.S. in three years. There have been three previous U.S. National Tours that grossed over $1.5 billion in combined box office sales and played 216 engagements in 77 cities for an unprecedented total of 36 years and over 14,500 performances to 31 million people.

Based on the classic novel Le Fantôme de L’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command.

The Australian tour will feature Tim Minchin as ‘Judas Iscariot’, Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’ and Ben Forster in the role of ‘Jesus’. Also starring in the Australian production will be Jon Stevens returning to Jesus Christ Superstar in the role of ‘Pontius Pilate’ and Andrew O’Keefe in the role of ‘King Herod’. Stevens played Judas in the 1992 Australian arena tour and the 1994 theatre production, as well as having been the frontman for INXS from 2000 – 2004 and the lead singer of Noiseworks. O’Keefe is a popular TV presenter in Australia, on screens across the country seven days a week hosting the popular shows Deal or No Deal and Weekend Sunrise.

It has been over 20 years since Jesus Christ Superstar last toured Australia: In 1992 a production which starring Jon Stevens as Judas and John Farnham as Jesus, toured Australian arenas to phenomenal success, running for 84 nights and attended by a still record 987,000 people, grossing over $40 million at the box office. The soundtrack went on to sell 4 x Platinum.

Andrew Lloyd Webber says: “I’m thrilled that Australia is to be the first leg for our international tour of the new Jesus Christ Superstar. We had an overwhelming reception when the show toured the country for an astounding 84 dates in 1992. I hope this new production, which has been totally re-conceived for the 21st century, will entertain a new generation of Australians as well as those who already love the show.”

The production will then return for an encore season across UK arenas starting 1 October in Glasgow’s new Hydro Arena. The original UK cast will return for the 2013 run, including Tim Minchin as ‘Judas Iscariot’, Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’ and Chris Moyles as ‘King Herod’ and Ben Forster, in the title role of ‘Jesus’.

The inaugural run in September 2012 was seen by over 150,000 people, breaking previous audience records, with 74,000 fans seeing the show on its opening weekend.

Tickets for the UK tour priced £30-65 available HERE »

The Jesus Christ Superstar arena tour is a co-production between AEG Live, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Really Useful Group. ‘Superstar’ was an ITV Studios Production for ITV1.

Hundreds of the musical’s alumni were amongst the audience and following the performance Hal Prince, Cameron Mackintosh, and Sarah Brightman appeared on stage.

Andrew Lloyd Webber is currently recovering from an operation on his back and was unable to travel to New York for the celebration. Earlier this week at his London home, he recorded a very special message for the Majestic audience with Sarah Brightman. This was the first time since their marriage that they have been filmed together in interview.

As the winner of the 2012 UK Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, Lord Lloyd Webber will receive €15,000 which he has chosen to donate to the Israel Lovell Foundation in Barbados. In addition to this, the award will be presented with a limited edition Patron of the Arts Montblanc fountain pen specially designed and created for winners of the award in the Montblanc International Artisan Atelier. This year, the fountain pen is dedicated to Emperor Joseph II, a historic art patron and visionary of enlightened absolutism. Lord Lloyd Webber said: “I am thrilled to receive this prestigious award and to be joining a list of such esteemed winners is truly an honour. I am hugely grateful for Montblanc’s generous contribution to the Israel Lovell Foundation and I hope that this will make a real difference to the lives of the many people the Foundation works with in Barbados.”

The Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award was established in 1992 to honour and support patrons of the arts who have contributed exceptional time and energy to artists and their work. The winning patron must illustrate both a history of personal commitment to the arts and also a concern that the wider public should benefit from this, values that Lord Lloyd Webber personifies. The Montblanc Cultural Foundation is chaired by internationally renowned concert pianist Lang Lang and was established to develop and support arts and culture, with a variety of global initiatives designed to nurture this commitment.

The spectacular show returns to the UK in October 2013 by popular demand and will feature the same stellar cast as before: award-winning Tim Minchin (Judas Iscariot), Melanie C (Mary Magdalene), Chris Moyles (King Herod) and winner of ITV’s Superstar, Ben Forster (Jesus).

Andrew said “Last year’s tour was the first-ever UK arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar and it surpassed our expectations. The response from audiences across the UK and Ireland was overwhelming and the show was everything I had hoped for. It’s great news that fans will have a final chance to see the show with the original arena tour cast of Tim Minchin, Mel C, Chris Moyles, Ben Forster and Alex Hanson.”

Click here to visit the official website »

“This is a school that has turned itself around through music,” he said. “It is becoming very clear that what the Government does not understand is that every penny that you put into music education or education in the arts across the board comes back into the country 10 times over.”

Read the full article »

Witnessing this stunning show was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many people, but now you can relive the whole experience with Tim Minchin, Melanie C, Chris Moyles and Ben Forster in beautiful HD and crisp 5.1 surround sound in the conform of your own living room.

TORONTO – November 5, 2012 – Who will wear the ruby slippers?  Canada’s votes are in and LaSalle’sDanielle Wade has captured the title of Canada’s Top Dorothy in CBC’s OVER THE RAINBOW. Danielle will play the iconic role of Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, opening this December at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, in Toronto, ON.

After being presented with the coveted ruby slippers, Danielle closed the show with “Over The Rainbow.” At 20, Danielle recently completed her second year at the University of Windsor, where she studies acting. She has more than 10 years of vocal training and recently played Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, The Musical, Cinderella in Into The Woods and was part of the cast in Carner & Gregor’s Barely Legal Showtune Extravaganza in New York City. Her previous stage credits include playing Belle in Beauty and the Beast and Sandy in Grease.

Andrew Lloyd Webber & Over the Rainbow winner Danielle Wade

“I am thrilled with the outcome, Danielle is an extraordinary talent. We have been blessed with three really great girls in the final who will all have careers in musical theatre, but I know that tonight we have found a Dorothy who Canada can celebrate,” said Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The Top 3 Dorothys performed “Sing” as part of a special group number accompanied by Andrew Lloyd Webber and a children’s chorus to open the show. Fan favourites followed including “Big Spender” by Danielle Wade and “Buenos Aires” by Stephanie La Rochelle.

OVER THE RAINBOW not only discovered Canada’s next big star, but has also gained CBC acclaim for its digital innovation. “The CBC made history with its first ever foray into a synchronized second screen experience; for the first time ever the audience got to interact and rate performances live, in every time zone, and then see their feedback back on the TV screen in real time,” said Jennifer Dettman, Head of Factual Entertainment, CBC Television. This was a remarkable success, as the audience rated the Dorothys’ performances more than 118,000 times via the magical crystal ball.

On the web, cbc.ca/overtherainbow saw unprecedented traffic; clocking more than 5 million page views during the run of the series (web page views plus the second screen page views have surpassed 5 million from September – November 4).
In less than eight weeks, the OVER THE RAINBOW community has grown to nearly 60,000 registered users, participating in dozens of daily challenges and earning and casting hundreds of thousands of votes throughout the series. Ultimately, this devoted online following decided the final outcome and put Danielle onstage as Dorothy (nearly 60,000 registered users/members of OVER THE RAINBOW’S “Oz” community).
Starting in June, Dorothy hopefuls from across the country ran to auditions during the national casting tour.  Following the national call backs in Toronto in June, the field was whittled down to 20 contestants who then endured hours of rigorous training, and auditioning for musical theatre legend, Andrew Lloyd Webber.   Finally, the Top 10 Dorothys were debuted during OVER THE RAINBOW’s first live performance on September 16, hosted by Daryn Jones.  The contestants performed a variety of Broadway, standards and pop numbers in front of a live studio audience each week as well as judges Arlene Phillips, the famed UK TV judge, dance choreographer and director,Louise Pitre, Canada’s first lady of musical theatre, and one of Canada’s most popular leading men, Thom Allison.  On the weekly half-hour results episodes airing on Mondays, the bottom two Dorothys, as determined by a public vote, went head-to-head in a live sing-off, with the judging panel determining who was sent home.

The ceremony, held at The Palace Theatre, was hosted by TV presenter Clare Balding, with Graham Norton, Philip Mould, Culture Minister Ed Vaizey, Melvyn Bragg and Charles Moore presenting the awards.

Angel awards went to five winners out of the 16 finalists:

• Angel Award for the Best Rescue of an Industrial Building or Site – Max Sinclair for The Droitwich Canals, Wychavon, Worcestershire
• Angel Award for the Best Rescue of any Heritage building or site – Cockermouth Shopfront Steering Group for Main Street, Cumbria
• Angel Award for the Best Repair of a Place of Worship – Pauline Burkitt and Simon Pleasley, Church Wardens for St Mary’s Church, West Somerton, Norfolk
• Angel Award for the Best Craftsmanship Employed on a Heritage Rescue – Station Developments for Tynemouth Station, North Tyneside
• Angel Award voted for by English Heritage followers and Telegraph readers – Russell Savory, Friends of Stow Maries Aerodrome for Stow Maries Word War I Airfield, Maldon, Essex

Andrew Lloyd Webber chaired the judging panel which comprised Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, author and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg, Charles Moore of the Telegraph, historian Bettany Hughes and the Bishop of London, the Right Revd Richard Chartres.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “I am delighted for all the winners of this year’s Angel Awards who were chosen from a very strong shortlist. I think it is hugely important to publicly recognise the efforts of those rescuing heritage sites in order to show our appreciation for their work and encourage even more people across the country to do the same.”

Dr Simon Thurley said: “Once again we have been dazzled by the energy, invention, commitment and public spiritedness of thousands of people determined to save their precious heritage. While the angel awards were presented to five people, we are all winners, as we can now enjoy the historic places they have saved for the future.”

Clare Balding said: “I’m thrilled to be presenting the Heritage Angels Awards once again. I was so impressed with last year’s entries and know from this year’s list how much hard work has continued to be invested in revitalising our country’s magical buildings. These awards reward those who have completed work and inspire those who have just begun.”

The Telegraph is the media partner for the English Heritage Angel Awards and films about all 16 of the shortlisted candidates, including the winners, can be seen on the English Heritage website

The English Heritage Angel Awards are co-funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation

We have had fantastic audiences throughout the tour and last night was no exception, we even had a Mexican wave!

- View the photo gallery here »

They clearly enjoyed it!  Following the show Kylie tweeted – “@OfficialALW @OfficialRUG CONGRATS!!! We just saw and loved #JesusChristSuperstar

Click here for more images from the opening weekend »

The award recognised the contribution Gary Barlow made to this summer’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, including his organisation of the concert held in the Mall.

Gary and Andrew also co-wrote the chart topping Jubilee charity single “Sing”.  Read more about Sing here

Although I knew Marvin before, I became a friend through a USA TV chat show when he was at the height of his Chorus Line, witty performing fame. No one knew who I was. Marvin went to the piano, played some of my melodies and said to the studio audience “This is who Andrew is”.

No one other than a brilliant talent and a supremely generous composer and performer would have done that. We became firm friends ever since. Farewell Singular Sensation.

This new London date of Sunday 23 September takes the total run of shows up to 19, after second dates were recently added for Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and Nottingham. A second Dublin date – Saturday 13 October – will go on sale this Friday.

Tickets for the fourth London show go on sale Friday 3 August at 9am from jesuschristsuperstar.com/tickets

Continuing to break audience attendances for musical theatre in the UK, over 60,000 people will see Jesus Christ Superstar in its opening week. Over 100,000 tickets have been sold and £5million taken in advance box office sales for the tour, which opens at The O2 in London on Friday 21 September. Jesus Christ Superstar will visit 10 other arenas across the UK and Ireland, before ending at Sheffield’s Motorpoint on Sunday 21 October. For the first time in the musical’s history, UK arena audiences will get the chance to see a fully staged production of the musical, live on an arena stage, in their own hometown.

Tim Minchin will star as ‘Judas Iscariot’, alongside Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’, Chris Moyles as ‘King Herod’ and Ben Forster in the leading role as ‘Jesus’.

The spectacular production will come alive with a set and lighting design by Mark Fisher and Patrick Woodroffe, both fresh from working on the stunning London 2012 Opening Ceremony, having previously created designs for the likes of the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and U2. The show will be directed by Laurence Connor, the acclaimed director best known for the 25th Anniversary performance of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables at London’s O2 arena, and the new UK tour of The Phantom of the Opera.

Click here to buy tickets!

Starring Alongside Tim Minchin, Melanie C and Chris Moyles

Bringing live musical theatre to an arena audience

Tickets Selling Fast

Ben Forster will play the leading role of ‘Jesus’ in the first ever UK arena tour of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar. Ben will join Tim Minchin as ‘Judas Iscariot’, Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’ and Chris Moyles as ‘King Herod’ to tour arenas in 11 cities around the UK and Ireland. The tour starts at London’s O2 Arena on 21 September and ends at Sheffield’s Motorpoint on 21 October.

Ben, who tonight came first in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s television casting show ‘Superstar’ said, “This is a dream come true. I’m a massive fan of Andrew’s work. To have the chance to perform in front of hundreds of thousands of people in an arena with such an amazing cast is a real honour. Rehearsals start in two weeks and I just can’t wait to get stuck in to the role.”

For the first time in the history of musical theatre, 60,000 people will see Jesus Christ Superstar in its opening week. The arena tour has already sold in excess of 100,000 tickets and generated advance box office sales of over £5 million. Jesus Christ Superstar will give arena audiences the opportunity to witness a full production of the musical including a full staging and live band. Fans from Cardiff to Newcastle to Glasgow will be able to experience this legendary rock classic on an arena stage for the very first time.

Andrew Lloyd Webber commented: “Once again, the British public have got it right. Ben is a true rock star and he just oozes arenability. The UK has a lot to look forward to when he takes on this iconic role.”

Melanie C added: “My leading man has been found! It’s been great to watch Ben get to the final, he’s worked so hard and has consistently got it right. I’m really looking forward to working with him on the tour.”

The spectacular production will come alive with a set and lighting design by Mark Fisher and Patrick Woodroffe, who have previously created designs for the likes of the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and U2. The show will be directed by Laurence Connor, the acclaimed director best known for the 25th Anniversary performance of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables at London’s O2 arena, and the new UK tour of The Phantom of the Opera.

www.jesuschristsuperstar.com

Jesus Christ Superstar Tour Dates:

Friday 21 September London The O2

Saturday 22 September London The O2 (MATINEE PERFORMANCE)

Saturday 22 September London The O2

Tuesday 25 September Glasgow SECC

Friday 28 September Newcastle Metro Radio Arena

Sunday 30 September Manchester Arena

Tuesday 2 October Cardiff Motorpoint

Wednesday 3 October Cardiff Motorpoint

Thursday 4 October Birmingham NIA

Tuesday 9 October Belfast Odyssey

Friday 12 October Dublin O2

Tuesday 16 October Liverpool Echo Arena

Friday 19 October Nottingham Capital FM Arena

Sunday 21 October Sheffield Motorpoint

Tickets for the Jesus Christ Superstar UK arena tour are on sale now from www.jesuschristsuperstar.com

To meet Andrew and his judging panel, get the latest information on the finalists, and view previous episodes of the show, click here

The Award will be presented at today’s ceremonies by Jessie J, who will herself be awarded with the Royal Albert Hall Best British Act Award. Amongst other award winners will be Kylie Minogue, Emeli Sande, the Manic Street Preachers and Michael Buble.

Now in its 37th year, the Awards honour artists from across the music industry whilst raising funds to transform the lives of vulnerable people through music.

For more about the Award, click here

Photo credit: Jon Furniss

Tune in to see Andrew himself, along with Melanie C, Jason Donovan, Dawn French & David Grindrod on the judging panel!

Superstar is coming soon to ITV1! To apply to be in the TV studio audience, CLICK HERE!

UK Arena Tour Ticketing Information:

Sing, the Official Diamond Jubilee song co-written by Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber, has racked up a massive 142,000 sales since last weekend’s Jubilee concert, to become the biggest selling Number 1 of the year so far. The closest any other track has got to this tally in 2012 is DJ Fresh FT Rita Ora whose chart-topping single Hot Right Now shifted 128,000 copies in its first week on sale back in February.

Sing also outsells the rest of the Top 3 combined today – Flo Rida’s Whistle (2) and Fun FT Janelle Monae’s We Are Young (3).

Gary said “It’s been such a great week, it would take something very special to top it. I’d like to say thanks on behalf of about 200 people as we’ve got a massive cast on this record. I love collaborating with other artists and being able to put them all on one stage the other night was such an honour for me. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Meanwhile the album from which the title track is taken comfortably outstrips the rest of the Top 5 albums combined. Sing by Gary Barlow & The Commonwealth Band scoops the top slot on the Official Albums Chart too today making it the first Official Chart double of the year so far, and the second of Gary Barlow’s career, his first chart double was Take That’s 2006 hallowed pop comeback with Patience and accompanying studio album Beautiful World.

Sing co-writer Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “The last time I had a Number 1 album and Number 1 single at the same time was for Evita in 1976 when both the album and ‘Don’t Cry for me Argentina’ were at the top of the charts. So this is fantastic news about SING! Roll on the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee!!”

Sing was performed last weekend at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace, with vocals from Military Wives Choir and members of the Commonwealth Band, conducted by Military Wives Choir master Gareth Malone. A special documentary on the making of the song was also aired on BBC1 over the weekend – Gary Barlow: On Her Majesty’s Service. An accompanying Q&A with Gary Barlow can be found here http://bit.ly/LP3kXJ in which he suggests his experiences in the making of Sing will influence the next Take That album.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said earlier today, “I’m absolutely thrilled, this is a burst of sunshine on a rainy Sunday – let’s hope the sun shines on Gary’s concert tomorrow.”

Tomorrow, Monday 4 June, Andrew, along with Gary Barlow, Gareth Malone, the Military Wives Choir, and the Commonwealth Band, will be giving SING its first live public performance at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace in front of the Queen. SING, the official Diamond Jubilee song, was composed by Andrew and Gary as a tribute to the Queen and her commitment to the Commonwealth.

Andrew and Gary will be at pianos, leading both the musicians onstage and the 10,000 audience members, in song. The performance of SING will be the pinnacle of a star-studded concert that includes performances by Paul McCartney, Alfie Boe, Shirley Bassey, Elton John and Jessie J.

The concert will be televised live on BBC1 from 19.30.

‘On Her Majesty’s Service’, Gary Barlow’s documentary about the finding performers for SING, in which Andrew features, will be aired tonight, Sunday 3 June at 19.30 on BBC1.

For a full line-up of the concert, and more information on all this weekend’s Jubilee activities, go to the official BBC website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01jqhyf

CBC launches nationwide search for Dorothy on June 1, to appear on CBC Television’s OVER THE RAINBOW and star in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Canadian production of The Wizard of Oz.

“The dreams that you dare to dream really do come true”. So says the timeless classic song “Over the Rainbow”, and that’s exactly what will happen for one aspiring performer who will be selected the winner of OVER THE RAINBOW, the exciting new live competition series coming to CBC Television this fall, produced by Temple Street Productions. The winning Dorothy will star in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of The Wizard of Oz, opening at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto this December.

“We’re looking for a fresh new star in the making, and Canadians will play a key role in helping us to find our “Dorothy,” said David Mirvish, Mirvish Productions. “The new Dorothy must be able to not only sing, act and dance at a high level, but also have the charisma and presence to carry a marquee production on one of the country’s largest stages night after night.”

The nationwide search opens with live auditions starting Friday, June 1 in Vancouver, followed by stops in Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal, Halifax and Toronto. Those auditioning are asked to prepare “Over the Rainbow” and another song of their choice. For further details, visit cbc.ca/overtherainbow.

Live Audition Schedule:
Friday June 1st Vancouver The Westin Grand Vancouver 9:30am to 6:00pm
Saturday June 2nd Vancouver The Westin Grand Vancouver 9:30am to 1:30pm
Sunday, June 3rd Calgary Sheraton Suites Calgary 9:30am – 6:00pm
Monday, June 4th Winnipeg Fairmont 9:30am to 6:00pm
Saturday, June 9th Montreal The Sheraton Centre 9:30am to 6:00pm
Sunday, June 10th Halifax Westin Nova Scotian 9:30am to 6:00pm
Monday, June 18th Toronto Glenn Gould Studios, CBC 9:30am to 6:00pm

For those unable to attend the live auditions, there’s also a unique opportunity to submit your performance online at cbc.ca/overtherainbow with the Ticket to Oz contest, which will offer one talented individual a place in the Top 100.

In addition, there will also be a secondary search for the role of Toto, which will be featured on weekly Monday night results episodes of OVER THE RAINBOW. The winning Toto will appear in the finale episode of OVER THE RAINBOW.

Starting in September, host Daryn Jones will introduce the 10 finalists who will compete live on OVER THE RAINBOW Sunday nights on CBC Television, singing a mixture of Broadway and pop songs each week. Then, in half-hour results episodes on Monday nights, the bottom two Dorothys (as determined by an online public vote) will face-off and one participant will be saved from elimination by the judges. The competition will culminate in a showdown between the final three, with Lord Lloyd Webber himself in attendance, and Canada choosing the winner.

Andrew will also be talking about the forthcoming UK Arena Tour of _Jesus Christ Superstar_, which opens at London’s O2 Arena on September 21st and will feature the winner of ITV’s _Superstar_ in the lead role.

Tune in to ITV1’s This Morning from 10.35am on Friday 25th May.

FIRST LONDON SHOW SOLD OUT FOR NEW ROCK ARENA TOUR OF JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

SECOND DATE ADDED

TIM MINCHIN IN HIS ULTIMATE DREAM ROLE AS ‘JUDAS ISCARIOT’

MELANIE C AND CHRIS MOYLES IN ALL-STAR CAST

Due to phenomenal demand, a second London date has been announced for the brand new rock arena tour of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar, after the first London date sold out within 24 hours of going on sale.

Jesus Christ Superstar will now play at London’s The O2 arena on Saturday 22 September, as well as Friday 21 September.

Tickets for the tour – which will also visit Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Cardiff, Birmingham, Belfast, Dublin, Liverpool, Nottingham and Sheffield during September and October –  went on sale yesterday. Tickets are available from here.

An all-star cast for this exciting new production of Jesus Christ Superstar was unveiled this week, with award winning musical comedian Tim Minchin, an arena selling attraction not normally known for starring in musical theatre, taking the lead with his all time dream role as ‘Judas Iscariot’. Pop icon Melanie C will play ‘Mary Magdelene’ with radio presenter Chris Moyles as ‘King Herod’.

The ITV primetime show ‘Superstar’ will give the UK public the chance to decide who will play the starring role of ‘Jesus’, with a panel of live show judges led by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

AMANDA HOLDEN CONFIRMED AS SUPERSTAR HOST FOR THE ITV STUDIOS PRODUCED SERIES

ADDITIONAL GUEST ARTISTS WILL JOIN THROUGHOUT THE LIVE SHOWS

Following this week’s Jesus Christ Superstar UK Arena Tour casting announcement and today’s ticket onsale release, ITV1 and Andrew Lloyd Webber today announce further details about Superstar and the forthcoming televised live shows in the Summer.

All live show finalists in the series, produced by ITV studios, will be battling it out on stage to sing the title role of Jesus in the first ever UK arena tour of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary Jesus Christ Superstar.  This new rock production will play in arenas nationwide in the Autumn and demands not only the highest vocal standards but also someone that can act and captivate massive arena audience.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, with the assistance of David Grindrod, Melanie C and Jason Donovan, have now finished the nationwide audition tour which also included vocal and performance challenges.

Superstar host Amanda Holden (_Britain’s Got Talent, Cutting It, The Grimley’s_), has been on hand for all the auditionees throughout the latter stages of the search getting to know each of their personalities.

“It’s an absolute honour to be working with Andrew on Superstar.  We’ve discovered some wonderful talent for the viewers, I already feel very protective of them, I’m like Mother Hen with all my boys!” said Amanda Holden

Also confirmed today are British actress, writer and comedy legend, Dawn French (_Jam & Jerusalem_ and The Vicar of Dibley) and award winning singer, actor, Jason Donovan (_Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Priscilla_) who will be joining Andrew on the live show judging panel.

Comedienne Dawn French said “I’m gagging to find Jesus with the help of the Good Lord.  I have actually been searching for him my whole life, and I can’t believe that inside a few weeks we are going to find him.  The fact that he is going to be a Rock God is a massive bonus.”

Jason Donovan who has made his mark already on Superstar by assisting Andrew in the early stages of the competition moves to a judging seat next to Andrew and Dawn. Melanie C, who will take on the role of Mary Magdalene in the arena tour, will continue to support the judges during the live shows.

“We have unearthed some cracking talent so far and I’m really pleased I’ve had time to get to know the finalists as we’ve moved through the competition stages.  It’s an honour to sit by Andrew on the judging panel and I can’t wait for the live shows to start” said Jason Donovan

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “The prize of this talent search has to be the biggest of any reality show ever.  The winner will be part of a star cast including Tim Minchin, Mel C and Chris Moyles playing in arenas up and down the country.  I am thrilled with the finalists I have chosen to put through to the live shows, they could not be a more varied bunch.  Viewers will have some really exciting performances to look forward to.”

The live show judges will offer their opinions to each of the finalists on stage as they battle it out to win the votes of the British public. The various special guest artists will also be invited to offer their opinions on the contenders.

The winner’s prize will be the leading role in a new arena tour of the legendary Jesus Christ Superstar which will open at London’s O2 arena on 21st September.

Casting for the UK Arena Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar was announced this week, with Tim Minchin, Melanie C and Chris Moyles joining the Superstar winner onstage. Tickets for the tour are NOW ONSALE..

Superstar is executive produced by Peter Davey with Katharine Begg as series producer.

Superstar is an ITV Studios production for ITV1.

Decca Records today reveals to the public ‘Sing’, the Official Diamond Jubilee song which unites some of the Commonwealth’s most talented and diverse musicians. Co-written by Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber, two of the UK’s greatest living songwriters, it has been disclosed that Gareth Malone and his ever-expanding Military Wives Choir will lead the Commonwealth Band in both the recording (released on May 28th) and the Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace on June 4th.

‘Sing’ had its first radio play on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show this morning, Friday 18th May. Click here to listen to the show on BBC iPlayer. Scroll to 1.38.50 to hear Andrew, Gary and Gareth discussing the song ahead of its first radio play. You can also watch the VIDEO for ‘Sing’ exclusively on MSN.

The Commonwealth Band includes 210 musicians from across the Commonwealth, believed to be among the most musicians to record a UK single. They are as diverse as the African Children’s Choir (including soloist Lydia who opens and closes the track), Aboriginal guitarist Gurrumul, Slum Drummers from Kenya’s Kibera slum, the Jolly boys from Jamaica and Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Band. And also Prince Harry on tambourine, making his recording debut.

‘Sing’ will form part of a commemorative Jubilee album by Gary Barlow & The Commonwealth Band, to be released by Decca Records on Monday May 28th. The album celebrates global young singing talent including New Zealander Hayley Westenra (the best-selling classical artist of the 21st Century) and two British singers; chart-topping tenor Alfie Boe and up-and-coming soprano Laura Wright. Some of the proceeds from ‘Sing’ will raise funds for The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust*.

Gareth Malone and the Military Wives Choir were selected as the perfect exponents of singing in the UK, having scored the Christmas No.1 with their choral hit ‘Wherever You Are’, as well as a No.1 album. The choir touched the hearts of the nation when Gareth first introduced them to singing just a year ago on BBC Two and, in addition to raising well over half a million pounds for charity, their runaway Christmas success has already led to a significant rise in choir membership across the UK. The two soloists on ‘Sing’, Elizabeth Simpson and Rebecca Ellen Marshall from Wattisham and Catterick, represent the expanded and specially auditioned Military Wives Choir for this single.

To further encourage the nation to learn the song and join in the Jubilee celebrations, the sheet music and words will be available for free download. Register here for your download.

Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber were approached by Buckingham Palace to bring their musical talents to the Jubilee celebrations and wrote this commemorative song as a result. Gary travelled around the Commonwealth countries of Australia, Kenya, Jamaica and the Solomon Islands gathering musicians that he could bring together into one song. His main criteria was to recruit undiscovered musicians who showed a real passion for music. His journey has been tracked in a BBC documentary which will air on BBC1 on Saturday June 2nd.

Having recorded most artists locally on a laptop, the final elements were recorded and mixed at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. The culmination of this epic song-writing project will be when a number of the artists join together on stage to perform ‘Sing’ at the Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace on June 4th. For all the artists involved, this will be a huge honour.

*Gary Barlow said*: “We went on a journey with this record, meeting and recording with some beautifully talented singers and musicians. I can’t believe we’ve managed to get the amount of people we got featured on this song, from all corners of The Commonwealth, but we did! I’m very proud of the result and hope people enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it.”

*Andrew Lloyd Webber said*: “It has been a great joy to collaborate with Gary on a song for this extraordinary occasion. I hope it will become a song that is sung in celebration for many years to come.”

*Gareth Malone said*: “We’ve had the most incredible year and have been embraced by the public in a way we never imagined possible. We’re so honoured to have been chosen to be a part of this momentous national celebration. It’s great to be able to continue the legacy of the Military Wives Choir, which includes the two fantastic new soloists on this single.”

THE PUBLIC TO CAST THE ROLE OF ‘JESUS’

*TICKETS ON SALE NOW

DIGITALLY REMASTERED ALBUM RELEASED 16 JULY

The Really Useful Group and AEG Live today announce the first ever UK arena tour of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary rock classic Jesus Christ Superstar.

Award-winning musical comedian Tim Minchin – also the co-writer of West End smash musical Matilda – is confirmed for the role of ‘Judas Iscariot’. Three million album selling pop icon and former Spice Girl Melanie C will take the only female lead as ‘Mary Magdalene’, and BBC Radio 1’s Breakfast Show host Chris Moyles will make his major stage debut as ‘King Herod’, in what is set to be one of the biggest and most impressive arena tours to hit the UK.

The ITV primetime show ‘Superstar’ will give the UK public the chance to decide who will play the starring role of ‘Jesus’, with a panel of live show judges led by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Celebrating 40 years since it first opened in London’s West End, the Jesus Christ Superstar arena tour kicks off in London on 21 September before visiting Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Cardiff, Birmingham, Belfast, Dublin, Liverpool and Nottingham. The tour culminates in Sheffield on 21 October.

Tickets for the UK tour priced £45-65 are onsale NOW

Andrew Lloyd Webber said:

“ Jesus Christ Superstar began life as an album followed by a sell-out arena tour of the US.  Our very first show was at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where we played to over 13,000 people.  Tim and I have always wanted to take Superstar back to its roots and we are both delighted that it will finally play an arena tour in the UK in venues where many of the world’s great rock acts have gone before.  We’re thrilled to have such great talent in the cast for the new show – they are all true ambassadors of UK entertainment. The re-mastered album sounds fantastic and we hope that fans both old and new will enjoy it.”

Tim Minchin said:

“As a huge fan of Jesus Christ Superstar , I’ve always thought it needed 3 key things: a big cast and band; loads of volume; and me playing Judas. I’ve been in two small productions of the show, and understudied the big man both times. I am really bloody excited about this.”

Melanie C said:

“I have been lucky enough to perform at  arenas across the globe and to star in London’s West End but taking on the role of Mary Magdalene in the incredible Jesus Christ Superstar  has to be one my most exciting challenges to date.

I can’t wait to take the show to some of my favourite venues in the UK with such a talented and formidable cast including Tim and Chris.”

Chris Moyles said:

“To receive a phonecall from Andrew is very cool, but then when he asks you to be in his musical that’s pretty amazing and there is only one thing to respond with… And that is yes! Absolutely! My mum’s gonna be well excited!”

The original multi-million selling Jesus Christ Superstar  double-album, released in 1970, became a No.1 hit record in the US charts and spawned the live show phenomenon. The album features Ian Gillan as ‘Jesus’, Murray Head as ‘Judas Iscariot’, Mike d’Abo as ‘Herod’ and Yvonne Elliman as ‘Mary Magdalene’, plus legendary rock music session musicians such as Neil Hubbard (Bryan Ferry, BB King, Elton John), Chris Spedding (Roxy Music, John Cale), Alan Spenner (Joe Cocker, Peter Frampton) and Bruce Rowland (Paul McCartney’s Wings, Fairport Convention). The album has been digitally re-mastered and will be released on 16 July through Polydor.

The Jesus Christ Superstar  arena tour is a co-production between AEG Live, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Really Useful Group.  ‘Superstar’ is an ITV Studios Production for ITV1. Jesus Christ Superstar  the album is released by Polydor, a division of Universal Music.

Jesus Christ Superstar  Tour Dates:

Friday 21 September           London O2 Arena

Tuesday 25 September        Glasgow SECC

Friday 28 September           Newcastle Metro Radio Arena

Sunday 30 September         Manchester Arena

Tuesday 2 October               Cardiff Motorpoint

Thursday 4 October             Birmingham NIA

Tuesday 9 October                Belfast Odyssey

Friday 12 October                 Dublin O2

Tuesday 16 October             Liverpool Echo Arena

Friday 19 October                 Nottingham Capital FM Arena

Sunday 21 October               Sheffield Motorpoint

BASCA Fellows include: John Adams, David Arnold, Sir Malcolm Arnold, John Barry, Don Black, Pierre Boulez, Sir John Dankworth, David Ferguson, George Fenton, Sir Elton John, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and Sir Tim Rice.

Leslie Bricusse will be presenting the Fellowship to Andrew.

*About BASCA*

BASCA, the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, is the professional association for music writers of all genres in the UK. With approximately 2,000 members, it is the single voice for British music creators.

BASCA works to foster a sense of community amongst songwriters, lyricists and composers, and to campaign on their behalf in the domestic, European and international political arenas. As the only association in the country made up entirely of music writers, the organisation has an unparalleled insight into the issues affecting music creators in the UK today. We work closely with our members, keeping them informed in a constantly changing environment via our publications, websites, seminars and professional networking events. BASCA also presents the Ivor Novello Awards, British Composer Awards and Gold Badge Awards annually.

Nordoff Robbins, the national specialist music charity, has announced today that Jessie J and Andrew Lloyd Webber will reunite as they both win 2012 Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef Awards.

The O2 Silver Clef Awards is hosted by Nordoff Robbins at the London Hilton on Park Lane, on Friday June 29th. The star-studded annual event which is known for its who’s who audience of A-list musical heavyweights recognises outstanding musical talent whilst raising money for the national specialist music charity, Nordoff Robbins, using music to transform the lives of vulnerable children and adults.

Andrew Lloyd Webber will receive the Sony Mobile ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Award, presented to him by Jessie J. Jessie J was 11 years old when she was discovered by Andrew Lloyd Webber and chosen to star in his West End production of _Whistle Down The Wind_ – the start of her highly successful music career.

Jessie J will be given the Royal Albert Hall ‘Best British Act’ Award. Jessie J is thrilled to be winning her award on the same night that the global musical legend is being awarded his.

Andrew Lloyd Webber says:

“I am honoured to be the recipient of this year’s Sony Mobile ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Award at the Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef lunch, and would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the wonderful work of Nordoff Robbins in transforming lives through music therapy. I’m looking forward to celebrating with Jessie J and the other award winners in June.”

Nuala Donnelly from the O2 Sponsorship Team says:

“2012 is a year of celebration for the UK, for O2 and for the Silver Clef awards in aid of Nordoff Robbins. The tenth birthday both of O2 and the awards is a huge landmark and shows how committed we are to supporting Nordoff Robbins in its music therapy work. We want to continue to help Nordoff Robbins reach new audiences and the Silver Clef awards are perfect for this, getting bigger and better each year. We hope this year’s celebration of both established music icons and the youngest, freshest stars will gather a whole new host of fans to Nordoff Robbins to help continue to transform lives through music therapy.”

Sony Mobile says:

‘We are constantly inspired by music charity Nordoff Robbins, whose music therapy work proves how powerful the arts can be in transforming lives. Similarly, Lord Lloyd Webber and his Foundation’s tireless work supporting UK projects that make a true impact on people’s lives, particularly in music, culture and the arts, is outstanding. It is an area very dear to our hearts and we are hugely proud to present him with this award.”

Jasper Hope, Chief Operating Officer of the Royal Albert Hall says:

“The Royal Albert Hall has been enthusiastic supporters of Nordoff Robbins for many years. As a charity with a remit to promote the arts and sciences and an entertainment venue renowned for the quality and range of music on our stage, we are proud to support Nordoff Robbins’ valuable work using music to transform lives.”

David Munns, Chairman, Nordoff Robbins says:

“Our work at Nordoff Robbins is life changing. Since the Silver Clef Awards began 37 years ago, they have raised over £8m for Nordoff Robbins, allowing us to use music to transform the lives of many thousands of disadvantaged and vulnerable people.”

David goes on to say:

“We’re delighted to announce two incredible artists and inspirations to be joining us, touching the lives of so many supporters through music. Andrew Lloyd Webber is simply nothing less than a global musical legend. Having devoted his life to the arts, he is responsible for creating some of the most beautiful and unforgettable music of our time – and has been one of the UK’s most generous philanthropists. We’re delighted and honoured to award him the Nordoff Robbins Sony Mobile ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Award 2012. To be able to combine this with our Royal Albert Hall ‘Best British’ Act for 2012 being Jessie J, is something really quite remarkable – I think the Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef Lunch this year will be a fantastic event, allowing us to further our help to so many more – we still have a long way to go to ensure we can deliver our music services to all those who need them.”

Nordoff Robbins has 60 therapists providing music therapy services to 100 organisations across the UK, amounting to over 50,000 music therapy sessions every year which are delivered in a variety of settings.

Nordoff Robbins reaches out to so many, helping through music therapy to dramatically enhance and in many ways save the lives of people who they work with and their loved ones. The annual Nordoff Robbins Silver Clef Awards acts as the main fundraising platform for the charity and has brought together an incredible collection of iconic faces and talents since it began in 1975, making it a highlight in the music industry calendar. Previous artists involved include The Who, Paul McCartney, Queen, Def Leppard, Eric Clapton, M People, Coldplay, Take That, Oasis and so many more, including Tinie Tempah and Annie Lennox last year.

The nominations were announced live from The New York Public Library for Performing Arts. Both the current Broadway revival of Evita, directed by Michael Grandage, and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival production of Jesus Christ Superstar, which opened at the Neil Simon Theatre in March 2012, were among the nominees.

Evita, now playing at The Marquis Theatre on Broadway, is nominated in the following categories: Best Revival of a Musical Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for Michael Cerveris Best Choreography for Rob Ashford

Jesus Christ Superstar is nominated for the following awards: Best Revival of a Musical Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Josh Young

The winners of the 2012 Tony Awards will be announced in a special ceremony, broadcast live from the Beacon Theatre in North America on CBS on Sunday, June 10th from 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT time delay).

For more information on the Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar, click here, and visit the official show website for Evita on Broadway here.

For the full list of nominees, visit the Tony Awards website.

In 2005 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatres sold his four playhouses, the Lyric, Apollo, Garrick and Duchess theatres to Nica Burns and Max Weitzenhoffer who formed Nimax Theatres Limited, adding the Vaudeville Theatre in 2008. Today Burns and Weitzenhoffer are also the proud owners of the spectacular Palace Theatre with its prime location on Shaftesbury Avenue, currently home to Stage Entertainment’s hit revival of Chichester Festival Theatre’s Singin’ in the Rain.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said:

“I am selling The Palace Theatre because I love it.

I feel that it’s been my home for nearly forty years. _Jesus Christ Superstar_began its record breaking run there in August 1972 and I bought the theatre in 1983. I wrote big chunks of _Phantom_ in my upstairs office there.

During the time I owned this Victorian dream, I removed the huge neon sign that defaced the glorious terracotta exterior, much to the chagrin of West End producers who told me I had removed the greatest theatre advertising sight in London. I argued that the restored facade would speak for itself. It didn’t hurt the staggering run of _Les Misérables_.

I am proud that under my ownership the auditorium has been restored, the magnificent front of house that had been covered with army surplus paint was removed to reveal acres of Italian marble and the theatre that John Betjeman described as ‘the only theatre architecture … which climbs into the regions of a work of art’ was brought back to its former glory.

So why am I selling it?

First, and most importantly, I want to see a secure theatrical future for the Palace as I do the other historic theatres that I own through Really Useful Theatres. I can think of no better future custodians of Britain’s finest Victorian theatre than my friends Nica and Max.

Secondly, the proceeds of the sale will be used to repay debt and to strengthen the balance sheet of Really Useful Theatres. This will allow me to plan the future of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and continue work on refurbishing The London Palladium.

Lastly, Nica and Max are completely aware of my passion for The Palace and we have agreed that if there is a major theatrical reworking of the building, I will partner them.

Good luck Nica and Max. I hope the Palace is as good for you as it has been for me.”

Nica Burns and Max Weitzenhoffer said:

“We are honoured that Andrew Lloyd Webber has entrusted us with the guardianship of this iconic building with its extraordinary history and will cherish it as he does. We have longed to own a major musical house and it doesn’t get much better than the Palace.”

Burns, who also runs Nimax as its CEO and has recently completed her three year term as President of the Society of London Theatre added:

“A big thank you to our financiers HSBC Corporate – a bank that still backs business – for making our bid possible”.

Burns and Weitzenhoffer’s recent productions include _Pygmalion_ with Rupert Everett and Kara Tointon at the Garrick, _Meow Meow in Concert_ at the Apollo, _When We Are Married_ starring Maureen Lipman and Roy Hudd at the Garrick and the transfer of Mike Leigh’s _Ecstasy_ from Hampstead Theatre to the Duchess Theatre. Their production of Eugene O’Neill’s _Long Day’s Journey into Night_ directed by Anthony Page starring David Suchet, Laurie Metcalfe, Trevor White and Kyle Soller opened at the Apollo Theatre last night to brilliant reviews.

Nimax is a popular and highly respected theatre owner and Burns and Weitzenhoffer are as passionate about their buildings as they are about their productions. A careful refurbishment programmes has seen the restoration of four of the five facades, notably the Apollo on Shaftesbury Avenue which has been transformed with a splendid renovation of its stonework and statues. Backstage facilities have been hugely improved, especially with the addition of a backstage lift at the Duchess. The public facilities have been upgraded with state of the art loos at the Apollo and Duchess and others planned.

Andrew will be discussing the recent DVD release of _Love Never Dies_. The film version of the Australian production was released in the UK and Ireland on Monday 12th March, and topped the UK’s mid-week Music DVD chart just days after its release.

UK listeners can tune in to BBC Radio 2 from 2pm tomorrow afternoon (UK time), or listen to the show here.

Love Never Dies was also the highest charting non-film release in the UK’s overall top 200 midweek DVD sales chart, reaching number 4 – just behind new DVD releases The Twilight Saga (1), The Help (2) and Jane Eyre (3).

The Australian production of Love Never Dies – described by Andrew as “one of the finest productions I’ve ever seen of my work, anywhere” – was screened in cinemas across the United States earlier this month, to great response. The film, which stars Ben Lewis as The Phantom and Anna O’Byrne as Christine, will be broadcast in Canadian cinemas in April and is available on DVD in the UK, Ireland, Australia and a number of other territories.

Visit www.loveneverdies.com for all available release information and to buy your copy of the DVD.

The nomination comes just weeks after the show won two awards at the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards, including Best Musical Revival.

The Laurence Olivier Awards are the most prestigious awards in London’s Theatreland, having been a mark of theatrical greatness since they were inaugurated in 1976 as the Society of West End Theatre Awards (now called the Laurence Olivier Awards in honour of the theatrical legend.) The winners will be announced at the official Awards ceremony, held at the Royal Opera House on 15th April.

Developed from the ever-popular 1939 MGM screenplay, the London Palladium production of The Wizard of Oz – produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Bill Kenwright – contains all the much-loved songs from the Oscar-winning movie score including; Over the Rainbow, Follow the Yellow Brick Road, If I Only Had a Heart and We’re Off to See the Wizard. All the favourite characters and iconic scenes are there, plus brand new songs written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice especially for this production.

Visit the  Olivier Awards website for the full list of nominees.

• TO BE ANNOUNCED: THE PANEL OF JUDGES FOR THE LIVE SHOWS WHO WILL JOIN HEAD JUDGE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

• HEAD JUDGE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER WELCOMES MELANIE C & JASON DONOVAN TO ASSIST HIM IN HIS SEARCH FOR A SUPERSTAR

ITV1 today confirmed that Melanie C and Jason Donovan would be joining the Superstarteam for the final auditions.  This experienced duo, along with casting expert David Grindrod will assist Andrew Lloyd Webber as he decides on those finalists who will go through to the live studio shows on ITV1 this Summer.

All finalists will be battling it out on stage to sing the title role of Jesus in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar.  This new rock production will play in arenas nationwide and demands not only the highest vocal standards but also someone that can act and engage with a massive arena audience.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has selected Melanie C and Jason Donovan as they have previously performed on arena tours as pop stars and have also made the successful transition to the West End stage. As such, they will feedback into Andrew Lloyd Webber after spending time with the budding hopefuls watching them perform, sing and act.  Andrew Lloyd Webber will oversee the casting process at all times.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said:  “I’m pleased to appoint David, Jason and Melanie to assist me with the candidates during Callbacks as I select my final 40 to go further for intensive training.  They will be using their unique arena and stage experience to help me narrow down my choices for the live shows. What we’re looking for is a rock star who will go on to sing the role of Jesus in the UK’s first ever arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.”

British singer-songwriter Melanie C has a hugely successful music background, both as a solo artist and within the Spice Girls.  She was also nominated for Best Actress at the 2010 Olivier Awards for her role as Mrs Johnstone in the musical Blood Brothers by Willy Russell in London’s West End.

“I’m a huge fan of Andrew’s incredible work over the years. I am honoured and excited to work along side him helping to find a performer with the raw talent and charisma to play the title role of Jesus” said Melanie C.

Jason Donovan famously starred as lead in the 1992 West End revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which received two Laurence Olivier Awards.  Other stage highlights include; The Rocky Horror Show, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert to name a few.  His lead role in Joseph earned him his third UK No 1 single with Any Dream Will Do and to date he’s sold over 3 million records in the UK with four UK No 1 singles.

“We’ve got an amazing challenge ahead of us, helping Andrew in his quest to find someone to play the title role of Jesus in the new arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.  I can’t wait to start working with Andrew again” said Jason Donovan

Auditions have already taken place across the country in London, Dublin, Belfast, Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff. The next stage after this will be Callbacks, if the auditionees are successful, they’ll then enter a week long ‘pop up’ performance school that’s designed to bring out the very best in acting and vocal ability.

Once the finalists are chosen by Andrew Lloyd Webber they’ll then perform for the ‘Live Show Judges’ – a separate star studded panel of Judges who will appear exclusively on the live shows when they start this Summer on ITV1.

These judges will offer their opinions to each of the finalists on stage as they battle it out to win the votes of the British public.

The winner’s prize will be the leading role in a new arena tour of the legendary rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber which will open at London’s O2 arena later this year.

Superstar is executive produced by Peter Davey with Katharine Begg as series producer.

Superstar is an ITV Studios production for ITV1. Visit www.jesuschristsuperstar.com.

The ultimate love story continues in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sensational sequel  to The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies. Following screenings of the award-winning Australian production in cinemas across the United States in recent weeks, UK fans now have the chance to own the spellbinding film version of Love Never Dies, starring Ben Lewis as The Phantom and Anna O’Byrne as Christine.

Love Never Dies will also be screened in Canadian cinemas in April, and the film is released on DVD and Blu-Ray in the USA and Canada on 29th May. Visit www.loveneverdies.com for all available worldwide release dates.

Andrew appears on ITV1′s Daybreak tomorrow morning, joining presenters Dan Lobb and Kate Garraway on the breakfast show from approximately 8.20am. Daybreak is broadcast in the UK from 6am on ITV1.

Andrew also appears on BBC Radio 4′s Front Row tomorrow evening, aired in the UK from 7.15pm. The radio programme will be available on BBC iPlayer after broadcast..

Andrew joins presenters Matt Baker and Alex Jones on The One Show sofa to discuss the forthcoming release of the award-winning Australian production of Love Never Dies, out in the UK on 12th March 2012 and premiering in the USA on cinema screens from today.

UK viewers can tune in to BBC1 from 7pm tomorrow evening, or watch the show on BBC iPlayer for up to 7 days after broadcast.

The result of their collaboration will be performed at the star-studded Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace on 4th June.

To help create this unique piece of music, Gary will embark on a journey around the world to discover what The Queen means to the ordinary people of the Commonwealth. His journey will feature in an hour-long documentary for BBC One, commissioned by Danny Cohen, Controller, BBC One.

The challenge will be to not only explore the different musical cultures and traditions of these Commonwealth nations, but he will also look at the importance of The Queen to the Commonwealth.

Speaking about their collaboration, Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “It is a huge honour to be involved in this historic occasion and I am looking forward very much to working with Gary.”

Gary Barlow said: “’This is probably the biggest challenge I’ve ever taken on musically, I’m so excited and thrilled to be a part of it.”
The programme will be Executive Produced for the BBC by Mirella Breda, and Executive Produced & Directed by Ben Winston and Produced by Mark Jones for Fulwell 73.

In addition, it was also announced today that applications for tickets to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert have topped 1,000,000.

For further information, please see www.bbc.co.uk/diamondjubilee.

UK listeners can tune in on BBC Radio 2 tomorrow from 6.30 – 9.30am, or listen live via the Radio 2 website here.

The programme will be available for 7 days after broadcast on BBC iPlayer.

The interview will also air on WLIW/Long Island Channel 21 on Friday 17th February at 7pm EST, and on NJTV on Sunday 19th February at 8.30pm EST.

For those who are unable to watch the interview, it will be available to view on the PBS NYC Arts website after the broadcast. Click here for a preview, and to watch the feature after its inital broadcast.

Making its first appearance in the United States, NCM Fathom and Omniverse Vision present Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies, the long awaited continuation to The Phantom of the Opera, in a fully-staged production pre-recorded at The Regent Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. This exclusive showing of Love Never Dies will be broadcast to select U.S. movie theaters for two nights only beginning with the premiere event on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. local time; followed by an encore presentation on Wednesday, March 7. This exclusive event will include an in-depth interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber as well as behind-the-scenes footage following Lloyd Webber on set as he provides creative direction to the cast and crew of Love Never Dies.

Tickets for Love Never Dies are available now at participating theater box offices and online at www.fathomevents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom website (theaters and participants are subject to change). The event will be broadcast to more than 500 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.

“I’m incredibly proud and honoured to be able to bring this production to U.S. cinemas nationwide,” said Lloyd Webber. “I hope very much that audiences take Love Never Dies to their hearts in the same way they have The Phantom of the Opera.”

Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies is a mesmerizing follow-up to the award winning Phantom of the Opera, featuring a 21-piece orchestra and an impressive cast of 36 including actors Ben Lewis as the Phantom and Anna O’Byrne as Christine Daaé. The cinematic production, directed by Brett Sullivan, will enchant audiences bringing them into a world of passion, obsession and romance. The captivating love story of the Phantom and Christine continues in New York’s playground, Coney Island. After his disappearance from the Paris Opera house, the Phantom begins a new life in New York amongst the freaks and side shows. The only thing missing from his new life is musical protégée Christine. In an effort to win back his love, the Phantom lures Christine and her family to this new sparkling unknown world.

“The very best of Broadway is coming to local movie theaters again in this once-in-lifetime opportunity to see the next chapter in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom saga, Love Never Dies,” said Dan Diamond, senior vice president of Fathom. “This Fathom event gives fans their first chance to see this highly anticipated musical long before it opens in the U.S.”

Recently, Fathom and Omniverse Vision presented The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall in select theaters last October and Les Misérables in Concert – The 25th Anniversary Event in November 2010. The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall will be available in the USA and Canada on DVD in February.

Click here for a list of participating theaters.

To watch Andrew’s interview on The View, click here .

Andrew will also be appearing on CBS’s This Morning on 27th January. This Morning is broadcast in the US from 7 – 9AM ET/PT.

To watch Andrew’s interview on This Morning, click here .

ThePhantom of the Opera at The Royal Albert Hall is released on DVD and Blu-Ray in North America on 7th February 2012.

The winner’s life-changing prize will be the leading role in a new arena tour of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar which will open at London’s O2 arena.

Superstar will be television’s first ‘school of rock’, helping talented singers achieve their potential. Andrew Lloyd Webber hopes the British public will help him discover an extraordinary new voice to fill the country’s largest arenas.

Andrew Lloyd Webber says: “Presenting a new, 2012 version of  Jesus Christ Superstar for arenas is truly exciting. Some of the best performances of this show have been in rock venues and I’m thrilled to see the show return to its roots. ITV is providing the perfect platform for us to find a new, British Superstar.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber has previously discovered brilliant new stars for West End productions of The Sound of Music, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Oliver! and The Wizard of Oz. Theatre audiences have grown, there has been an increase in musical theatre licensing by amateur societies and a surge in applications at stage schools.

“It is the public who lead the casting process and they’ve got it absolutely right four times already. It’s been wonderful to see the careers of so many of the contestants blossom, so it will be especially fascinating to see who the public chooses as their Superstar!” says Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Auditions will take place across the country during February-March in London, Dublin, Belfast, Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff. The UK’s most promising new talent will perform on stage in the hope of impressing the casting panel for a place in the final live shows.

The casting team will whittle down the numbers for the live shows featuring those they believe have potential to become a superstar.

Lloyd Webber will be joined by a carefully selected panel of judges to help him in his search. But ultimately it will be up to the British public to decide who they want to be his Superstar and play Jesus.

Elaine Bedell, ITV’s Director of Entertainment & Comedy, says: “We are asking ITV viewers to help us find a new superstar – in every sense of the word. We’re looking for the kind of performer who can fill arenas – and produce a rocking performance to match.”

Kevin Lygo, Managing Director of ITV Studios says: “Live primetime entertainment is at the heart of ITV Studios and we’re delighted to be working with Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber to bring this nationwide search to ITV1.”

Superstar is executive produced by Peter Davey with Katharine Begg as series producer.

Superstar is an ITV Studios production for ITV1.

How to Apply:

Please go to www.itv.com/superstar  for full details on how to apply and audition. Anyone can apply over the age of 18 yrs, be it professional or amateur.

And for the latest news on Jesus Christ Superstar, visit www.reallyuseful.com and sign up for our newsletter.

This exclusive video clip gives us a behind the scenes glimpse of rehearsals before Simon Bowman, Earl Carpenter (who takes over the role in the West End production this Monday), John Owen Jones and Ramin Karimloo chat to Andrew as they prepare to take to the stage.

Tune in on Christmas Day from 12.25-1.00pm to hear Andrew in discussion, or visit BBC iPlayer to listen to the interview after its broadcast. Click here for more information on the show.

The English Heritage Angel Awards scheme was launched by Andrew Lloyd Webber earlier this year to celebrate the work of individuals and groups who have saved a significant historic building or place that was at risk of being lost forever. The awards were judged by Andrew and Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, author and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg, Charles Moore of the Telegraph, historian Bettany Hughes and the Bishop of London, the Right Revd Richard Chartres.

The 2011 winners across the five categories were:

Best craftsmanship employed on a heritage rescue – Graham A. Forge, for works to The Smythe Barn, Westenhanger

Best rescue of an industrial site – The Friends of Pleasley Pit for rescuing Pleasley Colliery, Mansfield

Best rescue or repair of a place of worship – Left Bank Leeds, for rescuing the former Church of St Margaret of Antioch, Leeds

Best rescue of any other entry on the Heritage at Risk Register – Joint winners: St Stephen’s Restoration and Preservation Trust, for the rescue of St Stephen’s, Rosslyn Hill and Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust and Bristol City council for the rescue of Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol

The favourite as voted for by English Heritage Members and Telegraph Subscribers – The National Trust in partnership with City of Bath College and Nimbus Conservation Ltd. for the craftsmanship employed on the rescue of Tyntesfield Orangery, North Somerset

For more information on the Awards and this year’s winners, click here.

Watch highlights from the English Heritage Angel Awards on BBC 2′s Culture Show via BBC iPlayer here. The Angel Awards feature, narrated by Chief Executive of English Heritage Simon Thurley, begins at 29.21.

_Image courtesy of English Heritage. Picture shows some of the judges and presenters of the Awards, from (l-r) Melvyn Bragg, Bettany Hughes, Michael Winner, Danielle Hope, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Moore, Simon Thurley._

The English Heritage Angel Awards ceremony will be taking place from 11.00am on Monday 31 October at the Palace Theatre in London’s West End. For tickets to the event, please go to the English Heritage Angel Awards webpage or call 0870 333 1183.

If you miss tonight’s programme, please go to BBC iPlayer by clicking here.

The English Heritage Angel Awards ceremony will be taking place from 11.00am on Monday 31 October at the Palace Theatre in London’s West End. For tickets to the event, please go to the English Heritage Angel Awards webpage or call 0870 333 1183.

If you miss tonight’s programme, please go to BBC iPlayer by clicking here.

The production opened on 12th October, and the cast included Jeff Fenholt as Jesus and Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdelene, with Ben Vereen as Judas and Barry Dennan as Pilate.

For more information on the forthcoming Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar click here.

The English Heritage Angel Awards ceremony will be taking place from 11.00am on Monday 31 October at the Palace Theatre in London’s West End. For tickets to the event, please go to the English Heritage Angel Awards webpage or call 0870 333 1183.

If you miss tonight’s programme, please go to BBC iPlayer by clicking here.

Preview performances begin March 1, 2012. Opens March 22, 2012 at Broadway’s Neil Simon Theatre.

It was confirmed yesterday that The Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s hit production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, directed by the Festival’s Artistic Director Des McAnuff, will open at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway on Thursday, March 22, 2012.  Previews will begin Thursday, March 1, 2012.

Dodger Properties and the Really Useful Group will present the Stratford Shakespeare Festival production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.

The production opened in Canada on June 3, 2011 to critical acclaim and will continue there through November 6, 2011.  Following that, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR will play the La Jolla Playhouse November 18, 2011 to December 31, 2011.

The Toronto Globe and Mail raved, “This production is an absolute miracle,” while the Toronto Star called it “the best show you’ll see this year.”

“A sparkling production literally pulsing with life,” wrote the Toronto Sun; and Variety enthused, “McAnuff has managed to come up with a vision that is faithful to the original but manages to make it seem fresh to an audience in 2011.”

For more information, visit www.SuperstarOnBroadway.com.

Image shows Josh Young as Judas Iscariot. Photo credit: Andrew Eccles.

In our exclusive video footage, we go behind-the-scenes at the Royal Albert Hall as Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cameron Mackintosh, Gillian Lynne and Sierra Boggess (Christine) and Ramin Karimloo (The Phantom) prepared for the final 25th Anniversary performance on Sunday 2nd October 2011. Andrew also took to the stage after the show to welcome the Original London Creative Team and Cast, the Royal Albert Hall Creative Team, and original Phantom and Christine, Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, onstage for an incredible finale. We also see members of the Cast and Creative Team after the performance, and get a little glimpse of the crowd outside Stage Door…

Image shows Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman and Andrew Lloyd Webber onstage after the performance. Photo: Dan Wooller.

For more information visit the BBC Culture Show’s website.

If you miss the programme, click here to watch again on BBC iPlayer after the show’s broadcast.

_Image shows Anna O’Byrne (Christine) and Ben Lewis (The Phantom), who also appear onstage in the above video. Photo: Jeff Busby._

For more information, read today’s article in the Daily Telegraph.

For more information on the Angel Awards, click here.

Spectacular event will be captured live and released on DVD, Blu-ray, Album and Download in November.

To mark its 25th Anniversary year, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh present “The Phantom of the Opera” in a fully-staged, lavish production, set in the sumptuous Victorian splendour of the Royal Albert Hall with a cast and orchestra of over 200. Now audiences around the world are invited to join the celebration on Sunday October 2nd when the event is beamed live via satellite to cinemas across the globe.

“The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall” will be screened live in around 250 cinemas nationwide across the UK at 7pm on October 2nd. The event will also subsequently be released on November 14th on DVD, Blu-ray™, CD and Download as a must-have anniversary release for fans everywhere. The staged version has never been available before to own on DVD or Blu-ray, and “The Phantom of the Opera” original cast recording album remains one of the biggest selling music titles of all time. A limited edition 4CD and DVD Collectors’ box set will also be issued to celebrate 25 years of “The Phantom of the Opera”.

The event will also be screened live on over 500 screens in North America on October 2nd with additional broadcasts in cinemas on October 5th and 6th, with a special encore on October 11th. Canada will broadcast on Oct 3 with additional screening on Oct 22nd. Australia has a special premiere screening at the State Theatre in Sydney on October 8th, followed by screenings from October 13th – 23rd. December 8th sees the home entertainment release on DVD in Australia / New Zealand.

Other International markets including Europe and Japan will hold event cinema screenings during October, with DVD and Blu-ray™ releases following in early 2012.

“The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall” will star Ramin Karimloo as ‘The Phantom’ and Sierra Boggess as ‘Christine’. They will be joined by Barry James as ‘Monsieur Firmin’, Gareth Snook as ‘Monsieur André’, Liz Robertson as ‘Madame Giry’ and Wynne Evans as ‘Piangi’, together with a cast and orchestra of over 200 and some special guest appearances.

“The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall” will be directed by Laurence Connor with Musical Staging and Choreography by Gillian Lynne, based on the original London Production Directed by Hal Prince with Musical Staging and Choreography by Gillian Lynne. The Royal Albert Hall will be transformed with a spectacular and unique design by Matt Kinley inspired by Maria Björnson’s original design. Lighting is by Patrick Woodroffe and Andrew Bridge and Sound by Mick Potter. The production is being produced by Cameron Mackintosh.

Ramin Karimloo‘s theatre credits include, leading roles in “Love Never Dies” (2011 Olivier Award Nominee and Winner of the 2011 What’s On Stage Award, both for ‘Best Actor in a Musical’), “The Phantom of the Opera” (Theatre Goers’ Choice Award Nomination) “Les Misérables”, “Miss Saigon”, “The Pirates of Penzance” and “Sunset Boulevard”. Ramin had the privilege of performing as ‘Enjolras’ in “Les Misérables – A Special Concert at Windsor Castle” to celebrate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, in front of Her Majesty The Queen and also reprised the role for the 25th Anniversary celebration of “Les Misérables at The 02”. Recordings include: his own album “Within the Six Square Inch” and the première symphonic recording of “Love Never Dies”. Ramin has signed with a major label and is currently recording his first solo album.

Sierra Boggess is currently starring opposite Tyne Daly in the Broadway revival of Terrence McNally’s “Master Class”. Prior to that, she starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Love Never Dies” in the West End. For her performance as ‘Christine Daae,’ Sierra received a 2011 Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Sierra’s other NY theatre credits include starring as the title character in the Broadway production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” (Drama Desk and Drama League nominations and Broadway.com award for Favourite Breakthrough Performance) and in the City Centre Encores! production of “Music in the Air”. She starred as ‘Christine’ in “Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular” and has been seen in the national tours of “Les Misérables” and “West Side Story”. Recordings include the Symphonic Recording of “Love Never Dies” and the Original Cast Album for Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”.

“The Phantom of the Opera” became the longest running show in Broadway history on 9 January 2006 when it celebrated its 7,486th performance, surpassing the previous record holder “Cats”. This coincided with the Broadway and the US national touring company celebrating an unprecedented 20,000 performances in the United States. In October 2010 the London production celebrated its 10,000th performance.

“The Phantom of the Opera” has won over 60 major theatre awards, including seven Tony Awards on Broadway and three Olivier Awards in the West End. It won the ‘Most Popular Musical Audience Award’, voted by the public, in the 2002 Laurence Olivier Awards. “The Phantom of the Opera”, which opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre on 9 October 1986 starred Michael Crawford as ‘The Phantom’ and Sarah Brightman as ‘Christine.’ It is produced by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre Company Limited.

Worldwide, “The Phantom of the Opera” has grossed over $5.6 billion. The box office revenues are higher than any film or stage play in history, including “Avatar”, “Titanic”, “ET” and “Star Wars”. It has been seen in 145 cities in 27 countries and played to over 130 million people. “The Phantom of the Opera” is currently showing in London, New York, Budapest, Las Vegas, and Kyoto.

After the curtain calls, Andrew took to the stage alongside the Love Never Dies  cast, to phenomenal applause and a full standing ovation.

Andrew thanked the audience for their incredible support and paid tribute to the Love Never Dies  team, before joining the cast for a final bow.

We were there to capture the moment on camera – see our video footage below:

After watching the performance, Andrew met members of the cast backstage at the theatre, including the show’s Maria, Verity Rushworth.

Verity, who has received rave reviews for her portrayal of Maria, will be continuing the role during the tour’s final engagements at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (23 August – 3 September), Manchester Palace Theatre (6 – 17 September), Newcastle Theatre Royal (20 September – 8 October) and New Theatre Wimbledon (11 – 22 October).

“The undoubted star of the show was Verity Rushworth, a perfect Maria”  Irish Daily Mail “We couldn’t have wished for a better incarnation of Maria”  Nottingham Post “She really is superb – with a great voice and a natural charisma which more than does this revered role justice.  By any measure Verity is wonderful”  Yorkshire Evening Post

For more information on The Sound of Music tour, visit the official show website.

Image credit: Graham Corney.

Lyricist Tim Rice and Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber both gave the production high praise after seeing it earlier this month and the production received glowing reviews across the board.

The Globe and Mail raved, “This production is an absolute miracle,” while the Toronto Star called it “the best show you’ll see this year.” “A sparkling production literally pulsing with life,” wrote the Toronto Sun; and Variety enthused, “McAnuff has managed to come up with a vision that is faithful to the original but manages to make it seem fresh to an audience in 2011.”

Jesus Christ Superstar will play at La Jolla Playhouse’s Mandell Weiss Theatre from November 18 to December 31.

“Given my long, happy and fruitful history with La Jolla Playhouse, I am naturally thrilled by the prospect of this collaboration between our two great theatres,” says Mr. McAnuff. “The pride I take in the magnificent work being done by our Festival artists in Jesus Christ Superstar is matched by my deep appreciation to La Jolla for giving us this wonderful opportunity to showcase that work to an audience of which I am very fond – an audience that, like Stratford’s, is accustomed to enjoying some of the finest theatre in the world.”

“We are absolutely delighted that we will be able to share this production with La Jolla Playhouse audiences,” says General Director Antoni Cimolino. “_Jesus Christ Superstar_ has created a huge buzz in the media and the show has become one of our hottest tickets. It’s a pleasure to work with our colleagues in La Jolla to take this ‘Superstar’ on the road.”

“We are absolutely overjoyed to showcase the Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s stunning revival of Jesus Christ Superstar on our stage,” says Christopher Ashley, the Artistic Director for La Jolla Playhouse. “We have been looking for an opportunity to bring Des back home to the Playhouse, and this project was perfect in every way. I can’t wait to share this critically acclaimed production of this classic rock musical with our audiences.”

Set as an epic rock concert, this sensational new production of the ground-breaking rock opera features Paul Nolan as Jesus, Chilina Kennedy as Mary Magdalene, Josh Young as Judas Iscariot, Tony Award winner Brent Carver as Pontius Pilate, Bruce Dow as King Herod and Mike Nadajewski as Peter.

In addition to Mr. McAnuff as Director, the creative team includes Choreographer Lisa Shriver, Musical Director Rick Fox, Set Designer Robert Brill, Costume Designer Paul Tazewell, Lighting Designer Howell Binkley, Sound Designer Jim Neil, Video Designer Sean Nieuwenhuis, Dramaturge Chad Sylvain, Fight Director Daniel Levinson, Aerial Stunt Coordinator Simon Fon, Associate Choreographer Bradley “Shooz” Rapier, Associate Musical Director Laura Burton, Assistant Director Lezlie Wade and Assistant Choreographer Marc Kimelman.

Before joining the Stratford Shakespeare Festival as Artistic Director, Mr. McAnuff was Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse from 1983 to 1994 and 2001 to 2007 and is now Director Emeritus. A two-time Tony Award-winning director, Mr. McAnuff received an honorary doctorate in June from his alma mater, Ryerson University in Toronto.

The Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrer, and is one of the most respected not-for-profit theatres in the U.S. Numerous Playhouse productions have moved to Broadway, including Jersey Boys, Big River, The Who’s Tommy, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, A Walk in the Woods, Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays, and The Farnsworth Invention, all of which were directed by Mr. McAnuff.

The 2011 season of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, North America’s leading classical theatre, runs until October 30, featuring The Merry Wives of Windsor, Camelot, Twelfth Night, The Misanthrope, The Grapes of Wrath, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Homecoming, Richard III, Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare’s Will, The Little Years and Hosanna.

Visit the La Jolla Playhouse website for more information.

Image shows Paul Nolan as Jesus. Photo Credit: David Hou.

The annual Helpmann Awards, now in their tenth year and named in honour of Sir Robert Helpmann, were established in 2001 by Live Performance Australia (LPA) to recognise, celebrate and promote Australia’s live performance industry.

The Australian production of Love Never Dies has received the following nominations:

Best Male Actor in a Musical – Ben Lewis

Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Simon Gleeson

Best Musical – Love Never Dies

Best Costume Design – Gabriela Tylesova

Best Scenic Design – Gabriela Tylesova

Best Lighting Design – Nick Schlieper

Best Sound Design – Mick Potter

Best Music Direction – Guy Simpson

Best Choreography in a Musical – Graeme Murphy

Best Direction of a Musical – Simon Phillips

The winners will be announced at a live awards ceremony, held at Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House, on Monday 1 August. Love Never Dies‘ Best Male Actor in a Musical nominee Ben Lewis will perform at the ceremony.

Tickets for the Helpmann Awards can be purchased from the Sydney Opera House and the show will be broadcast live in Australia on channel 132, with coverage beginning at 7.30pm.

For more information on the Helpmann Awards, visit the official website. Visit www.loveneverdies.com.au for more information on Love Never Dies in Melbourne.

[Photo credit: Jeff Busby]

CAMERON MACKINTOSH PRESENTS ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL ON SATURDAY 1ST AND SUNDAY 2ND OCTOBER 2011.

RAMIN KARIMLOO AND SIERRA BOGGESS LEAD A CAST AND ORCHESTRA OF OVER 200.

TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 4TH JULY AT 10.00AM

Cameron Mackintosh is delighted to present Andrew Lloyd Webber’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 1st October at 7.30pm and Sunday 2nd October at 1.30pm and 7.00pm. Tickets for “Phantom of the Opera at the Albert Hall” go on sale on Monday 4 July at 10.00am and are available on 0845 401 5045 or at www.phantom25th.com.

This lavish, fully staged production of “Phantom of the Opera at the Albert Hall” will star Ramin Karimloo as ‘The Phantom’ and Sierra Boggess as ‘Christine’. They will be joined by Barry James as ‘Monsieur Firmin’, Gareth Snook as ‘Monsieur André’, Liz Robertson as ‘Madame Giry’ and Wynne Evans as ‘Piangi’ together with a cast and orchestra of over 200 and some special guest appearances.

“Phantom of the Opera at the Albert Hall” will be directed by Laurence Connor with Musical Staging and Choreography by Gillian Lynne. The Royal Albert Hall will be transformed with a spectacular and unique design by Matt Kinley inspired by Maria Björnson’s original design. Lighting is by Patrick Woodroffe and Andrew Bridge and Sound by Mick Potter. The original London production was directed by Hal Prince.

Ramin Karimloo’s theatre credits include, leading roles in “Love Never Dies” (2011 Olivier Award Nominee and Winner of the 2011 What’s On Stage Award, both for ‘Best Actor in a Musical’), “The Phantom of the Opera” (Theatre Goers’ Choice Award Nomination) “Les Misérables”, “Miss Saigon”, “The Pirates of Penzance” and “Sunset Boulevard”.

Ramin had the privilege of performing as ‘Enjolras’ in “Les Misérables – A Special Concert at Windsor Castle” to celebrate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, in front of Her Majesty The Queen and also reprised the role for the 25th Anniversary celebration of “Les Misérables at The 02”. Recordings include: his own album “Within the Six Square Inch” and the première symphonic recording of “Love Never Dies”. Ramin has signed with a major label and is currently recording his first solo album.

Sierra Boggess is currently starring opposite Tyne Daly in the Broadway revival of Terrence McNally’s “Master Class”. Prior to that, she starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Love Never Dies” in the West End. For her performance as ‘Christine Daae,’ Sierra received a 2011 Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Sierra’s other NY theatre credits include starring as the title character in the Broadway production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” (Drama Desk and Drama League nominations and Broadway.com award for Favourite Breakthrough Performance) and in the City Centre Encores! production of “Music in the Air”. She starred as ‘Christine’ in “Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular” and has been seen in the national tours of “Les Misérables” and “West Side Story”. Recordings include the Symphonic Recording of “Love Never Dies” and the Original Cast Album for Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”.

Sir Cameron Mackintosh said “It is amazing to think that the extraordinary success of The Phantom of the Opera is about to celebrate 25 years.

From the very first performance, audiences have fallen in love with the unique alchemy of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s gorgeous score and Maria Björnson’s fabulously beautiful design, so brilliantly staged by Hal Prince and Gillian Lynne.

The success of the show has become the stuff of theatrical legend so Andrew and I felt we  needed to create a really special performance to celebrate the 25th anniversary.

One of the great strengths of The Phantom of the Opera is that being set in an opera house, its production is totally theatrical. So we felt that there could be no better 19th Century theatrical auditorium in London for this occasion than the Royal Albert Hall. With its Victorian red plush and celebrated magnificent organ it is the perfect place for The Phantom to haunt. Though this special staging will naturally be drawn from the brilliant original, it will be both a spectacular and unique production with a cast and orchestra of over 200 headed by Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess. Both artists have been an outstanding ‘Phantom’ and ‘Christine’ in recent productions and have also enjoyed huge success together as the stars of Love Never Dies.

I have no doubt that these three performances at the Royal Albert Hall will be a thrilling celebration of the Music of the Night.”

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA became the longest running show in Broadway history on 9 January 2006 when it celebrated its 7,486th performance, surpassing the previous record holder “Cats”. This coincided with the Broadway and the US national touring company celebrating an unprecedented 20,000 performances in the United States. In October 2010 the London production celebrated its 10,000th performance.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has won over 50 major theatre awards, including seven Tonys on Broadway and three Olivier Awards in the West End. It won the ‘Most Popular Musical Audience Award’, voted by the public, in the 2002 Laurence Olivier Awards. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, which opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre on 9 October 1986 starred Michael Crawford as ‘The Phantom’ and Sarah Brightman as ‘Christine.’ It is produced by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre Company Limited.

Worldwide, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has grossed over £3.2 billion. The box office revenues are higher than any film or stage play in history, including “Titanic”, “ET” and “Star Wars”. It has been seen in 145 cities in 27 countries and played to over 100 million people. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is currently showing in London, New York, Budapest, Las Vegas, and Kyoto.

Watch clips from the broadcast here on the CNN website using the links below.

Click here to see Andrew discussing _Jesus Christ Superstar_ with Piers, and go here to see Andrew on the early days of _The Phantom of the Opera_.

Andrew’s appearance on the show will be broadcast across the CNN network in the USA at 9pm (ET) / 6pm (PT) on Friday 1 July, and internationally at 19.00 (HKT, Asia) and 21.00 (CET, Europe).

The American Theatre Wing’s annual Tony Awards – named for the organisation’s former wartime leader, actress and director Antoinette Perry – are American theatre’s most prestigious and coveted awards, and the highest Broadway honors available.

Andrew attended the ceremony with his daughter Imogen Lloyd Webber and renowned vocal coach Yvie Burnett. Andrew and Imogen are pictured arriving at the ceremony on the red carpet on the Tony Awards Website.

Andrew said of the production: “I have just seen a fabulous production of _Jesus Christ Superstar_. It is very probably the best acted performance of the show I have ever seen and fully worthy of the fantastic reviews it has received. I pass my congratulations to Des McAnuff and everyone involved with the production at the Stratford Festival, Ontario.”

After watching the production, Andrew met the cast and director Des McAnuff. In the video clip below, Andrew greets the cast and orchestra before assembling for a group photograph (pictured above).

Read reviews of the Stratford Festival production of _Jesus Christ Superstar_ at the links below:

Click here to read The Toronto Star review.
Click here to read the Variety review.
Click here to read the Toronto Globe and Mail review.

To read more about the scheme and the work English Heritage is undertaking to save some of the country’s most valued heritage sites, click here for the full article.

To join the inaugural walk, please arrive at St Alfege in Greenwich (SE10 9BJ) this Sunday 12 June at 9.00am. For more information about 1711 Walk go to: www.1711walk.org.

We were in the wings to capture this exclusive video footage of Andrew, as he greeted the audience and paid tribute to the Australian production team, before joining the cast in their final bows. Apologies for the slightly shaky recording at the beginning – it was a very exciting moment!

Find out what the press had to say about the Melbourne production of Love Never Dies here – and you can view stunning production images from the show on the official production website. All images c. Jeff Busby.

Following the sale of Picasso’s portrait of Angel Fernandez de Soto (also known as The Absinthe Drinker) last year, the Trustees of The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation are now able to embark on an active grant-giving programme to support culture, heritage and arts projects that provide a real and ongoing difference to people’s lives.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation today announces a £250,000 donation to UK charity Nordoff Robbins, which specialises in providing music therapy sessions in its own centres and units as well as in hospitals, day centres and schools nationwide. Nordoff Robbins plans to use the money to help maintain its music therapy unit at the famous BRIT school in Croydon and to fund their work at the unit. The charity delivers music therapy and other music services to help those with a range of challenges including autism, dementia, depression, stroke and terminal illness.

Mark Wordsworth, Chairman of the Trustees of The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, says: “Previously we have concentrated on fine art and arts education, but we have decided to help a broader scope of people and projects directly with the funds invested from the Picasso sale.”

Other beneficiaries of the Foundation’s support announced today include:

• Chickenshed, an all inclusive youth theatre company, towards their BTEC programme.
• All Saints Church, Margaret St, London, towards their ongoing interior refurbishment project
• Burghclere Primary School Band, for the provision of a percussion teacher and percussion equipment.
• Time Spanners, a 21-piece community music group with physical or learning disabilities towards professional support musicians.
• The Monega Association, a Community Group that brings music to local pensioners and the community as a whole by putting on musical events
• Haringey Shed, an all inclusive performing arts group, for the refurbishment of new premises.
• The Orpheus Centre, a performing arts college for disabled young adults, to fund arts bursaries over a three-year period

Further major grants are to be announced within the coming months.

More information about The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation and details of how to apply for a grant can be found at www.andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com.

Andrew’s appearance on the show will be broadcast across the CNN network in the USA at 9pm (EST) / 6pm (PT) on Thursday 28th April, and in the UK at 2 AM (GMT) on Friday 29th April.

Earlier this month, Andrew featured in Piers’ ITV1 show, ‘Life Stories’. UK viewers can still catch ‘Life Stories’ on ITV player.

The programme is part of a four-part series entitled ‘Perspectives’. Other episodes feature Hugh Laurie on the music of New Orleans, Sir Ian McKellan on the life and legacy of LS Lowry and Robson Green on the artist’s movement in 1930s Northumberland.

Tune into ITV1 on Sunday 1 May, and catch the programme after it airs on ITV player.

Watch two preview clips from the documentary below, as Andrew explains how his interest in the Pre-Raphaelites began.

Call 0844 847 9910 for tickets or visit www.julianlloydwebber.com for more information on the gala concert.

Andrew and Julian were interviewed by Sky News ahead of Thursday’s concert. Watch out for the interview on the Sky News channel, or watch it online here.

The programme includes contributions from Andrew’s family, friends and collaborators.

Tune into ITV1 on Saturday 9 April at 9.10pm, and catch the programme after it airs on ITV player.

Other guests taking part in the concert include Dame Cleo Laine, Tamsin Little, Jiaxin Cheng, Danielle de Niese and Eric Whitacre, whose new work commissioned especially for this event will receive its world premiere.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 0844 847 9910, or visit www.julianlloydwebber.com for more information.

Expect lots of merriment and April Fool-ery as Andrew joins host Chris for his birthday breakfast…

The Chris Evans Breakfast Show is broadcast on BBC Radio 2, weekdays from 6.30 – 9.30am. Andrew will appear on the show this Friday 1st April from around 8.15am and you can listen again on BBC iPlayer after the broadcast.

As Dangerous Dave prepares for walkies on the yellow brick road – where he’ll be accompanied by the rest of the Wizard of Oz cast, including Over The Rainbow ‘s winning Dorothy, Danielle Hope, and the Wizard himself, Michael Crawford – thousands of people across the UK are today busy raising money for Comic Relief by doing something ‘funny for money’ to mark the charity’s annual fundraising Red Nose Day.

Dangerous Dave’s already sporting his red nose to show his support and, with tickets now onsale for next month’s extra-special charity night, he and the rest of The Wizard of Oz cast will be doing their bit to add to that Comic Relief total. All profits from the sale of this special performance will go directly to Comic Relief.

The curtain is set to rise on Dangerous Dave’s debut performance at 7.30pm on Thursday 21st April. For ticket information, visit the official Wizard of Oz website – and join Dangerous Dave and the cast for a very special trip to Oz. Woof! All profits from the sale of this performance will go directly to Comic Relief, which amounts to at least 29% of the ticket price.

You can view Ramin’s post-awards interview here.

The awards come hot on the heels of the announcement last week that Love Never Dies had been nominated for seven Olivier Awards.

Andrew said, “I’m absolutely thrilled that LOVE NEVER DIES has finally been recognised in this way.  I would like to pay tribute to our wonderful company, who have worked so hard throughout and have embraced the changes to the show, which have proved so successful. I’d also like to thank our loyal ‘Phans’, who have been so supportive of the show since it opened.”

Love Never Dies has also this week announced new casting: Ramin Karimloo will continue to star as ‘The Phantom’, with Tam Mutu as his alternate. Celia Graham will take over the role of ‘Christine’ from Sierra Boggess. Liz Robertson will continue to star as ‘Madame Giry’, and Haley Flaherty will join to star as ‘Meg Giry’. David Thaxton, nominated for an Olivier as Best Actor in a Musical for his recent role in ‘Passion’ at the Donmar Warehouse will star as ‘Raoul’. Adam Pearce will continue to play ‘Squelch’ and Tracey Penn will join as ‘Fleck’ and Charles Brunton as ‘Gangle’, with Jack Costello, Daniel Dowling and Harry Polden sharing the role of ‘Gustave’.

With rehearsals now well underway at The London Palladium and the first preview on 7th February just around the yellow brick road, Andrew will share his thoughts on the show, which reunites him with lyricist Tim Rice. Andrew and Tim have composed several new songs for the production, which feature alongside all the much-loved _Wizard of Oz_ classics, and the new production also sees Michael Crawford return to the Palladium to play The Wizard.

BBC1′s _The One Show_ also features an interview with Danielle Hope, who will play Dorothy after successfully competing against more than 9,000 girls to secure the role during last year’s BBC1 TV search, _Over The Rainbow_. Danielle is interviewed direct from her London Palladium dressing room.

Watch Andrew and Danielle on The One Show this Friday 28th January, from 7pm on BBC1.

_The Wizard of Oz_ opens on 1st March 2011, with previews from 7th February.

_Image shows Andrew Lloyd Webber, Danielle Hope and Michael Crawford. Photo by Gabrielle Crawford._

Visitors to the _The South Bank Sky Arts Awards_ website will from today be able to view a video of Andrew, Julian, Melvyn and the band recording the track in the studio. During the recording Andrew chats to Melvyn and Julian about _Variations_, the key changes which make all the difference to the end result, and why he hasn’t written more pieces for Julian.

Watch the video here.

_The South Bank Sky Arts Awards_ are broadcast tonight, Tuesday 25th January, at 9pm.

The much-loved London Palladium – designed by Frank Matcham – opened on Boxing Day 1910 and became famous, partly through television, as the “Ace Variety Theatre of the World”. It was a venue to which all performers aspired and has hosted more annual Royal Variety Performances than any other theatre. Earlier this month the Palladium hosted its 37th annual Royal Variety Performance, a fitting celebration to mark the end of the theatre’s centenary year.

At a star-studded party to mark the 100th birthday in October, Andrew announced his plans for the rebuilding and refurbishment of the London Palladium’s front of house, ahead of his new production of _The Wizard of Oz_, which opens at the Palladium in March 2011 (previews from 7 February).

In the BBC2 programme, ’100 Years of The London Palladium’, Andrew joins guests including Michael Crawford – who will return to the Palladium stage next year to play The Wizard in _The Wizard of Oz_ – and former ‘Sunday Night at the London Palladium’ host Bruce Forsyth to share some of the gossip, glamour and behind-the-scenes stories of one of the world’s most famous theatres, as it celebrates its 100th birthday.

You can watch the programme again on BBC2 this Saturday 15th January at 6pm.

www.sothebys.com/video/privateview/

The Sotheby’s auction will take place on January 22nd.

They were joined on the red carpet by celebrities and members of the royal family, including Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall, Prime Minister David Cameron, David Beckham and Katherine Jenkins.

Phillip Schofield and Amanda Holden hosted this exclusive evening to recognise the many members of the military who have gone beyond the call of duty over the past twelve months. The eleven winners were nominated by the British public and senior figures in the military.

A Night of Heroes: The Sun Military Awards 2010 will be broadcast at 9pm on Friday 17th December on ITV.

The Royal Variety Performance, which was recorded last week at The London Palladium, brings together artists from the worlds of music, comedy and theatre to perform in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. The world-famous London Palladium, which celebrates its own centenary this month, is hosting The Royal Variety Performance for the 37th time.

The event will be hosted by comedian Michael McIntyre, and features performances from international stars including Kylie Minogue, Take That and Russell Watson.

Joining them on the stage where next spring she will make her West End debut in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of The Wizard of Oz, is Danielle Hope, the winner of this year’s BBC1 talent show Over The Rainbow.

Danielle will be introduced by Michael Crawford – who will play The Wizard in next year’s production – before performing Dorothy’s classic song ‘Over The Rainbow’ for assembled royalty, stars and guests. Also performing will be 58 children from the Carmel Thomas Youth Singers, who will sing a medley from  The Wizard of Oz.

Watch The Royal Variety performance on BBC1 tomorrow, Thursday 16th December, from 8pm.

Photo shows Danielle Hope and Michael Crawford at the Royal Variety Performance. Photo credit: Andy Newbold, EABF.

The show, presented by Ken Bruce, asks ‘Who Was That Masked Man?’ and takes listeners on a musical journey from the amphitheatres of Ancient Greece to the Italian Commedia dell’Arte – and, of course, to Coney Island by way of the Paris Opera House – in celebration of masked men on screen, stage and in classical scores.

In the second half of the show, Andrew Lloyd Webber discusses the journey from _Phantom_ to _Love Never Dies_ with Ken Bruce, and Sierra Boggess and Tam Mutu from the London cast of _Love Never Dies_ perform a selection of songs from the show, accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Listen to the show this Friday 17th December from 8pm on BBC Radio 2.

The Royal Variety Performance is a great theatrical tradition and raises much needed funds for the Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolent Fund. I and the performers are truly grateful that they felt able to fulfill this engagement with such grace after their ordeal.

Among the many talented performers appearing on the world-famous London Palladium stage at this evening’s  Royal Variety Performance will be Danielle Hope, who earlier this year won the role of Dorothy in Andrew’s upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz, which opens at the London Palladium in March 2011 (previews from 7th February 2011).

Andrew recently announced his plans for the rebuilding and refurbishment of the front of house areas of The London Palladium ahead of the opening of The Wizard of Oz next year.

Yesterday Andrew popped into the Palladium to give Danielle, Toto and a choir of 58 children some guidance at their first rehearsal…. as our exclusive footage shows!

The Royal Variety Performance will be broadcast on BBC1 on Thursday 16th December at 8pm.

Andrew’s speech appears below, you will find the whole debate by clicking here.

Lord Lloyd-Webber: My Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Puttnam, on introducing this important debate. I am sure we all heartily agree that a plurality of media is important not only in the UK but globally to ensure that citizens have access to a variety of information sources. I hope that noble Lords will forgive me if I speak about the area of television rather than that of politics.

One of the few areas on which I can offer limited expertise to your Lordships’ House is Saturday night reality TV. I will concentrate on TV’s contribution to popular entertainment, and therefore to plurality. First, I do not know whether I have to declare an interest: for the past five years I have been on Saturday night TV, on the BBC, and one of the programmes won an International Emmy. I say that I do not know whether to declare an interest because I am not in any discussions with the BBC about a future series and indeed am involved with two programmes for ITV next year. However, because I have appeared on five BBC entertainment shows, I have a little expertise now of the BBC, and I will use this opportunity to say “stop bashing it”.

We all know of the superb quality of the BBC’s serious output. For instance, anyone who attended this season’s prom concerts will attest to the incredible depth and range of music that no other broadcasting organisation could get near. I remind noble Lords of Lord Reith’s description of the purpose of the BBC as to “inform, educate and entertain”. I realise that this debate is prompted very much by concerns over News Corporation’s hope to buy the rest of BSkyB that it does not own. However, having heard the founder of News Corporation speak in London recently, I am sure that he would be the first to encourage new entrepreneurs to enter all areas of the media and create a cauldron of competition, particularly in the area of popular entertainment. Surely, we have to be fair. Sky News has relatively few viewers compared with the BBC and ITV, although I completely agree with noble Lords that its future impartiality has to be secured.

To return to the BBC, I suggest that the best way to ensure plurality in the entertainment sector, which along with sport is the main revenue-earning area for TV, is to allow the Beeb to compete unfettered in the popular market. I remind your Lordships of Lord Reith’s line: to inform, educate and entertain.

When the BBC commissioned the first show that I was involved with, I had a meeting with the producers – all of whom have, by the way, sadly left the BBC for the private sector – at which they kept mentioning the letters PPU. “The PPU won’t allow this”. “The PPU would object”. “That idea is far too difficult for us to take on television; it’s too commercial”. Being a complete new boy, I wondered whether to keep schtum about the fact that I had no clue what the letters stood for. Eventually I thought that I would own up and ask what the PPU was. I was told that it was the “Programme Prevention Unit” – I see that the noble Lord, Lord Puttnam, laughs – which is what the BBC calls editorial policy.

In the context of Lord Reith’s remarks, I should like to use the same quotation that Peter Fincham used when he was appointed Director of Programmes at ITV in 2008. It comes from a then recent Ofcom report on the BBC. As he remarked, Lord Reith’s three words had grown to 118. Here goes:

“Informing our understanding of the world – To inform ourselves and others and to increase our understanding of the world through news, information and analysis of current events and ideas.

Stimulating knowledge and learning – To stimulate our interest in and knowledge of arts, science, history and other topics through content that is accessible and can encourage informal learning.

Reflecting UK cultural identity -To reflect and strengthen our cultural identity through original programming at UK, national and regional level, on occasion bringing audiences together for shared experiences.

Representing diversity and alternative viewpoints -To make us aware of different cultures and alternative viewpoints, through programmes that reflect the lives of other people and other communities, both within the UK and elsewhere”.

Wow, I wonder how those guys would take on _X Factor_.

I suggest that there is a very strong argument to free the BBC from this gobbledegook that does not even mention the word entertainment. If the BBC were allowed to be free in this area, there is a strong possibility that the licence fee could be sustained at a very low level, perhaps even eliminated, while safeguarding competition in an area where Britain has often led the way. Instead of bashing the BBC, we should be looking at how we can breathe new life into it and how to set it free.

I suggest that an immediate way to ensure plurality in entertainment broadcasting is to allow the organisation that gave us _The Goon Show_, _Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em_ and _Dad’s Army_ off the leash.

The interview will give viewers a unique opportunity to hear Andrew and Tim discuss their memories of making the album, and their thoughts on its continuing popularity and significance.

The interview will feature on The Culture Show on BBC 2 at 7pm this Thursday, 4th November and you can watch  the interview on The Culture Show here on BBC iPlayer (from approx. 22.31 minutes).

Check out our exclusive footage from this phantastic event!

Visit the official Phantom of the Opera website.

Dear Sir,

May I express my joy and relief that the success of the ITV series “Downton Abbey” leads the Earl of Carnarvon to announce that its “star”, Sir Charles Barry’s wonderful Highclere Castle is saved.

I, along with the Highclere Society and the North Wessex Downs Preservation Society, have been very concerned that the Earl had proposed to develop housing in swathes of the north Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB), relying on special English Heritage planning guidelines to raise money to restore the castle. Under these guidelines, this sort of development is only permitted if every other avenue is exhausted or if the sale of the building to be restored to a sympathetic buyer cannot be achieved.

The action groups drew my attention to the potential damage to the ANOB. This, combined with my love of architecture, was behind my interest (mentioned in today’s article) in exploring whether the castle, which is not lived in, could possibly become a publicly accessed long term home for my art collection. Today we read that the TV series will generate enough income to save the castle and presumably the proposed development need not take place. This is truly a fantastic outcome for all.

As Bertie Wooster, a previous TV resident of Highclere Castle would say, “Top hole! Jeeves.”.

Yours faithfully,

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

_Image c. John Swannell._

And of course it wasn’t only our winning Dorothy celebrating: for all eleven of the fantastic Over The Rainbow final contestants, it was just the beginning of the yellow brick road to success. As Danielle gets ready to make her West End debut at the London Palladium next spring, we take a look at what her fellow former Dorothies are up to.

Amy Diamond

She might have been the first to leave the competition, but former model Amy hasn’t let it hold her back – she is currently starring as Janet Van De Graaff in the well-received London Fringe premiere production of The Drowsy Chaperone, Upstairs at the Gatehouse Theatre, London until 31st October.

Bronte Barbe

Andrew had a tough decision to make in week two, when Bronte and Lauren Samuels were announced as being in the bottom two, despite both girls being in his personal top five. Sadly, it was goodbye to Bronte – but our pink Dorothy is bound to be back, as she’s currently studying at Mountview Academy. Watch this space…

Dani Rayner

At just 16, Dani was the youngest girl in the competition when she left the show in week three. She may have returned to school after the competition in order to finish her A Levels, but it’s not goodbye to the stage for Dani just yet as in December she will appear as the Princess in the Liverpool Empire pantomime Aladdin – alongside Pamela Anderson as the Genie.

Emilie Fleming

As the Wild Card Dorothy, Emilie returned to the competition after a public vote secured her a place in the final eleven but, in the fourth week of the live shows, she found herself in the bottom two alongside Sophie Evans. With Andrew choosing to save Sophie, it was an emotional goodbye for Emilie, who vowed to the audience: “I’m going to train… you will see me!” And no doubt we will, as Emile is indeed now training at Guildford School of Acting.

Stephanie Davis

There were more tears in week five, as we said goodbye to Liverpool’s Stephanie Davis after she took on Steph Fearon in the dreaded sing-off. There wasn’t much time for tears after the show, though, as it was over the rainbow and into Hollyoaks for Stephanie – she joined the Channel 4 teen soap shortly after leaving Over The Rainbow and can now be seen on TV screens playing the character of Sinead O’Connor.

Jenny Douglas

Scotland’s Jenny was the first victim of the ‘Dorothy Cull’ that saw two girls sail over the rainbow in the sixth week of the live shows. However, it wasn’t quite the end of the yellow brick road for Jenny – she recently announced that she had been cast in the principal role of Meat in the upcoming touring production of the Queen-inspired musical We Will Rock You.

Jessica Robinson

As the second Dorothy to face the cull, Jessica became the seventh girl to leave the competition. Since leaving the show, she has moved from her native Middlesborough to London, where she’s studying at Arts Educational Schools. As Andrew said, “you’re a real star in the making” – so watch out for Miss Robinson…

Steph Fearon

Finishing in fourth place was Steph, narrowly missing out on a place in the final show. The standing ovation Steph received from the Over The Rainbow audience as she made her goodbyes was clearly a sign of things to come though – since leaving the show she has appeared in the first major London revival of Smokey Joe’s Café, and as Dorothy in The Wiz, a Motown-inspired remake of The Wizard of Oz at the Milton Keynes Theatre.

Lauren Samuels

Having made it all the way to the final three, Lauren was praised by Charlotte in the final week as “[having] the best voice in the competition…” and, when she became the first girl to leave the final show, there was yet another standing ovation from the audience. Lauren is currently appearing as Sandy in Grease – having become the first of all the girls to make her West End debut. Charlotte clearly knows her stuff…

Sophie Evans

In July, runner-up Sophie was announced as The Wizard of Oz ’s Alternate Dorothy – she will play the role on Tuesday evenings, beginning 8th March, and for 7 performances in the weeks commencing 2 May, 5 September & 12 September 2011. She is also joining some of her fellow Dorothies at the Arts Educational School, on a musical theatre training course as funded by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Danielle Hope

After a whirlwind few months of interviews, video shoots and live performances, our winning Dorothy will grace the London Palladium stage early next year, when previews for The Wizard of Oz begin on 7th February. In the meantime, she’s also attending classes at the Arts Educational School. Next year certainly promises to be “a whiz of a wiz!”

Visit the official Wizard of Oz website.

In this exclusive footage he is joined by _Sunday Night at the London Palladium_ host Bruce Forsyth CBE and Danielle Hope, who will next year make her own Palladium stage debut as Dorothy in Andrew’s production of _The Wizard of Oz_, to unveil a commemorative plaque – and cut the cake.

Andrew took the opportunity to tell the assembled guests about his plans for the rebuilding and refurbishment of the London Palladium’s front of house. And, as the party got underway the audience – featuring theatre greats Michael Ball, Elaine Paige, Lesley Garrett, Jonathan Pryce, Des O’Connor and many more – were treated to an impromptu live performance from Neil Sedaka…

And we caught up with a few of the famous faces – including former Josephs Jason Donovan and Philip Schofield and vocal coach Yvie Burnett who passed on their own birthday wishes. Happy Birthday, London Palladium!

Find out more about the refurbishment plans here.

Speaking by satellite from London to media at the Queen’s Hall in Victoria’s Parliament House, he said the production would also have its own, unique, Australian stamp. Produced by Lloyd Webber’s Asia Pacific representative Tim McFarlane, it will be directed by Melbourne’s Simon Phillips and have a new design by Sydney based Gabriela Tylesova.

Nationwide auditions will begin in a fortnight – on Monday October 25, the same day tickets go on sale. Waitlisting has begun through Ticketmaster, and people can join the production’s email registration list at loveneverdies.com.au.

“ The Phantom of the Opera is one of the most popular theatre productions of all time and we are delighted that Andrew Lloyd Webber has chosen Melbourne to be the second city in the world to stage the continuing story, LOVE NEVER DIES,” Minister for the Arts Tim Holding, speaking at today’s media conference, said.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said the Australian production would be only the second in the world. The composer of The Phantom of the Opera said, ‘I have a great affiliation with Australia. My musicals have always done exceptionally well there. I have worked internationally with many of Australia’s finest theatrical talent.’

Tim McFarlane, Producer, The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific, said The Phantom of the Opera  had been seen in 149 cities around the world and taken more than $5 billion at the box office – more than the combined box office takings of the two top grossing films of all time, Avatar and Titanic.

‘ The Phantom of the Opera  is the most successful single entertainment of all time,’ he said. ‘Over two tours of Australia and New Zealand, in 1990 -1998 and 2007-2009, it has been enjoyed by more than five million people. Those who saw Phantom and loved the show will be excited to see how the story continues and all those who appreciate music theatre will be thrilled by LOVE NEVER DIES.’

The musical, the most awaited in decades, had its premiere in London’s Adelphi Theatre on March 9 this year. The Independent called it ‘Phabulous!’ The Express said, ‘The allure of the Phantom never dies,’ the Telegraph called it ‘Lloyd Webber’s finest show since the original Phantom,’ and the Times, ‘Andrew Lloyd Webber at his musical best.’

Mr Holding said that theatre was a key part of Melbourne’s major events calendar. “Over the last four years,  blockbuster theatre shows such as Wicked, Jersey Boys and currently, Mary Poppins have drawn hundreds of thousands of interstate and overseas visitors to Melbourne ensuring that our hotels, restaurants and famous retail precincts are busy throughout the year,” Mr Holding said.

“Following the success of Wicked, Jersey Boys and Mary Poppins, securing the Australian premiere of LOVE NEVER DIES strengthens Melbourne’s position as the theatre capital of Australia”.

Simon Phillips, Director of LOVE NEVER DIES says:

“It’s an honour to be working on an Australian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s dazzling new work. The score of LOVE NEVER DIES is truly ravishing, loaded with big lyrical ballads and some taut and unforgettably hummable ensembles.

“One of the early highlights in my directing career was a production of Jesus Christ Superstar, but in the current climate of single versions of musicals playing forever I never thought I’d have the pleasure of directing a new work by the undisputed master of contemporary musical theatre.

“So I’m delighted that Andrew Lloyd Webber has chosen an Australian team to work on his inspired new structural changes, which promise to further intensify the thrills and spills of the story as told in London.

“I’ve already begun developing a design with Gabriela Tylesova, hoping to do with the razzamatazz of Coney Island what Maria Bjornson’s iconic Phantom designs did with the opulence of the Paris Opera, and I can’t wait to start the search for the formidable talents required to do justice to the score!”

LOVE NEVER DIES ’ premiere in London on March 9 coincided with the Australian release of Universal Music’s double CD Album, recorded at Abbey Road Studios with some of the London cast and more than 100 musicians.

George Ash,  resident Australasia of Universal Music Australia, said, “Andrew Lloyd Webber’s success in Australia is beyond comparison. He has sold more cast recordings than any other composer in history and for us to be a partner in the launch of LOVE NEVER DIES to Australian audiences is an absolute honour.”

Visit the Love Never Dies Australia website here

On Tuesday 12 October Andrew Lloyd Webber hosted a celebration to mark the 100th Birthday of London’s Palladium Theatre with stars who have graced its iconic stage over the past century. Russ Abbot, Michael Ball, Brian Conley, Jason Donovan, Ken Dodd OBE, Lesley Garrett, Sheila Hancock OBE, Peter Land, Gillian Lynne, Paul Merton, Des O’Connor, Elaine Paige, Nicholas Parsons OBE, Jonathan Pryce CBE, Philip Schofield, Bruce Welch and Hayley Westenra, were just some of the famous faces in attendance.

Bruce Forsyth CBE, who hosted the much-loved _Sunday Night at the London Palladium_, joined Andrew Lloyd Webber to unveil a commemorative plaque in the Palladium’s foyer in recognition of the theatre’s extraordinary past.

Andrew Lloyd Webber welcomed his guests and introduced Danielle Hope, who will play Dorothy in _The Wizard of Oz_ alongside Michael Crawford as The Wizard, at the Palladium next year. Guests joined together in a toast to the theatre and to performers past and present and Andrew, Bruce and Danielle cut a specially commissioned cake sculpture by Rachel Mount – an edible replica of the London Palladium with Tiller girls lining the top and previous show production posters lining the bottom.

Speaking at the event Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “Today’s celebration is about recognising the rich history of this wonderful theatre and the fantastic performers who have graced its stage. It is also about the beginning of the biggest programme of refurbishment and change in the Palladium’s history and I’m delighted to announce the restoration of the iconic revolving stage and plans for the complete refurbishment of the Front of House areas.”

The London Palladium is arguably the world’s most famous theatre, a great favourite with performers and audiences alike, with a rich entertainment history presenting variety, pantomime and spectacular family musicals. The legendary revolving stage which everyone remembers from the finale of television’s _Sunday Night at The London Palladium_ is being restored and will feature in the elaborate stage design of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of _The Wizard of Oz_, opening at the Palladium in February 2011.

Andrew Lloyd Webber also announced his plans for the complete rebuilding and refurbishment of the front of house areas of the theatre. Prior to the first performance of The Wizard of Oz in February 2011 the main entrance facade will be fully repaired and refurbished, a new Box Office area will be created with direct access to the theatre, a new lift will improve accessibility to the stalls level and toilet facilities will be improved . The current Box Office will be converted into three new function spaces, the grandest of these will have the historic roof light reinstated and a new spiral staircase will link it directly with the existing Variety Bar.

Julian will be joined by family and friends, including Lord Melvyn Bragg, Dame Cleo Laine, Tamsin Little, Jiaxin Cheng, Danielle de Niese and Eric Whitacre to celebrate his 60th birthday and a lifetime of music making.

The programme will include “All I Ask of You”, from _The Phantom of the Opera_, as well as Benedictus for the violin and organ by Andrew and Julian’s father William Lloyd Webber.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 0844 847 9910, or visit www.julianlloydwebber.com for more information.

Andrew joins a stellar line up of guests on the show, including the winner of BBC One’s _Over The Rainbow_ – and Andrew’s next leading lady – Danielle Hope, due to star as Dorothy in the upcoming production of _The Wizard of Oz_, which opens at the London Palladium next year.

Other guests include Status Quo, Beverly Knight, Jimmy Tarbuck, KT Tunstall, Imelda May, Ben Montague, and JLS.

Tickets for ‘Weekend Wogan – Live at the Palladium’ are available here – or listen to the show live on BBC Radio 2, this Sunday 3rd October at 11am.

Michael, internationally renowned for originating the title role in The Phantom of the Opera and loved by millions for his role as the hapless Frank Spencer in the classic British sitcom, Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, will star alongside DANIELLE HOPE, the winner of the BBC’s smash hit Over The Rainbow, when the show opens at the LONDON PALLADIUM next year.

Danielle captured the hearts of the country and will now step into the ruby slippers of Dorothy, the role immortalised by Judy Garland.

They will be joined by Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion and Dorothy’s little dog Toto – as the most magical adventure of all comes to the West End. With brand new songs by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER and TIM RICE, The Wizard of Oz previews from Monday 7th February 2011 (Press Night: Tuesday 1st March at 7pm).

An eagerly anticipated new addition to London’s West End, The Wizard of Oz promises to be the biggest theatre event of the year. Developed from the ever-popular 1939 MGM screenplay, The Wizard of Oz is an enchanting adaptation of the all-time classic, totally reconceived for the stage by the award-winning creative team who delighted audiences of all ages with their recent London Palladium revival of The Sound of Music.

This new production, produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Bill Kenwright, contains all the much-loved songs from the Oscar-winning movie score including; ‘Over the Rainbow’, ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road’, ‘If I Only Had a Heart’ and ‘We’re Off to See the Wizard’. All the favourite characters and iconic scenes are there, plus a few surprises along the way – not just “lions and tigers and bears” but some new songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice adding extra colour to the story as it moves from film to stage, as well as marking the first time they have worked together in over 30 years on a new production. Audiences will be captivated as The London Palladium is transformed into the mythical Emerald City with breathtaking special effects and scenery to bring to life the real story of Oz.

The London Palladium, arguably the world’s most famous theatre and this year celebrating its 100th birthday, is a great favourite with performers and audiences alike and has a very rich entertainment history presenting variety, pantomime and spectacular family musicals. Just one aspect of the elaborate stage design for The Wizard of Oz will be a restoration of the legendary revolving stage which everyone remembers from the finale of Television’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said, “We will be going a lot further than simply presenting the movie on stage. We have re-visited the original novel and re-conceived our “Oz” as a piece of new musical theatre using the wonderful Arlen/Harburg songs and adding a few new ones where there are gaps.  I am really looking forward to bringing The Wizard of Oz to life on stage. I am delighted that Michael Crawford, a legend of musical theatre, will take on the role of the Wizard and can’t wait to work with him once more”.

Michael Crawford said, “I didn’t hesitate at all when Andrew asked me to take on the role of the Wizard. Working with him and Tim on a brand new production of this timeless classic is so thrilling and I am already looking forward to starting rehearsals later in the year.”

Michael Crawford’s hugely successful career spans four decades, and includes his unforgettable performance in the hit show Barnum at the London Palladium, and the role of Count Fosco in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman in White. He is a multi Olivier and Tony-award winning star whose acclaim encompasses theatre, television and film and he was appointed an OBE in 1988.

The Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum is directed by Jeremy Sams, choreographed by Arlene Phillips, music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E Y Harburg, with additional music and lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice with the set and costumes designed by Rob Jones.

Tickets are available from The London Palladium Box Office on 0844 412 2957 or online from www.wizardofozthemusical.com.

Further news will be released in October.

Andrew will be joined by Ramin Karimloo, who stars as The Phantom in _Love Never Dies_ at London’s Adelphi Theatre. Ramin previously played the same role in _The Phantom of the Opera_ and, like Michael, has also played Raoul in the West End production. Ramin will be performing ‘Til’ I Hear You Sing’ from _Love Never Dies_.

You can watch the interview on ITV1 this Friday 10th September at 3pm, and catch the show again after it has aired on ITV Player.

Extracts from the article appear below:

In an exclusive HELLO! photoshoot and interview, the theatre impresario and world-renowned composer is joined by Jodie Prenger and his three other winners (Connie Fisher, Lee Mead and Danielle Hope) as well as other contestants whose dream to star on the West End stage became reality.

The impressive roll call includes Niamh Perry, who competed in _I’d Do Anything_ and is now appearing in _Love Never Dies_, Rachel Tucker, who reached the semi-final of the same show and now plays Elphaba in _Wicked_, and Lauren Samuels who landed the role of Sandy in _Grease_ just weeks after the _Over the Rainbow_ final.

“They’ve become like my children,” smiles Andrew. “It’s a great joy to have discovered so many talented people.”

While reality shows such as _The X Factor_ have been criticised for their treatment of contestants, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s support goes beyond the programmes.

“I’m not interested in making a TV programme where we tell people, ‘You’re rubbish,’” he says. “It’s much more interesting to me to try to get the best out of them and I think that’s what made our shows a little different.”

In the case of _Over the Rainbow_ winner Danielle and runner-up Sophie Evans, Andrew has made sure they get extra training, arranging for them both to take courses at Chiswick’s Arts Educational school next year. “I can pretty much predict where some of them will go over the years,” adds Andrew. “I would be very surprised if Danielle doesn’t emerge as a major actress. I’ve always thought there is something very special about that girl.”

While you’d be hard pressed to find a West End show without a reality TV star in it now, the programmes have not always been greeted with warmth. “Before Maria, we came up against enormous opposition from the theatre establishment,” Andrew tells HELLO! magazine. “But we have proved them wrong and the television shows have attracted a huge new audience to musical theatre and the West End in general.”

SEE THE FULL EXCLUSIVE STORY IN HELLO! MAGAZINE, OUT NOW.

Andrew was visiting the centre to announce that Sophie Evans will play the role of Dorothy in selected performances of _The Wizard of Oz_ at the London Palladium next year.

Lord Rowe-Beddoe said in his presentation of the key, “From now on the Centre will be also be your home in Wales – because today I am delighted to present to you this symbolic key to our front door. This key is in recognition of the hugely successful opening tour of _The Sound of Music_ last year, featuring Welsh singer Connie Fisher.

“Today we are celebrating the success of another of Wales’ talented emerging young Welsh singers, Sophie Evans. I hope that one day we will be welcoming you back to Wales Millennium Centre this new production of _The Wizard of Oz_ with our very own Dorothy, Sophie Evans.”

My position concerning Highclere Castle is not as stated (Mail). My attention was drawn by concerned Hampshire residents to a large housing development proposed by the Earl of Carnarvon to raise funds for essential work on Highclere Castle. The development has no impact on me personally but concerned two of my main interests: the preservation of historic buildings and protection of the countryside.

The Earl was relying on an English Heritage guideline that development may be allowed in an Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty to raise funds to preserve an important historic building. But this recommendation also states that all other avenues, including sale of the building to someone who can afford to repair it without developing part of the estate, must have been pursued – and this hasn’t happened.

Neither the possibility, for instance, of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation becoming involved with Highclere, or the sale of some of its farmland had been explored when Basingstoke Council met on the issue, let alone the sale of the estate on the open market.

I can understand the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon wanting to keep Highclere Castle (though it hasn’t been lived in for a long time) and I understand the expense of maintaining a historic building of this kind. But I’m asking for the exploration of other options which would preclude housing development in one of the unspoiled corners of Hampshire.

The description of my art collection was flattering but misleading. There are many more valuable art collections in private hands. I probably have the best private collection of Pre-Raphaelite art but it in no way compares with the magnificent collections at, say, Tate Britain, Manchester City Gallery or Port Sunlight.

Picasso’s Angel Fernandez de Soto and Waterhouse’s St Cecilia were owned not by me personally but by my charitable foundation. Both have been sold. Following the sale of the Picasso, the foundation will receive £32 million which will release funds to support important projects including the provision of stage school bursaries.

And, by the way, I don’t earn anything like £100,000 a day in royalties – though I live in hope.

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

Sophie, who was the runner up to winner Danielle Hope in the BBC series Over the Rainbow, will play Dorothy every Tuesday evening, and throughout the weeks of 2nd May, 5th September and 12th September, when Danielle is away.

Andrew said, “I am thrilled that Sophie will be joining Danielle and the cast to play her dream role of Dorothy. She is a huge talent and I am very excited to see what she will bring to the role.”

Sophie and Andrew met the media at the Wales Millennium Centre and Sophie sang the iconic song ‘Over the Rainbow’ from The Wizard of Oz, accompanied by Andrew.

Andrew is also helping Sophie to continue her training, funding her on a year-long musical theatre training course starting in September at the Arts Educational School.

The new production of The Wizard of Oz plays at The London Palladium from 7th February 2011. Sophie will begin her role on the 8th March.

Performances of  The Wizard of Oz at The London Palladium will be Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday – Saturday at 7.30pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm and Sunday at 3pm. Performances from 7th February – 5th March will follow a Monday to Saturday schedule – please check the website for detailed performance schedules.

Tickets, priced from £25.00 – £62.50 are available from The London Palladium Box Office on 0844 412 2957 or online from www.wizardofozthemusical.com.

He said that although the current testing procedure was not completely reliable, “all men over 50 should have the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test and GPs should be encouraged to encourage them to do so”.

Andrew spoke in response to a question posed by Shadow Lords leader Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, who asked what the government was doing to increase GPs awareness of the symptoms of prostate cancer. She warned that too many GPs “were not vigilant enough and they don’t recognise the symptoms”.

In reply to Andrew, the Health Minister Earl Howe said that last year the Department of Health had written to two primary care trusts “to remind them that any man without symptoms of prostate cancer who wishes to have a PSA test is entitled to have one”.

He added: “It is important that anyone availing of the test does so on a fully informed basis because the test is unreliable and can lead to unpleasant side effects.”

_Watch the debate here, courtesy of the BBC._

Image shows Andrew Lloyd Webber with Sumi Jo from Korea, Liping Zhang from China and Ayaka Hirahara from Japan, who all recorded their own local language version of ‘Love Never Dies’.

Click here for more information on Love Never Dies.

Mark Wordsworth, Chairman of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation says: “We are pleased that the Angel de Fernandez de Soto by Pablo Picasso sold at auction today. The Trustees of the Foundation will now consider how best to apply the funds to promote the advancement of the arts, culture and heritage in the UK.”

Lord Lloyd-Webber says: “I am pleased that my Foundation has raised over £30 million, especially in such austere times. This is a significant amount to devote to the Foundation’s passions – architecture and the sponsorship of young talent in musical theatre.’

Originally conceived for television starring Marti Webb, TELL ME ON A SUNDAY has been performed by legendary musical theatre stars Elaine Paige, Sarah Brightman and Denise Van Outen. Now Claire Sweeney takes on this celebrated role which features a wonderful score and the chart-topping hit ‘Take That Look Off Your Face’, ‘Unexpected Song’ and the title track ‘Tell Me on a Sunday’.

This production has been remodelled for Claire by the masters of musical theatre, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black, with an exclusive new song ‘I Still Believe in Love’ – this is the definitive version of the classic musical for 2010.

TELL ME ON A SUNDAY charts the romantic misadventures of a young English girl newly arrived in New York. Brimming with optimism, she seeks success, companionship and, of course, love. But as she weaves her way through the maze of the city and her own anxieties, frustrations and heartaches she begins to wonder whether – in fact – she’s been looking for love in all the wrong places.

CLAIRE SWEENEY is one of the UK’s best-loved personalities with a string of credits to her name on stage and screen, in a career which takes her from Prime Time Saturday Night Television to star roles in London’s West End Theatre.

Television programmes include Brookside, 60 Minute Makeover, Loose Women, My Big Fat Diet and Challenge of a Lifetime. West End roles include Roxie Hart in Chicago and Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls.

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’s numerous awards include 7 Tonys, 3 Grammys, 7 Olivier’s, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, 2 Emmys and the Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre. Don Black is an Oscar winning lyrist ( Born Free ) and penned numerous James Bond theme tunes as well as chart hits Michael Jackson’s Ben and Lulu’s ‘To Sir With Love’.

For more information, including full tour dates and venue information, visit the TELL ME ON A SUNDAY  UK tour official website.

But Jade created a platform from which a good British entry this year could have won.

Instead we had a song that sounded like an out take from a 70′s Village People movie. What a waste.

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Our exclusive video footage shows what went on at the Over The Rainbow studios this weekend as everyone prepared for the final…

After the excitement of Saturday’s first live show, the noise in the Over The Rainbow studios was louder than ever as we began the countdown to the live final. After a few words from Andrew, third-placed Lauren came over for a hug from her family before heading off with the other former Dorothys. We spotted her a few minutes later, back in her pink gingham and surrounded by the other girls in the balcony, as warm-up comedian Stu led us in another round of applause for Lauren and her ever-supportive family and friends.

As we waited, Stu also revealed that the ruby-red slippers the winning Dorothy would be slipping on were covered in Swarovski crystals and worth an amazing £2,500. “Oooooh,” said host Graham Norton. We were also distracted from the impending grand final as Stu took to the stage to demonstrate some of his dancing skills. In the balcony the former Dorothys – particularly Stephanie, Jenny and Emilie – joined in the disco dancing with great enthusiasm, doing the ‘shopping at Tesco’s’ move perfectly.

With the second show about to begin, Graham looked nervous as we watched a bicycle being gradually lowered in from the studio roof. The reason for his nerves soon became clear as he climbed aboard the bike and was raised back up towards the ceiling. “Give us a wave, Graham!” Stu shouted, but Graham was keeping his hands firmly on the handlebars. “No,” he said firmly. “It does make you feel for the Dorothys… it’s very high!”

As the credits rolled, Graham was gradually lowered back onto the stage, pedalling away to kick off the evening’s second live show. After a quick recap of earlier events, Graham caught up with Sophie and Danielle – the final two girls left in the competition after an initial 9,000 auditionees. That little seating area looked very bare with just two Dorothys sitting there…

We watched as Sophie and Danielle practiced Dorothy’s famous ‘Over The Rainbow’ scene on Andrew’s estate, before the two finalists told us again why the role is so important to them. “I feel like I don’t have to act [Dorothy] anymore… I feel like I can just be [her],” said Danielle, and Sophie felt the same -“I’m standing here in a Dorothy dress, I really feel like I am her now,” she said.

Both girls then took to the stage to perform ‘Over The Rainbow’ live. “Think about why the audience should come up to London and see you [as Dorothy],” Andrew advised them. After both girls had sung, they had one final opportunity to address the public ahead of the impending result, then it was back to the panel for one last time.

“We’ve had to sing [‘Over The Rainbow’] so often in sad circumstances, so it’s really difficult for you to do it afresh and I think you both did,” said Sheila. John was also a fan of both girls’ performances, saying: “Sophie I sit here bursting with pride… you’ve really blossomed in this competition. Danielle… you truly are a star.” Charlotte said, “It’s a really tough song to sing… Sophie that song suits your voice more than I’ve ever heard you sing, loved it. Danielle, you’ve been captivating since the start and are captivating still.”

Then, after a catch-up with the families of both girls, it was time for each of them to perform their favourite song of the series. Sophie sang ‘Reflection’ after first performing the song last week, while Danielle gave us her ‘Mambo Italiano’ from week six.

And that was it: the girls’ final performances of the series, as Graham geared up to announce the result – after a quick re-cap of some series highlights first, of course.

Sophie and Danielle held hands in front of that now familiar gigantic pair of ruby red slippers as Graham got his cards out for the last time, ready to announce the winner…

As he read Danielle’s name, the studio audience went mad, with her family and friends leaping out of their seats to give her a standing ovation. On-set, Danielle looked shell-shocked. “I really really don’t think a thank-you is enough…” she said, before adding a message to her fellow Dorothys: “friends for life, thanks girls.”

Andrew was happy –“I’m really pleased with the result, the public haven’t got it wrong yet,” he said – and, after Danielle had swapped her usual pair of shoes for the coveted red slippers, it was time for her to head ‘Over The Rainbow’ – but this time rather than jumping aboard a bright slivery moon, she performed the show’s title track whilst being gradually lifted up in a hot air balloon.

As the credits rolled, Danielle was gradually lowered back down to the stage and several photographers suddenly appeared, all keen for the first pictures of the public’s Dorothy. Andrew headed over to speak to second-placed Sophie and the other Dorothys and it was hugs all round for the girls. The panel joined Danielle for more photos; Dangerous Dave was brought back in, generating more applause; and Charlotte Church soon took off her very high heels and walked off-set in bare feet.

So, Danielle is your Dorothy! See her in The Wizard of Oz from 29th March 2011 – more details here.

For updates on the upcoming Wizard of Oz production, sign up for Andrew’s newsletters

Download Danielle’s version of ‘Over The Rainbow’ NOW on iTunes.

The excitement was palpable from the moment we joined the queue outside the Wembley studios. With everyone in their Saturday best and with the sun shining down, even the occasional interruption from football fans returning from nearby Wembley Stadium only added to the party atmosphere. We waited patiently behind finalist Sophie’s family, who were all in purple to match their girl’s gingham. Gavin and Stacey ’s Joanna Page ran past us in a gorgeously glamorous red dress – “I’ve never seen her so excited,” we were later told by a member of the production team.

Inside there were more familiar faces: Anthony Head was back to support his wife and Toto panellist Sarah Fisher, several Wild Card Dorothys took their seats in front of us and we spotted Any Dream Will Do finalist Daniel Boys up in the balcony. Theatre critic Mark Shenton and legendary casting director David Grindrod – who ably assisted Andrew in the early audition stages of Over The Rainbow – also added to the West End glamour of the occasion.

With the temperature rising and the first of the evening’s live shows about to begin, the noise in the studios was immense; apparently the loudest of the whole series in terms of decibel levels. Well, what else would you expect from the final? As we neared showtime, we watched as the final three girls – Lauren, Sophie and Danielle – each took a seat on a poppy-covered swing before being hoisted up to the top of the studio, from where they would later be lowered in. “Act like you’re seeing them for the first time!” Stu the warm-up-comedian advised.

Then there were the returning Dorothys. As each of the girls from past week’s shows walked back onset in their trademark coloured gingham, the audience cheered as the final eleven were reunited, with the public’s Wild Card Emilie and Amy, Bronte, Dani, Stephanie, Jenny, Jessica and Steph all joining the other three girls onstage.

A fantastic opening routine saw all eleven Dorothys performing a Wizard of Oz medley, also joined by a Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and several very cute munchkins. But it was, of course, all about the final three, as we saw Lauren, Danielle and Sophie getting some first-hand farm experience on Andrew’s country estate in Sydmonton – well, sort of.

So, time for the live performances. Sophie was first, singing ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie. Each of the girls’ first songs were chosen this week by Andrew, and the panel clearly liked Sophie’s performance. “The wonderful thing about you Sophie is you have true glamour… the way you lived that song was beautiful,” Sheila Hancock said. “I just want to tell you tonight how very proud of you I am,” John Partridge added, while Charlotte Church told Sophie: “There’s something about your face that is so emotive… I think Wales should be very proud of you.”

Lauren was up next, singing ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ from My Fair Lady. Another success. “This show is about finding a leading lady, and that’s what you are Lauren…“ John said. “Lauren, I think you have the best voice in the competition… that top note was flawless,” Charlotte told her. Sheila’s comment – “at the beginning, I thought you were a bit ‘eyes, teeth and tits’” drew giggles and gasps from the audience. “I don’t care, the show is finished; they can’t sack me!” she said, before going on to praise Lauren’s final note as one of “pure joy.” Andrew echoed a comment of John’s, saying, “you’re a producers dream, I think you’re fantastic.”

Next up was Danielle, singing ’76 Trombones’ from The Music Man. “I remember you in the first workshop, and it was a revelation,” Sheila said. “I think the song is very witty, and what you did Danielle was to convey that while dancing… a worthy Palladium follower,” said Andrew.

After a further glimpse of Andrew’s estate, as we saw the girls getting some advice from the Lord himself during a trip to his country home, the final three were back on-set to perform a well-loved Wizard of Oz song side-by-side along with some familiar characters: the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. More rave reviews from the panel. “It’s absolutely extraordinary how far you’ve all come,” Andrew said.

And then it was Toto time. The owners of each of the final five Totos were sat just in front of us in the audience, cheering as each of their dogs flashed up on the big screen in the studio. There were more cheers for Jodie Prenger as she came on-set with the winning dog – miniature schnauzer Dangerous Dave! During a later break in filming, the Toto owners were each presented with a gift to commemorate their dog’s Toto journey, and we overheard studio staff telling Dave’s owner not to worry about him. “Dave’s fine, he’s backstage being treated like a celebrity!” she said.

Back to the girls – and a chance to find out what the former eight Dorothys have been up to since leaving the competition as they caught up with panellist Sheila in her Sister Act dressing room at the London Palladium. Back in the studio, the girls then performed a beautiful rendition of ‘Empire State of Mind’ before it was time to say our first goodbye of the evening, as the first result was in.

Sadly, Lauren became the first girl to leave the final – but the standing ovation in the studio, coupled with cheering so loud Graham could barely be head over us, demonstrated what a well-respected performer she was. “I’ve made the most amazing friends… it’s been fantastic,” Lauren said.

As she became the ninth girl to take to the moon and say her goodbyes, it was down to Sophie and Danielle to battle it out for those ruby slippers…

Read our Oz Blog on Saturday’s results show here.

For updates on the upcoming Wizard of Oz production, sign up for Andrew’s newsletters

Download the single version of ‘Over The Rainbow’ NOW on iTunes.

Danielle beat her two fellow finalists, Sophie and Lauren who finished in second and third place respectively.

Danielle will now go on to star as Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of _The Wizard of Oz_, which will open at the London Palladium early next year.

Danielle’s version of ‘Over The Rainbow’ is now available to download on iTunes.

Tonight’s grand finale of Over the Rainbow on BBC ONE saw Danielle triumph in the public vote and win the role of Dorothy in the new West End production of The Wizard of Oz.   One year old Mini Schnauzer Dave pawed the coveted Toto role.

Immediately after landing the role Danielle said “ _I really don’t think that thank you is enough, to the crew, everyone backstage, the panel, Andrew, the amazing public, everyone who comes here every week supporting us and the people at home. It really feels like it’s not enough but thanks to the girls, friends for life!_”

Legendary composer and producer Andrew Lloyd Webber had, for the first time in the series, no say in the choosing of his new leading lady as viewers voted to select their Dorothy.  He was thrilled with the public’s choice saying “_I’m really pleased with the result, the nation has never got it wrong and now is where the hard work begins. You acted that part from your very soul, that’s very very special_.”

Over the course of a tense and dramatic evening, Danielle performed alongside fellow finalists Lauren and Sophie, who all set out to prove to the public that they had the voice and acting ability to become a West End leading lady.

After an opening performance of the Wizard of Oz Medley, each finalist performed a solo and a trio performance with the Scarecrow, the Lion and the Tin Man. The eight Dorothys no longer in the competition also performed ‘Empire State of Mind’ by Alicia Keys.

After performing their songs and receiving the usual round of feedback from Andrew Lloyd Webber and the expert panel of Sheila Hancock, Charlotte Church and John Partridge, the Dorothys faced an anxious wait to find out who was in third place.

At the end of the first live show, Lauren Samuels received the fewest votes, meaning she would not be Dorothy.

On hearing the announcement Lauren said “_I’ve learned so much about myself as a performer and as a person. I’ve made some incredible friends, friends for life. I just want to say a massive thank you to Andrew, the panel and to all the backstage crew, hair, make up, everybody. It’s just been fantastic._”

Andrew commented: “I’d be proud to work with you – you know my number and I know yours, so we’ll be in touch!”

In the second live show of the evening, the two remaining finalists – Sophie Evans and Danielle Hope – both performed ‘Over the Rainbow’, as well as their favourite songs of the series – ‘Reflection’ by Christina Aguilera for Sophie and ‘Mambo Italiano’ by Rosemary Clooney for Danielle.

It was then time for Graham to announce that Danielle had won the competition and would be taking the lead role in The Wizard of Oz, leaving Sophie in second place.

Sophie said after the show “_I’m just feeling that there’s a future out there for me, Dorothy obviously wasn’t the role for me and I wish Danielle the absolute best of luck in the world. It’s been the best opportunity, the best training and I wouldn’t change it for the world, we are all friends for life, this isn’t the end!_”

As well as announcing our winning Dorothy, it was also revealed that Dangerous Dave had won the role of Toto and would be playing him in a one off gala performance.

Rachel Owen, Dave’s owner commented on the win: “I am over the moon and so glad he has won.  He really deserves it as he is such a little doggie superstar!  He’s so laid back, that things don’t tend to get to him, but who knows, if he starts getting a few fans, it may go to his head and he might develop a certain strut to his walk!  I think he’ll be very popular on his daily walks.“

Dave added “Woof ”

available to download Sunday 23rd May or purchase Monday 31st May

Proceeds split between Prostate UK and The BBC Performing Arts Fund

After eight weeks of nail-biting tension Andrew Lloyd Webber’s epic quest to find his modern day Dorothy to fill those ruby-red slippers is about to reach its conclusion. On Saturday 22nd May, the nation will choose its winner who will go on to release a cover of the iconic ‘Over The Rainbow’ as first sung by Judy Garland over 60 years ago.

The charity single will be available to download from midnight Sunday 23rd May and all proceeds will be split equally between two very worthwhile charities: Prostate UK and The BBC Performing Arts Fund.

One week later (on Monday May 31st) the track will be physically available complete with The Wizard of Oz Medley, as performed by all three finalists, as a bonus B-side.  The medley will consist of some of the classic tracks sung throughout the competition by the Dorothys including: ‘Follow The Yellow Brick Road’, ‘We’re Off To See The Wizard’, ‘It Really Was No Miracle’, ‘Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead’, ‘The Merry Old Land Of Oz’ and ‘If I Only Had A Heart’.

The three remaining Dorothys have just one more live show to prove to the nation that they have the power, charisma and talent to win one of the most prized and best-loved roles in musical theatre. The three finalists will go head to head in Saturday night’s grand final, singing a range of songs including their favourites from the series, as well as performing an exclusive group performance with the eight Dorothys who weren’t lucky enough to make it this far.

Viewers will also find out which lucky pooch will be performing in a one-off gala performance as Toto.

The Artist and Producers have waived their royalties and The Really Useful Group Ltd and Polydor Ltd will pay their profits* from this single to Prostate UK and The BBC Performing Arts Fund in equal shares.

*Profits means income net only of expenses approved by Prostate UK and the BBC Performing Arts Fund respectively. Each of Prostate UK and the BBC Performing Arts Fund will receive a guaranteed payment of at least 20p per unit / 7.5p per download from the sale of this single. Prostate UK is a charity registered with the Charity Commission no. 1135297. The BBC Performing Arts Fund is a charity registered with the Charity Commission no. 1101276

Sierra gave the girls some invaluable advice on the challenges facing the winner, before singing the title song from Love Never Dies.  We were there to capture the girls as they waited for the visitor, as well as exclusive footage of Sierra on and off the set.

A fine performance by the girls to open the show and a quick chat from the panel as we spy a gaggle of dancers at the side of the stage – umbrellas and raincoats in hand. Was there a leak? Was the studio about to flood? The answer – no. It quickly became clear we were in for another “mash-up”. Cue Graham’s waving arms and another comedy quip from the Lord himself. As the cameras, cranes and backstage crew scooted into position we hastily tried to work out what songs would be given the “mash-up” treatment this week. I’m sure you’ve already guessed what was coming but I’m afraid to say we were rather embarrassingly slow off the mark. Singing in the Rain followed by Rhianna’s smash hit Umbrella – “ella, ella, ey ey.” I’ve already put in several calls to the “mash-up” helpline as Graham suggested – who comforted me and assured me that our winning Dorothy is guaranteed to be a West End Smash. Get it?

Being a West End leading lady is no easy job, and no-one knows this more than Love Never Dies star Sierra Boggess – who visited the girls during rehearsals in the week. Offering words of wisdom and advice to our four remaining Dorothy’s, she explained how landing the iconic role will change their lives. No pressure then! And as a special treat the American-born actress performed the title track from Andrew’s new musical, a breathtaking performance from a true leading lady of the West End. Bravo Sierra!

As the search for Dorothy nears its conclusion so does the search for Dorothy’s four legged friend Toto. In this week’s pooch task our furry friends were required to pull back the curtain to reveal the Wizard of Oz – well Andrew, but didn’t he make a great Wizard! After a quick pampering session our canine chums were ready to perform – or not, as stage fright and nerves began to set in. It was down to the Lord to award one of our hopeful Toto’s with the weeks winning rosette… which went to the largest of our hounds – Troy. With only one week left before our winning Toto is crowned top dog – who will be our Pedigree Chum and who will be left with their tails between their legs?

And so down to the business end of the evening. The dreaded sing-off. The oversized ruby slippers turn outwards and the stage crew hastily assemble the glass staircase. In front of us sit Team Sophie, to our left Team Steph and on the other side of the studio Team Lauren and Team Danielle – fingers crossed, toes crossed, praying for the result to go their way. The tension almost unbearable. Then – Graham announces that Steph and Lauren are in the bottom two. Audible gasps and shouts of disbelief. Sophie and Danielle have made it through to next weeks final – leaving Lauren and Steph to sing for the Lord’s saving vote. Performing Another Suitcase in Another Hall from Evita in the semi-finals of Over the Rainbow would be daunting enough, but to do so in front of the composer and lyricist must be utterly terrifying. With the singing over (and tears welling) it was down to one man to decide – and as Andrew agonised over his decision the tension in the audience was palpable. Who would the Lord go for?

“I’m going to save Lauren.”

And with that 21 year old Steph crashed out of the competition. As Lauren joined her finalists the audience, the Lord and the panel (and Tim Rice) leapt to their feet to applaud Steph. It took Graham several attempts to quell the spontaneous applause and deafening cheers before the Lord proclaimed that Steph had a long career ahead of her. We concur!

We all knew what was coming – Steph handed her slippers back and sailed away on the moon. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as the audience once again leapt to their feet. A fitting tribute to a truly great performer.

So – we have our final three. Sophie, Danielle and Lauren. We’ll be back next week for the live finals where only one girl will be crowned your Dorothy. Who will it be? As Graham says – “don’t ask me!”

MARQUEE PICTURES, a Beverly Hills based production venture, announced today at the Festival de Cannes that its first theatrical motion picture release will be BOMBAY DREAMS adapted from the hit musical produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with music by two-time Oscar winning composer A. R. Rahman, and will be directed by Oscar nominated director Deepa Mehta. The screenplay adaptation of the London stage production will be written by Sabrina Dhawan, acclaimed writer of Monsoon Wedding.

The Bollywood-themed stage musical, based on a concept by Lloyd Webber, opened in London in 2002 and ran for two years, winning the prestigious Emma Award. The musical also was produced on Broadway in 2004 where it won 3 Tony Awards and 4 Drama Desk Awards.

Marquee Pictures was established for the purpose of bringing hit Broadway and West End musicals to the Big Screen. The company is headed by former Universal senior executive Jeff Segal, former ICM packaging agent and producer Steve Waterman ( Alvin & The Chipmunks, The Squeakquel, Stuart Little I and II ), Arclight Films president Gary Hamilton, and Azure Media Group Chairman Steve Wilkinson. Chairman of Marquee Pictures is Jack Crosby, former Chairman of the Sundance Film Institute.

The motion picture adaptation of Bombay Dreams will be produced in association with The Really Useful Group, Lloyd Webber’s UK based entertainment company, and will feature an all-star international cast.

A Romeo and Juliet story set in the glamorous, high-stakes world of Bollywood, Bombay Dreams – The Movie will feature new songs and music underscore by A.R. Rahman, with an expanded storyline and lavishly staged production dance numbers. The film will be produced with state-of-the-art production technology. The producers are presently evaluating the prospect of releasing the film in stereoscopic 3D. Lloyd Webber will be actively involved in all facets of development and production.

“I am very proud to have presented Bombay Dreams in Britain where it was a ground-breaking show, and also to have been involved with the Broadway production which was years ahead of its time,” said Lloyd Webber. “It was deeply rewarding for me to see A. R. Rahman’s work recognized in America when he won two Oscars and I am thrilled to be working with him again on this exciting project.”

“I have had a wonderful collaboration with Andrew on Bombay Dreams,” said composer Rahman. “And now I am very happy to continue this collaboration as we transform the stage musical into a film. I am very fond of this score and the story that we are telling,” he added. “I have now worked on more than one hundred movies, and believe that this may be my most exciting project.”

“We couldn’t be prouder of our association with Andrew Lloyd Webber,” said producer Jeff Segal. “He is clearly the preeminent producer and creator of musical theater in the world today. Bombay Dreams is a very cinematic show, with enormous potential, particularly because we have A. R. Rahman’s great score, which people everywhere, of every age, will love.”

“I am delighted to be part of the Bombay Dreams team,” added director Deepa Mehta, whose film Water was nominated for an Academy Award, and won Canada’s most prestigious film award. “I very much look forward to working with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rahman, and Sabrina as we put this film together. It has a rich and compelling story, appealing characters and a satisfying interplay of comedy, romance and the dramatic. It really is the ideal musical to adapt for film.”

Steve Wilkinson, who has a background in theater, both as producer and performer, and whose company Azure has provided development funding for the film, observed “While every production has an inherently uncertain outcome in the marketplace, Bombay Dreams, with its amazing musical pedigree and an award-winning production team, has a chance of becoming one of the great musical films of the decade.”

Gary Hamilton agreed and added, “The global success, both critical and commercial of Slumdog Millionaire, particularly in North American, west European, and Asian markets, demonstrates that there is an appetite for films like Bombay Dreams – with its Indian influenced music score, that can breakout with all demographics and perform well in all territories.”

Steve Waterman, a producer with a billion-dollar track record, added “_Bombay Dreams_ is a hybrid that taps into the best filmmaking traditions of both Bollywood, with its extravagant production numbers, and Hollywood, bringing to mind the great MGM and Warner Brothers movie musicals, but with a distinctly modern flair.”

Bombay Dreams is set to commence principal photography in India in 2011 on stages and practical locations primarily in and around the city of Mumbai, and will be produced in association with a major Indian production partner.

Bombay Dreams is being represented outside of the United States by Arclight Films International Pty. Ltd., the international sales and production organization based at Fox Studios Australia with representative offices in Beverly Hills, Tokyo and New York City.

Wrist band on and in we go – but before we even make it into the studios proper we bump (quite literally) into Oscar winning lyricist Tim Rice! Our celebrity spotting senses had been aroused as we took our seats and settled in for a night of high drama, high notes and some high jinx from our celebrity judging panel. As Graham recorded a trail for next weeks live final and the Dorothy’s huddled their penultimate huddle we spot last weeks evictees Jess and Jenny surveying the audience from the balcony above.

After an energetic, crowd-pleasing and somewhat ironic rendition of Together Wherever We Go it was down to the main business of the evening. With the Lord urging the audience to look for something “real” in the girls’ performances it was our Welsh Dorothy who was to be first out of the blocks singing Reflection from the Disney classic Mulan. Hot on Sophie’s heels was London’s very own Steph – performing Take That’s Rule the World.

We were suitably impressed and so it would seem were the panel – with Charlotte proclaiming “two outstanding vocal performances.” West and East End star John Partridge lent forward, paused and announced Sophie’s “best performance to date” – and it seemed that even the Lord agreed Sophie had “turned the corner.” Team Sophie (who were sitting directly in front of us) were suitably pleased. But there was to be praise too for Steph, with John crowning her the competition’s only “triple threat.” It was clear from the first two performances that this was going to be a tense night. It was time to open the chocolate…

Next up was 22 year old Lauren and Manchester born Danielle who performed Bryan Adam’s Heaven and Whitney Houston’s When You Believe respectively.

Charlotte commented that Lauren was “incapable of giving a bad performance” but thought Danielle didn’t give her best performance, before finally concluding that her vocal was “spotless”. And after wishing her Nanna a happy 70th birthday (ahh bless) it was John’s turn – “unbeatable” was his verdict on Lauren and “even Diva’s have an off day” was his judgement on 18 year old Danielle. Sheila grappled with the interpretation of the songs while Andrew wondered whether Lauren could have brought more of a “sweetness” to her performance. There will still nothing to choose between them.

Next up – another handful of confectionary for us and a duet for our semi-finalists. Sophie and Steph comprised our first coalition of Dorothy’s – stepping out of a diamond encrusted (well sparkly at least!) bath to belt out the South Pacific anthem Wash that Man Right out of my Hair. Hot on their ruby slippers were Lauren and Danielle who performed Popular from the ever-popular musical Wicked. Several whoops, cheers and manic claps later the panel were ready to deliver their verdict on who they thought stood out from the Kansas coalitions. John went with Danielle but conceded that Sophie was continuing to “raise her game.” Of Danielle and Lauren, Charlotte urged our good Lord to “write a musical for them.” Sheila proclaimed Danielle’s “comedy gift” while the Lord fretted about the producers of Wicked snapping up Danielle and Steph! As the night went on it became clear that the competition was wide open.

And then to the Dorothy’s weekly task – another acting and dialect challenge. As we craned our necks upward to watch the VT on the large screen above the set we treated ourselves to yet more chocolate (by this time melted) and watched in awe as our final four performed the iconic scene where Dorothy asks The Good Witch how to get home to Kansas. To make things just that little bit more tense – our Dorothys  were joined by the good Lord, who was moved to tears by Danielle’s vulnerable portrayal of the iconic character. The girls then clicked their heels together three times and magically appeared back in the studio to perform I Can’t Say No from Roger and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma. As they sung, danced and waved their Stetsons in front of the studio audience we sat wondering just who on earth would walk away with the Ruby Slippers next week. Lions and tigers and bears… it’s too close too call!

Watch Andrew and partner-in-crime Graham as they discuss their search for a Dorothy to star in Andrew’s upcoming production of _The Wizard of Oz_ – among other things – this Monday 17th May, on BBC1 at 10:35pm.

Our exclusive video footage gives a further glimpse behind the scenes as the girls worked on a pivotal scene from The  Wizard of Oz with Bobby.  We also reveal how Andrew discovered the truth of the old showbiz adage “Never work with children or animals” when he took his turn sharing the spotlight with Bobby…

For updates on the upcoming Wizard of Oz production, sign up for Andrew’s newsletters

For more information on Over The Rainbow, visit www.bbc.co.uk/dorothy.

Having already said goodbye to one Dorothy, Sunday’s Over The Rainbow audience were nervous. “Isn’t it tense?” said warm-up comedian Stu. Jenny was back though, sat in pride of place in the audience with some of her supporters. Stu tried to keep us entertained by throwing out chocolate – including lobbing some up at Jenny – as the crew prepared for the start of the show. “Hmm, I never offer chocolate to the panel,” he said, as Charlotte, John, Sheila and Andrew took their seats. “Do you want some?” he said, to which Charlotte responded with an instant, “yes.” She’s a caramel kind of girl, in case you wondered.

Another burst of ‘Defying Gravity’ to start the show and, after a quick recap on the previous night’s events, Graham caught up with the panel as in the studio we watched the crew transform the set by laying out yellow-brick road tiles. It was nearly time for the final five Totos to make their first studio appearance. “I’ve got Dangerous Dave!” we saw Jessica mouth excitedly at her family, and what she meant by this soon became clear as each of the five dogs were led onto the ‘doggy catwalk’ by one of the Dorothys. Joining Jessica and Dave were Danielle and Troy, Lauren and Eddie, Sophie and Missy, and Steph and Spider. As each of the girls tried to make the dogs sit, there was one funny moment as Graham introduced the video footage of the Toto challenge. Let’s just say the recorded bark at the beginning of the footage caused some excitement…

We watched as the girls, including Jenny, were asked to act out a scene with one of the Totos at Richmond Theatre. Not only were they being judged by the Toto panel – Jodie, Sarah and Gerry – but they were also performing in front of what looked like hundreds of school children. And before even getting onstage, they had to persuade one of the Totos to choose them. Lauren was forced to sit the challenge out after the each of the dogs picked one of her fellow Dorothys. “Maybe they can sense that I have cats at home,” she said.

The panel’s top dog was Spider, who performed with Jenny, while Dangerous Dave won the kids vote after playing the scene with Sophie. Back in the studio, the dogs had been led back off-stage. “They’ve had a long day,” Graham said to the panel. “So have we!” Sheila retorted.

And then it was mash-up time, as the Dorothys this week served up a combination of ‘Matchmaker’ from Fiddler on the Roof, ‘Rich Girl’ by Eve featuring Gwen Stefani, and the Black Eyed Peas – ‘I Gotta Feeling.’

With the second sing-off fast approaching, the panel gave us their thoughts on the girls. As we watched the video footage in the studio, someone in the audience took the opportunity to shout out, “John!” As the panel turned around, Stu read out the sign being held up – “John, we will be your Syed!” We think John was impressed with this reference to his recent Eastenders love-split, although yet again he wouldn’t give us any more gossip from the show…

After Graham’s quick catch-up with the girls, we saw the Dorothys make their first appearance at a West End opening night, attending Sweet Charity and heading backstage afterward to meet the show’s star Tamzin Outhwaite, who told the girls, “this will happen for all of you, in whatever job, you’ll have an opening night – remember that.”

Then we got a glimpse of what it’s all about as we saw Tamzin perform an iconic number from the show – ‘If My Friends Could See Me Now.’ Afterwards, Tamzin told the girls what they can expect from an opening night. “Lots of nerves, loads of adrenalin pumping through the body…  make the most of your opening night because it’s never that exciting again.”

Then, time once again for the dreaded sing-off – and another surprise this week as Jessica, previously the only girl not to have been in the bottom two, was in the sing-off with Danielle. “A real dilemma for me, I think,” said Andrew, as the girls took to the floor to sing ‘Take That Look Off Your Face’.

Decision time again, and Andrew saved Danielle, telling Jessica: “I’m just a little bit unsure about [you for] Dorothy, but you are so wonderful and quirky… it’s Funny Girl, something like that. You are a real star in the making.”

And so the second goodbye of the weekend was to Jessica, who told us she was going on to train in September. “I’ve had the best experience of my life so far,” she said, before re-joining the Dorothys for one last performance.

Four Dorothys and two weeks to go. The race is on…

For updates on the upcoming Wizard of Oz production, sign up for Andrew’s newsletters

For more information on Over The Rainbow, visit www.bbc.co.uk/dorothy.

As we found our seats we spied more familiar faces in the audience: Stephanie, who left the competition last week, chatting away to Arlene Phillips – “she’s getting a job from Arlene!” our warm-up comedian Stu joked – while Anthony Head, partner of Toto panellist Sarah Fisher and he of Merlin, Buffy, Little Britain and Gold Blend fame, stood up to give us all a little wave.

Graham recorded a few trails to be shown after the show – “Don’t worry, that’s for later, you haven’t missed anything,” he reassured us – before introducing the panel. John Partridge whooped as he turned around to grin at us from his seat while on the other side of the stage the Dorothys were having their usual pre-show huddle. “They’re having their little hug before the show, let’s wish them all luck,” Stu said as the theme music started…

This being musical theatre week, the girls kicked off the show in suitable style with ‘Defying Gravity’ from Wizard of Oz prequel Wicked, before Graham explained how this week’s double elimination would work. “It’s the hottest competition for your votes since… well, Thursday,” he said, referring to last week’s General Election. With one of the girls due to say her goodbyes in Saturday’s live show, Andrew reminded viewers that they should think about all the girls’ performances from previous weeks.

Danielle was the first to perform, singing ‘On My Own’ from Les Miserables – a simple song deliberately chosen to contrast with last week’s more upbeat ‘Mambo Italiano’ – before Jessica took to the stage to perform her very energetic version of ‘Supercalifragilistic’ from Mary Poppins.

Charlotte thought Danielle’s was “an emotive performance… the last few lines were simply stunning,” thought she warned her to watch out for sounding “shouty” on the top notes. John admired her “grace and sensitivity”. For fellow panellist Sheila Hancock, her performance wasn’t as good as in previous weeks, but she still compared Danielle to recent Tony Award nominee Catherine Zeta Jones. “You have star quality,” she said.

John called Jessica his “marmite Dorothy – sometimes I really love it, and sometimes I don’t.” This week he felt her performance was a bit cheesy – “but cheese and marmite, the perfect combination,” he added. Charlotte liked it – “that was extravagant and fun and frivolous, your vocals suffered a little bit because you were out of breath but it didn’t bother me at all,” she said. Sheila felt she could have had more fun with the word, while Andrew thought she was a fantastic performer. “You never cease to make me smile,” he said.

Next up were Steph, who gave an emotional performance of ‘Somewhere’ from West Side Story, and Jenny, whose version of ‘Send in the Clowns’ from A Little Night Music had all her supporters waving their banners wildly.

Sheila thought Steph’s performance was “absolutely wonderful… there was a moment in the middle that was pure magic,” while John assured Steph that there was a place for her – “it’s back here on this stage next week, in the semi-final,” he said, to cheers from Steph’s family and friends. Charlotte loved it as well – “that was just special,” she said – while Andrew thought she had done “really well… you got the meaning of the words,” he added.

Jenny’s performance had some more mixed comments, with John and Charlotte having another disagreement. “Jenny, when you perform an up-tempo number I love it, when you sing a song like this I think the acting comes across a bit half-baked…” John told her. “I completely disagree… it was simple and lovely and your voice sounded quite classic,” was Charlotte’s response. Sheila and Andrew both agreed that it was a difficult song for a performer of Jenny’s age to sing. “You did rather better than I thought, because of course it’s about an older woman,” Andrew told her.

This week’s final two were Sophie, whose version of ‘I Enjoy Being A Girl’ from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song encouraged even more sign-waving from her supporters in the audience, and Lauren, who sang ‘Being Alive’ from Company.

John praised Sophie’s “openness,” but was worried that her performance was too TV. “It’s a bit understated and I just worry that in a big theatre that sort of performance might be lost.” Charlotte disagreed again – “I thought that was great… you laid it on the line there, that was really brave of you, and your vocal was spot on.” Sheila thought she could have sent the song up a bit more. “This is a daft song for a modern woman to sing,” she said; a judgement Andrew agreed with.

Lauren’s performance was, for John, “sav[ing] the best till last… you have the best voice in this competition,” he told her. Charlotte agreed this time, saying, “I have to stop fawning over you, it’s getting a bit embarrassing,” although she did add some advice: “Sometimes you don’t need to hold those notes that long.” Sheila felt she could have “cherished the lyric a bit more,” but thought Lauren was “terrific… very professional.” Andrew thought it was “a fantastic performance,” though he agreed with Charlotte’s comments about her vocal.

And so, with all six girls having performed, it was time for the first round of voting. Graham announced the lines were open for just 15 minutes – although in the audience our mobiles remained off, of course…

Meanwhile we got a glimpse into the previous week’s acting mission, which saw each of the girls perform a scene with Toto, aka Bobby the Westie. To add extra pressure, Andrew was watching. While Steph had problems coaxing Bobby into the room – “she’s a proper actress, but it looked as if Toto was going to gobble her hand off,” was Andrew’s view – Jenny had the opposite problem when Bobby took it upon himself to run off-set. “I felt for her, because she obviously doesn’t have a rapport with the dog,” Andrew said.

Andrew was impressed with Lauren and Danielle. “Danielle controlled Toto and did the scene; she’s got to be a strong contender… Lauren has a natural rapport with animals, and she never let the acting side down,” he said. Jessica also came in for praise – “flashes of brilliance… and she kept the dog happy” – while Sophie’s successful handling of Toto was a plus for Andrew. “That’s going to be important for her because she’s a bit green as an actress,” he said.

From acting with them to talking to them, back in the studio the girls performed ‘Talk to the Animals’ from Dr Doolittle – then it was time for another exclusive performance as panellist Charlotte swapped places with the Dorothys and took to the stage to sing her new single, ‘The Actors.’ A standing ovation from the audience for Ms Church after her first solo performance in four years…

But, all too quickly, it was time for Graham to reveal which two were in the first of the weekend’s sing-offs. Gasps from the audience again as Lauren and Jenny’s names were called, and cheers from the girls’ supporters as they both walked forward to perform ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ for Andrew.

After a beautiful performance from both girls, it was time for the Lord to make his decision. Choosing to save Lauren, he explained: “Jenny, you are very very talented, what made me worried was the acting scene, you were a bit at sea with Toto.”

Time for another goodbye – “I think the hardest thing about going home is leaving my girls…!” said Jenny, before joining the others for one final time. As she sailed over the rainbow to more cheers from the audience, we spotted Stephanie on her feet.

So, with just five girls left, the remaining Dorothys performed a Wizard of Oz medley in a bid to avoid being the second girl to be sent home. Jenny was quietly lowered back onto the stage as the girls sang, and Graham announced that the voting lines were back open…

Read our Oz Blog on Sunday’s show here.

For updates on the upcoming Wizard of Oz production, sign up for Andrew’s newsletters

For more information on Over The Rainbow, visit www.bbc.co.uk/dorothy.

Follow the yellow brick road, over the rainbow and into The London Palladium for a fun packed night of family entertainment…

Today, Saturday 8th May, 2010, tickets go on sale for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s much anticipated West End adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. There’ll be no place like The London Palladium, the capital’s home of the family musical, where the brand new show will premiere in early 2011, with tickets going on sale today for performances from 29th March 2011.

Developed from the ever popular 1939 MGM screenplay, The Wizard of Oz is an enchanting adaptation of the all time classic, totally reconceived for the stage by the award-winning creative team who delighted audiences of all ages with their recent London Palladium revival of The Sound of Music.  This new production contains all the much-loved songs from the Oscar winning movie score including; Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Follow the Yellow Brick Road, If I Only Had a Heart and We’re Off to See the Wizard. All the favourite characters and iconic moments will be there, plus a few surprises along the way – not just “lions and tigers and bears” but some new songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber adding extra colour to the story as it moves from film to stage. The entire family will be captivated as The London Palladium is transformed into the mythical Emerald City with breathtaking special effects and scenery to re-tell the real story of Oz.

The London Palladium, arguably the world’s most famous theatre, is a great favourite with performers and audiences alike and has a very rich entertainment history presenting variety, pantomime and spectacular family musicals. Just one aspect of the elaborate stage design for The Wizard of Oz will be a restoration of the legendary revolving stage which was the main feature in the finale of Television’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said, “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.”

Click your heels together and join Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, Dorothy and her little dog Toto, as they journey through the magical land, helped and hindered by the Witches of Oz, to meet the Wizard and obtain their heart’s desires.

Performances of The Wizard of Oz at The London Palladium will be Wednesday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Tuesday at 7pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm and Sunday at 3pm. Tickets, priced from £25.00 – £62.50 (to include 75p theatre restoration levy and inclusive of booking fees if booked through the website or phone number), are available from The London Palladium Box Office on 0844 412 2957 or online from www.wizardofozthemusical.com.

We caught up with the girls after the show and, in our exclusive video clip, they give their thoughts on the weekend’s show and pass on their message to the Dorothys.

For updates on the upcoming Wizard of Oz production, sign up for Andrew’s newsletters

For more information on Over The Rainbow, visit www.bbc.co.uk/dorothy.

Image shows Sam and Niamh in their I’d Do Anything outfits.

With the sing-off looming again, it was time for a bit of light relief at the Over The Rainbow studios. We spotted Danielle and Sophie chatting to their families in their signature gingham dresses as we waited for Sunday’s results show to begin, and the BBC’s warm-up comedian (we have established his name is Stu) tried to find out how far members of the audience had travelled to see the Dorothys in action. Jenny’s cousin had flown in from New York, while Steph’s Grandma had come from Malta to see her perform. There was even someone in the audience from Oz… well, from Australia, anyway.

And then the girls were back, kicking off again with ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade.’ Then, as Graham chatted to the panel, we watched as the crew transformed the stage into a gorgeous Alice In Wonderland-esque tea party. Apparently there were REAL cupcakes on that table. We didn’t get to try any of them though.

As the Dorothys came back onstage after another quick costume change it was time for the mash-up – or “medley,” as Graham admitted – with the girls moving from ‘Well, Did You Evah?’ from High Society into Pink’s ‘Get The Party Started’. Mash-up, medley: whatever it was it had John Partridge and the rest of us clapping away.

Time then for a Toto update. We saw the final five Totos – border cross Missy, pug Eddie, beagle Spider, rescue dog Troy and miniature schnauzer Dangerous Dave – take their first steps on a West End stage as, after a quick training session, they each performed a scene from Legally Blonde alongside the show’s Amy Lennox. And the week’s ‘Top Dog’ was… Missy, who won the challenge – and a lovely rosette. The Totos weren’t the only ones facing a challenge. This week’s acting mission saw the girls (minus poorly Jessica) abandoned in a deep dark wood, with lions and tigers and… cuddly monkeys set up to scare them. Danielle, Stephanie and Sophie followed the yellow brick road to ‘Oz’, but Steph, Lauren and Jenny chose to go ‘home’, failing in their mission but getting to see their Mums at least.

Back in the studio we watched as the girls hurried onto the set barefoot after another costume change to perform ‘The Happening’. John, Charlotte and Sheila all agreed that Danielle shone in the group performance but it was, sadly, time for Graham to get his cards ready and announce the results of the public vote.

Yet more shocked audience members this week, with audible gasps as Steph and Stephanie were revealed as having had the fewest votes. There were a few tears from Stephanie as she and Steph took their places to sing ‘Tell Me On A Sunday.’ Again, it was a very difficult decision for Andrew and, as he made the choice to save Steph, there were yet more tears – this time from both girls and from quite a few of us in the audience.

“This is absolutely agonising for me… but I have not the slightest doubt that you’ll be back,” Andrew told Stephanie, to cheers of encouragement from the audience.

And it was an emotional send-off as Stephanie took her place to sing ‘Over The Rainbow.’ There was a hug from Steph as she handed back her shoes, and a full standing ovation from the audience – and the panel – as she flew up into the rafters on her crescent moon. Afterwards, descending gently back down to the studio floor, there were more hugs for Stephanie – from Andrew and each of the panellists, and, of course, one from her Mum.

Next week we say goodbye to not one but two of the girls – “a Dorothy cull,” as Graham said to us at the beginning of Sunday’s show – so expect an even more emotional results show as the quarter-final looms…

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And, this being the glamorous world of TV, we also spotted some of the Dorothys getting ready for the show as we joined the long queue for the ladies’. Steph and Stephanie made their way backstage while Jessica ran back past us the other way, in shorts and with bare feet…

Luckily there was plenty of glamour to come, as Saturday was Big Band night. “We’ve got some extra brass in the band tonight,” host Graham Norton told us as we began the countdown to the start of the show. The girls burst out from under those staircases to start us off with ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade’ from Funny Girl, ending with a direct plea to Andrew: “Mr Lloyd Webber… here I am!”

With Nancys in the audience and Dorothys on set, Andrew also had some Joseph news for us, congratulating Any Dream Will Do winner Lee Mead and wife Denise Van Outen on the birth of their daughter Betsy. All together now – ahhhhhh.

Steph and Jenny were the first to perform this week, with Steph’s performance of ‘Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend’ giving a sparkling start to proceedings, complete with men in top hats and a complicated dance routine. We spotted Stephanie singing along, and there were a few people in the audience mouthing the words too…

Good comments for Steph, as panellist John Partridge told her that she might soon be counting the Scarecrow and the Tin Man as her “BF’s”. Sheila Hancock could see Steph as Dorothy – “it would be wonderful to have a mixed-race girl as the orphan from Kansas” – while Charlotte called her a “diminutive diva.”

In video footage, we saw Jenny make her first ever trip to a West End show and go backstage at Mamma Mia! Her rendition of ‘Feelin’ Good,’ made famous by Nina Simone, was another crowd-pleaser as she and the band – led by Nigel Wright – gave it some Big Band welly. For John, it was proof she had “got [her] mojo back,” while Charlotte felt she really pulled it out of the bag. “When the pressure’s on, you really just perform… you owned it,” she said. Andrew pointed out that it was a difficult song to sing with such a big sound from the band, but thought she had done well.

Next up was Sophie, who was saved from the bottom two by Andrew last week, performing ‘What A Wonderful World.’ Charlotte praised Sophie’s “gorgeous vocal” but felt her performance was a bit serious. “You could have smiled more – it’s a wonderful world,” she said. Sheila felt it was a viable interpretation but wished Sophie had chosen to really love it. “I want to kick you!” she added, saying that she thought nerves sometimes help Sophie back. “I wish we’d seen the colours in the rainbow… I know that you’ve got more in you,” was John’s thought.

Danielle – who we saw celebrating her 18th birthday with a musical-theatre themed party – and Lauren were next. Danielle’s energetic performance of ‘Mambo Italiano’ had Sheila laughing, while Lauren sang ‘The Man that Got Away,’ a song originally made famous by Judy Garland, no less.

Sheila praised both for “two absolutely knockout performances… the great thing about you two girls is that you assume a character.” John thought Danielle’s performance was “fantastic,” although he felt her vocal suffered slightly with the complicated choreography. Of Lauren he said: “that was committed, it was measured… I love you.” For Charlotte, Danielle was “on fire” while Lauren’s was “one of the best performances [I’ve] ever seen.” High praise from the panel then – and Andrew agreed. “I’m really so proud of you,” he said.

Last to perform were Stephanie and Jessica, both back on form after a week of vocal problems. Stephanie sang ‘Mr Bojangles’ while Jessica recovered to give a rousing performance of ‘Cabaret’ from the musical of the same name.

Stephanie’s performance was not John’s favourite. “I didn’t know who Mr Bojangles was… or what you felt about him,” he said. Charlotte disagreed. “It was a really different interpretation… I thought you brought something new and fresh,” she said. Sheila felt Stephanie could have told the story “more simply,” though she and Charlotte both agreed it was a difficult song for a female voice to sing. As Andrew explained to us, Mr Bojangles is “about a guy who’s in prison… and actually he’s singing about his dog.”

John loved Jessica’s take on ‘Cabaret’. “That was the performance I’ve been waiting for you to give… it was passionate, it showed courage…” he told her. Charlotte felt it was Jessica’s best vocal performance, despite her problems in the preceding week – “you owned the stage,” she said. Sheila enjoyed it too – “you got the context of it,” she said, although she felt there could have been “a few more colours in it.”

As Jessica and Stephanie ran offstage to change for the final group performance – they go pretty fast, even in those heels – we got a bit more of an insight into what Andrew thinks of the girls after working with them one-on-one. “I do not believe we’re seeing girls of this quality taking on the biggest numbers in the history of musical theatre…” he said.

And to end the show it was time for the girls to take on another big musical theatre song – ‘The Trolley Song,’ from another famous Judy Garland film, Meet Me In St Louis – before Graham announced, once again, that voting lines were open…

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Don’t forget tonight’s results show, on BBC1 at 7.15pm.

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You can watch the results of Andrew’s session with the Dorothys in this weekend’s Over The Rainbow on BBC1 – watch tonight at 7.10pm, and at 7.15pm tomorrow for the results show.

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On Saturday we saw Andrew reveal the final five dogs in the running to perform the role of Toto in a special gala performance of his upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz – and our exclusive behind-the-scenes video footage shows what happened when self-confessed cat fan Andrew played host to eleven dogs…

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Read our Oz Blog on Saturday’s show here.

Sunday again, but no day of rest for our Dorothys as the sing-off loomed. Still, there was some light on the horizon as we were told Charlotte would later be joining the girls onstage. “Is this your first TV performance in a couple of years?” the BBC’s warm-up comedian asked Charlotte as we prepared to film. “Yes, the last TV performances I did were the duets on my show, so two years…” she told us.

And what of panellist John Partridge? “I’d love to see you do a number with the girls John… something from Cats? In lycra?” the warm-up comedian said.“I bet you would,” John said, with a twinkle in his eye. John’s always performing though. We’ve spotted him mouthing the words and dancing around in his seat during the livelier performances…

After the girls kicked off the show with another rendition of ‘If I Only Had The Part,’ there was time for a quick change as Graham chatted to the panel. We spotted Jessica and Stephanie practicing their moves as Graham asked Andrew if there were any leading ladies among the final eight. “If I’m honest – six. But I won’t be drawn,” said the Lord, as we tried to guess what the girls’ next number was going to be.

And then it was time for the week’s musical ‘mash-up’. As the girls moved from ‘A Fine Romance’ into a Lady Gaga medley, John wasn’t the only one dancing in his seat. And we guessed right – those fabulous monochrome outfits were a Gaga giveaway.

Then it was Toto time. Eleven dogs (two cute beagles for the price of one) descended on Andrew’s country home for the Lord to choose the final five. There was lots of aaaahing from the studio audience as we watched Bertie arrive in his coat, Dangerous Dave in his red necktie, and Dennis the cross-breed jump on his owners back. But it was down to Andrew to reveal the final five – Dangerous Dave, Eddie, Missy, beagle Spider and Troy. We suspect more ahhhhing next week…

Back to the Dorothys, and we got a glimpse into Charlotte’s vocal masterclass with the girls in a London church. As the warm-up guy said – “isn’t it funny, Charlotte Church, in a church.” Yes, very funny. But a serious vocal workout for the girls, with Charlotte focusing on their pitching and tone of voice. After taking them through their ‘mission’ song ‘No More Tears’, a disco number sung by Donna Summer and Barbara Streisand, Charlotte revealed to the girls that she would be joining them onstage to sing it – and, as the video rolled, we watched the girls get into place.

It was a fantastic performance from start to finish – John was dancing in his seat, the audience was clapping along, and Charlotte and the girls really belted that high note. There was even a well-deserved standing ovation at the end – and lots of whooping. But, as ever, then it was time for the sing-off. The girls took their places as we waited anxiously for the results. Gasps from the audience as Graham revealed this weeks’ bottom two to be Emilie and Sophie and a lot of sign-waving from the girls’ families as they each performed ‘I Know Him So Well’ from Chess.

And then it was decision time again for Andrew, who this week chose to save Sophie, saying to Emilie, “we all love you to bits, but I just worry about you in the dark days of technical rehearsal…” Emilie thanked her parents and told the panel: “I’m going to train… you will see me!” before handing over her shoes and flying Over The Rainbow for the final time…

So, with a standing ovation from the panel and a hug from Andrew after the show, it was goodbye to Emilie.

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There were more cheers from the audience for a couple celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary – what better way to mark such an occasion than a date with eight Dorothys – and a rousing welcome for Musical Supervisor Nigel Wright, who escaped the volcanic ash that kept him away from the studios last week.

And then time to put our hands together for the final eight, who began the show by singing ‘If I Only Had The Part’, an adaptation of the Tin Man’s song ‘If I Only Had A Heart’ from The Wizard of Oz, making  their ambitions clear to Andrew.  Andrew delivered HIS message to the public. “It’s important that people vote – we don’t want a hung Dorothy,” he told us. Laughter and more applause from the studio audience for that comment…

But, as our lovely host Graham Norton says, there can only be one Dorothy. This week Jenny and Emilie were the first to take to the stage, with Jenny performing Duffy’s ‘Warwick Avenue’.

Charlotte Church thought Jenny did a good job of a difficult song. “You got every single big note… but it was… a bit small for me,” she said. Sheila Hancock, a fan of Jenny’s “wit” in previous weeks, felt it could have been more anguished, and Andrew agreed.

Emilie – who, having had her confidence knocked after last week’s mixed comments, worked on her vocals with Charlotte – sang Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.’ Charlotte felt there were still control issues, but thought it was “fun and frivolous… you’ve got the tone of voice most like Judy Garland,” she said. Sheila thought there could have been more “colour” but praised Emilie for coming back. “You have got to take criticism and survive it and that’s one thing you did today,” she told Emilie – a comment echoed by John Partridge.

Next to perform were Stephanie and Lauren. We learned that Stephanie – outed by the girls as Dorothy Farm’s worst cook – had been taking cooking lessons from Aldo Zilli. Despite asking said top celebrity chef if pesto was gravy, it seems her culinary skills had improved. But what of her musical theatre skills? “I could listen to you sing the phone book, your tone of voice is so gorgeous,” Charlotte said of Stephanie’s performance of Bond song ‘Nobody Does It Better’ – although she felt it could have had “more exasperation.” “I love you when you’ve got loads of dancers around you, it becomes magic… you need to bring that into quieter performances,” was John’s thought.

Lauren’s take on Pink’s ‘Nobody Knows’ was, for Sheila, “a huge step forward,” while Charlotte called it “vulnerable and broken and beautiful.” John told Lauren: “I think the biggest compliment you can give a performer is that you didn’t want it to stop… you lifted me out of my seat and into your world.” Cue cheering from Lauren’s supporters in the audience.

But it was the Lord whose comments gained the biggest cheer: ““Both of you [Stephanie and Lauren] are very talented girls who I would be happy to see as Dorothy…how lucky am I to have girls as good as you are?” he said.

Sophie and Jessica were next, after a week in which Sophie got a dose of fighting spirit from members of the Welsh rugby team. Her rendition of Sara Bareilles’ ‘Love Song’ – again, according to Charlotte, “a tough song to sing” – had some mixed comments from the panel. “You’re still a little understated… go a lot further than you think you need to go,” said John. But Sheila disagreed. “It was exactly what I was looking for – you kept it light,” she said.

Jessica performed Faith Hill’s ‘There I’ll Be.’ John loved it. “I felt that was your most truthful, honest performance to date… it might not have been your best vocal… but I really felt it,” he said. Sheila felt that although “the last line was the moment of absolute truth, up until then it was rather acted truth.” More disagreement from John, while Charlotte advised Jessica to be aware of the “air” in her voice. “From the last chorus out it was magic… before then you pushed it a bit,” Charlotte warned.

The final two were Danielle, whose performance of the classic ‘Cry Me A River’ began with the audience watching nervously as she was hoisted high above the studio on a swing, and Steph, with her take on Kings of Leon’s ‘Need Somebody.’

Both performances were “exceptional,” according to Charlotte. “Danielle, you were sultry, and the vocal was perfect throughout,” she said. Sheila praised Danielle’s “very special quality… she’s wonderful…” she added. Andrew – after wishing Danielle a happy 18th birthday – said both Danielle and Steph were “very strong contenders,” while John made a prediction: “I’m going to click my heels three times and say there’s no place like the final for both of you girls,” he told them. John said of Steph – “from Kings of Leon to Queens of Fearon, all I can say baby is snap it out, it was fierce…” he said, while Charlotte “couldn’t take [her] eyes” off Steph’s performance.

And then it was time for the ‘showdown at the hoedown’ Graham had promised us. Split into two groups, the girls each performed a musical theatre number – something Andrew told us we should watch carefully. Visiting the girls in rehearsal, he warned the public, “What we must not do is judge the girls only on their solo performances… we need to look at these group performances and see what the girls are doing…” So, time to saddle up. The Oklahoma Outlaws (Sophie, Jessica, Danielle and Steph) sang ‘Oklahoma!’ from the musical of the same name, while the Deadwood Dames (Stephanie, Lauren, Emilie and Jenny) performed ‘Deadwood Stage’ from Calamity Jane. As John said, echoing his fellow panellists’ conclusion that the Oklahoma Outlaws had won the hoe-down, “yeee-ha!”

And then voting lines opened…

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With the dreaded sing-off looming, the Over The Rainbow studios were full of nervous family and friends of Dorothys this Sunday… The banners being waved by the girls’ supporters are getting bigger and better every week. Graham took another look before this Sunday’s results show. “Dani Rayner – over the Rayner-bow, very clever,” he said to Team Dani.

As the cameras started rolling, the girls greeted us with another performance of ‘Ease On Down the Road,’ before we got a recap of last night’s action and some of the girls’ reaction to the panel’s comments. As Graham said, they don’t mince their words – but the girls might be pleased to know that, of the final nine, John sees at least four potential leading ladies in the line-up, while Charlotte confessed there’s “not a sausage of a chance” she could cope with the level of work the girls are doing every week.

But time for another mash up… and this week there were three songs being mashed: Liza Minelli’s ‘Losing My Mind’, Beyonce’s ‘Crazy In Love’, and Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy.’ Bit of a theme going on then…

More craziness next from the Toto panel as we saw Jodie, Gerry and Sarah try to reduce 50 dogs to the 10 that will go onto meet Andrew next week. We saw Strider the Great Dane, who could be Toto; cocker spaniel Thomas Cook, born with a hare lip and cleft palate and now working with disabled children – not Toto but such a hit with an emotional Jodie that she wants to take him home; and assistance dog Bumble, his owner’s best friend and another dog who “could be Toto.” As Gerry Cott said: “Does Andrew know what he’s let himself in for…?”

Back to the girls – and to a very special dance lesson with panellist John Partridge. In heels. John’s task was to help the girls descend that long staircase at the studio, and to show them how to move gracefully. Which meant a chance to dance with John. As Lauren said, “I was in John Partridge’s arms!” But who did John think was most impressive in the task? “Stephanie… she’s a mini Ginger Rogers, and Danielle – she adopted a character and maintained it throughout the performance.”

Then the girls put their dancing skills to good use with a performance of ‘Buenos Aires’ from Evita. “I’m worried now that we’re casting the wrong musical – there’s some wonderful Evitas there!” Andrew said.

But all too soon it was time for the sing-off, as Graham prepared to announce the results. It was another nail-biting few minutes as the girls and their families in the audience waited anxiously. When Dani was revealed as the first girl in the sing-off, there was a gasp from the audience… and another one as Graham called Danielle’s name.

As Dani and Danielle took their places to perform ‘Maybe This Time’ from Cabaret, the Dorothys stood to give them both a standing ovation. It was another tough decision for Andrew, but he chose to save Danielle, sending Dani – the youngest performer in the competition – home. “Whilst I think you’re a fantastic singer, I think you’ve got to learn to become at ease with your own body, and get the movement and understand how to use your body with music, then I think you’ll be well away,” Andrew told Dani.

So, another sad farewell for our Dorothys as Dani becomes the third girl to fly Over The Rainbow…

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Read our Oz Blogs to catch up with the latest from the TV studio each week.

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This week the final nine opened the show with ‘Ease On Down The Road,’ a track from The Wiz, a 1970’s motown-inspired adaptation of The Wizard of Oz that was one of the first Broadway musicals to feature an all-black cast, before Graham re-introduced the panel – including a newly-engaged Charlotte Church. After filming, Graham asked to see the engagement ring – but Charlotte confessed it was being resized!

Last week’s results show left Andrew with a tough decision, as saving Lauren meant saying goodbye to Bronte. But, as the Lord revealed, it hasn’t been a completely bad week for Bronte. “I think we can reveal she’s gone for a couple of auditions… but even  better is that she has got her place at stage school, which I think is what she needs,” he said. Bronte was back in the studio on Saturday – as was fellow former Dorothy, Amy Diamond. We also spotted some of the Wild Card Dorothys in the audience – Tegan, Claire Hillier and Tasheka – all there to support the girls.

And so, it was on with the show as Dani and Sophie took to the stage. Performing first was 16-year-old Dani, who sang Jennifer Hudson’s ‘One Night Only,’ surrounded by male backing dancers. The song, being about one-night stands, was not one of panellist Sheila Hancock’s favourites – “it’s not really for your age group, but then I am a boring old fa… whatever!” she said, to laughter from the studio audience. John Partridge, who spent the previous week working on choreography with each of the girls, said it was Dani’s “strongest performance to date.”

Sophie was next, with her take on Avril Lavigne’s ‘With You.’ Having given Sophie some negative comments in previous weeks, after rehearsing with her, John was impressed. “I could give you the biggest hug right now…” he said. Charlotte loved the way Sophie grew into her performance, saying “I really believed it.”

Lauren was up next, performing the mambo song ‘Sway’. Her sashaying down the stairs was, for Sheila, in itself a “triumph,” as she praised Lauren’s “elegant” performance. Despite last week warning Lauren about coming across as arrogant, Charlotte thought her performance was unbelievable – “you smouldered your way through that…I’m a massive fan,” she said. And for the Lord himself, it was Lauren’s best performance yet.

Next up were Emilie, performing the iconic Breakfast at Tiffany’s ballad ‘Moon River,’ followed by Stephanie, who sang Jennifer Lopez’s upbeat dance number ‘ Let’s Get Loud.’ As Graham pointed out, two very different performances for the panel to compare.

For Sheila, Emilie’s voice was “pretty” but could have done with more understanding about what the song was about. Emilie’s performance featured one male backing dancer, which Sheila didn’t understand, and John also had an issue with the waltz Emilie and her partner did. “I didn’t understand who you were singing to and what you were singing for… you didn’t look at the boy or connect with him,” John said – but Charlotte disagreed. “I saw you looking at him!” she said. For Charlotte, Emilie had found her vocal control, although Andrew confessed he doesn’t think she is vocally secure. “The problem is we have such talented girls here, so I’m going to have to be a bit blunt,” he said.

In her performance however, Stephanie did something “extraordinary,” said Andrew, telling her: “You’re a wonderful mover.” John agreed, calling Stephanie his “little firecracker,” while Charlotte said “you’re awesome, that’s all I’ve got to say.”

Steph and Jenny were the next two girls to perform. Steph sang ‘Out Here On My Own’ from Fame, while Jenny – who confessed to not being the best dancer in the competition – performed a complicated routine which saw her strut her stuff in high heels along a bench for her rendition of ‘Why Do Fools Fall In Love?’

Steph’s was a “wonderful, sincere and honest” performance, according to John, and equally for Sheila it was “beautiful… deeply felt, simple and lovely.” Sheila felt Jenny could have had more fun with the choreography, while Charlotte felt her vocal had been “a little nasally.”

The final two girls to perform were Jessica and Danielle. Jessica’s version of the Queen classic ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ was another complicated bit of choreography, with an actual motorbike on the studio stage (the men who quickly lifted it off before Danielle’s performance should have had their own round of applause…)

Charlotte thought Jessica “owned the stage,” although John confessed to not enjoying Jessica’s performance. Sheila felt the choreography was a bit too much. Andrew praised Jessica’s ability to work both the live audience and the TV, and told her that if he were casting the musical Funny Girl, she’d be top of the list.

Danielle’s was the final performance, as she took on Take That’s ‘Could It Be Magic,’ with more lovely male backing dancers. John loved her performance but felt he had seen it before and was keen for her to try something different. Sheila wanted to see Danielle love the camera more – “regard it as a friend, rather than an intrusion,” she told her. For Andrew, Danielle is “a very remarkable performer.”

And so, just time for one final performance from our would-be leading ladies. And not just any performance – a song from one of Andrew’s favourite shows, West Side Story, ‘America.’ With some more complicated choreography, Andrew encouraged the voting public to watch how the girls performed together during the song, as Dorothy needs to be able to lead a West End ensemble. Luckily Andrew enjoyed the girls’ performance, leading the ovations that followed, before Graham announced the voting lines were open…

Read our Oz Blog on Sunday’s show here.

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And so to Sunday. As the studio audience prepared to say goodbye to another one of our girls, the BBC’s warm-up comedian took to the stage and tried to fish some Eastenders gossip out of John Patridge. He wasn’t having any of it, though.

Someone else who wasn’t having any of it was Hennessey, the Dalmation that was supposed to make an appearance on set with Graham as he told us more about the search for Toto. Maybe it was the lights, maybe it was the audience, maybe it was the fact that Andrew put his Cats cap on, but Hennessey jumping up on the stage and, in the words of the warm-up guy, “trying to eat Charlotte,” meant that unfortunately his trainer had to lead him back off. No word yet on whether he’s one of the possible Totos…

But, as they say, the show must go on. After a musical interlude in which the Dorothys performed a ‘Mash Up’ of the songs ‘Money Makes The World Go Around’ and ‘Material World,’ it was time to find out a bit more about Hennessey’s doggie pals. Team Toto – dog trainer Gerry Cott, animal behaviourist Sarah Fisher, and actress and I’d Do Anything winner Jodie Prenger – have been scouring the nation for a dog to play Dorothy’s constant companion, in a gala performance of The Wizard of Oz. Dogs large and small performed for the Toto panel as we saw the team begin the process of selecting the 50 dogs that we’ll meet in next week’s show.

From dogs to scarecrows… after meeting some of the dogs it was time to see what Sheila had been up to with the would-be Dorothys. Given just 48 hours to learn the scene where Dorothy meets the Scarecrow for the first time, each of the girls then performed in front of Sheila. And as Graham said, she’s a hard one to please. “Lauren is good, but almost too good,” she said. Sophie and Dani forgot a couple of lines, but Jenny, Bronte and Emile stood out for Sheila. It was Danielle that garnered the most praise, though: “she is a considerable actress, in my opinion,” Sheila said.

Then it was back to the studio, where – after another quick costume change – the girls pulled out all the stops to sing ‘Get Happy.’ But all too soon, it was time for Graham to read out the results, and reveal which two girls were in the dreaded sing-off…

Tension was high in the studio, with loud gasps as Graham announced that Bronte and Lauren were in the bottom two. There were tears from the other Dorothys as Andrew revealed both girls had been in his top five.

But, after Bronte and Lauren had both performed ‘What I Did For Love,’ from the musical A Chorus Line, Andrew had to choose. “I am truly gutted by this… for the first time, I could honestly say I don’t know,” he said. Feeling that her greater level of experience might be beneficial, Andrew chose to save Lauren, leaving Bronte to become the second girl to leave. “I would have hoped this wouldn’t have to happen, especially this early,” Andrew said, explaining his decision to Bronte. “You must keep in touch… You’re a fantastic kid.”

A difficult decision for Andrew, then, and it was goodbye to Bronte as she sang us out for the final time. No Dorothy is safe…

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But it began with a burst of cheer on Saturday as the final ten greeted us once again with ‘The Merry Old Land of Oz’. In the studio audience, the girls’ family and friends went wild as each girl was introduced, waving their signs and wearing their customised t-shirts with pride. During a break in filming presenter Graham Norton was particularly impressed by the quilt-like sign being waved by Jessica’s family…

Then, with jets of green flame, (Graham warned those sitting at the front that the flames were hot and they really were – even from a few rows back) it was hello to the panel: Sheila, John Partridge and Charlotte Church and, of course, the Lord himself, Andrew Lloyd Webber, who told us why he’d asked Sheila to share some acting tips with the girls. “We’re looking for someone who can act not only for TV, but of course in a large theatre – and Sheila’s done both.” Currently starring in Sister Act at the London Palladium, Sheila’s experience in performing to a live West End audience is one the girls all hope to replicate.

More sign-waving as Sophie and Jessica became the first two girls to perform for the panel.  Despite a routine that included two backing dancers and some very high heels, Sheila was disappointed with Sophie’s performance of Shania Twain’s ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’, saying she could have had more fun with it. Jessica’s rendition of Christina Aguilera’s ‘The Voice Within’ also got some mixed comments – John felt it had “no truth and no honesty” – but Charlotte Church disagreed, saying she enjoyed both Jessica and Sophie’s performances. Bronte and Dani were next to take a walk down those increasingly infamous stairs.

Bronte sang KT Tunstall’s ‘Suddenly I See’ while Dani performed Michael Buble’s ‘Home.’ There was more disagreement among the panel as John told Bronte she had had her ‘revelation’ too early in the performance, which meant that the performance had nothing to build on, while Charlotte again challenged John by saying she had actually seen Bronte feel this revelation all the way through.  John responded by raising his fists to Charlotte and asking her to “Put ‘em up,” to laughs from the studio audience. However the panellists were in agreement regarding Dani, with Sheila praising her “beautiful” performance which Charlotte also thought was “brilliant.”

Steph was next up, along with Edinburgh lass Jenny. In the front row, both sets of family and friends went wild. Steph’s take on ‘It’s Oh So Quiet,’ made famous by Icelandic singer Björk and performed with two backing-dancers, was a “fearless performance,” according to Charlotte. For John it was “fantastic” and “brave enough,” while Andrew was pleased to see a different side to Steph.

Jenny’s version of Eva Cassidy’s ‘Songbird’ again demonstrated something different, with John enjoying seeing a “softer side” to her. Charlotte and Andrew both praised Jenny’s delivery, with Andrew saying her “pitching was immaculate.”

Danielle and Lauren were next. Danielle’s version of Amy Studt’s ‘Just A Little Girl’ was, for John, her “best performance to date.” Sheila praised her as “a really good actress,” and the Lord himself said she was “fantastic… a really strong contender.”

Lauren’s delivery of “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” originally from musical Promises, Promises, was also praised by the panel: for Sheila it was “witty, charming and light.” Charlotte thought it was fantastic, although she warned Lauren to be careful not to allow self-confidence to come across as arrogance.

The final two girls to perform were Emilie, who sang Alesha Dixon’s ‘The Boy Does Nothing,’ and Stephanie, who performed ‘Smile,’ composed by Charlie Chaplin. For John, Emilie’s performance with her two backing dancers put her back in the competition, although Sheila felt she could have had more fun with the choreography. Stephanie’s was “the performance of the night” for Charlotte, and Andrew also praised her for singing the song “beautifully.”

So, with all ten girls having performed, it was time to open the phone lines. A quick word from Andrew first: “We need to remember… we’re casting Dorothy here, not Girls Aloud.”

On that note, the girls set out to prove their leading lady credentials with a performance from the musical Hairspray – ‘You Can’t Stop The Beat’ – as voting commenced.

Read our results show blog here.

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For more information on Over The Rainbow, visit www.bbc.co.uk/dorothy.

Sunday’s results show saw the eleven girls return to the stage. Jodie Prenger reminded us about the ongoing search for Toto and Graham reiterated that the dogs don’t need to be theatre-trained, just house-trained. Then Andrew informed us that it was Graham’s birthday!  But, after the audience were led in a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” by panellist John Partridge (which was clearly voted off the show by the time it was broadcast, perhaps we weren’t as tuneful as the Dorothys) it was back to the business at hand.

The final eleven performed their first Dorothy Mash Up, segueing effortlessly from ‘Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better,’ into Alexandra Burke’s ‘Broken Heels.’ In glamorous red and black, the girls looked like the West End’s answer to Girls Aloud.

Which is fitting as, after winning this week’s task – during which the girls got a taste of life as a farm girl, mucking out pigs and feeding lambs with Countryfile presenter Adam Henson – Bronte (picked by Adam as the winning farm girl) selected Amy, Emilie and Jessica to join her in a farm-inspired performance of Girls Aloud’s ‘Love Machine’.

And then, the results. The girls – and the audience – waited with bated breath as Graham revealed that Steph and Amy had received the fewest public votes. Singing Andrew’s ‘Whistle Down The Wind,’ both girls gave it their all in the hope Andrew would save them.

But it was Steph Andrew chose to save, leaving Amy as the first out. “I think you’re fantastically talented…[but] just not right for this role,” Andrew said. Although “gutted” Amy vowed to keep going. “I did what I set out to do, to people who just see me as a model… You can be a mum or a bank worker and still keep pursuing your dreams,” she said, to cheers from the former Wild Card Dorothys.

And then it was time to say goodbye. Singing ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ for the last time, after giving up her sparkly shoes, Amy took her place on a specially constructed crescent moon which whisked her up to the top of the studio – and away.

A fitting send-off for our first Dorothy, as 11 becomes 10…

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For more information on Over The Rainbow, visit www.bbc.co.uk/dorothy.

The ten girls took to the stage dressed in their customised gingham dresses to whoops and applause from the studio audience, kicking off the show with ‘The Merry Old Land of Oz’ as they were joined by the ten potential Wild Card Dorothys. Graham gave us a glimpse of what they’re fighting for: those sparkling jewel-encrusted ruby-red slippers…

Then it was time for the girls’ first live TV performances. First up were Liverpudlian Stephanie, who sang Pixie Lott’s ‘Mama Do’; and Lauren, glamorous in a gorgeous red dress as she performed Snow Patrol’s ‘Run.’

Being first might have been a nerve-wracking experience for Stephanie but the panel were quick to praise with John Partridge calling her “a natural entertainer.” Charlotte Church told Lauren that despite performing a song previously covered by Leona Lewis, she “made it [her] own.”

Next up were Dani and Steph. Dani, who at 16 is the show’s youngest contestant, performed The Saturday’s ‘Ego’ while Steph took on Michael Jackson classic ‘I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.’  Sheila Hancock enjoyed Dani’s performance but felt it “could have been angrier.” Charlotte loved Steph’s voice, but Andrew expressed his concern that while he enjoyed her performance, Steph’s talents might be more towards the big power ballad than the role of Dorothy requires. John, however, was impressed with Steph’s ability to strut down the staircase in her high heels…

And so onto the Wild Card. We watched as Andrew broke the news of the audience vote to the ten would-be Dorothys at his country estate – and it was good news for Emilie, selected by the public as the eleventh Wild Card Dorothy.

Then it was the turn of model Amy Diamond and self-confessed musical theatre geek Danielle to perform for the panel. Singing Fergie’s ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry,’ Amy surprised Charlotte, who told her she had a “lovely voice.”  John, despite being her strongest advocate in the panel, suggested she was too “MTV” and said she needed to work on being “less Diamond, more Dorothy.” Danielle’s performance of Daniel Merriweather’s ‘Red’ won high praise from Andrew as he told her: “you’ll paint the road ruby one day.”

Wild Card winner Emilie was next to perform with her rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Breakaway.’ Charlotte worried she might have lost some self-confidence and advised her to control her voice by giving it some “welly from the belly.” Sheila hadn’t wanted Emilie to leave, and Andrew confessed that his 13-year-old daughter had voted for her to come back.

Bronte and Jessica were next. Bronte, in a flowing white dress, sang ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me,’ made famous by George Michael, while Jessica took on Amy Winehouse, performing ‘Rehab.’ Both, according to John, were amazing performances – “neither of you has the strongest voice, but you both make the best of what you have,” he said. Charlotte loved Bronte’s “natural, beautiful voice,” but didn’t portray the full depth of sadness of the song.  Both John and Andrew praised Jessica’s performance as one of the first to make a pop song seem theatrical, while Charlotte told Jessica, “I couldn’t stop watching you.”

Finally, it was the turn of Sophie and Jenny – according to Sheila, “two cracking performances.” Sophie sang Beyonce’s ‘If I Were A Boy,’ which Andrew called “fantastic” – before telling us what the title was in Spanish. “Write it down,” Graham said, but unfortunately we didn’t… Jenny sang Pink’s ‘Rock Star’ and got a lot of love from the panel, with Sheila praising her witty performance. “You were the only girl who played a role throughout that song,” John told her.

And, as Graham recapped on the evening’s performance, it was time for the audience to decide…

Read our Results Show blog here.

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For more information on Over The Rainbow, visit www.bbc.co.uk/dorothy.

_West End Story: What Nancy, Joseph and Maria Did Next_ will feature Connie Fisher, Lee Mead, Jodie Prenger and a whole host of their fellow contestants.

_West End Story: What Nancy, Joseph and Maria Did Next_ is on BBC1 this Monday 5th April at 4.10pm.

Image shows Lee Mead in _Joseph_.

Saturday night, and our final 20 Dorothy’s were back – this time, wearing gingham onstage in front of a live audience and, of course, the Lord himself. As if that weren’t enough, Jodie Prenger was on hand to tell us more about the search for Dorothy’s companion Toto. Jodie, as the winner of I’d Do Anything, has been playing Nancy on stage in the hugely successful musical Oliver!  But that wasn’t all – Graham revealed that an additional five West End leading ladies were also on hand to help our girls.

The final 20 were split into 5 groups, with each performing a pop and a musical song for the panel. Pop first. Sheila Hancock might not like it – “[pop] is about generalised emotions” – but there was some great girly pop songs here: ‘Mercy’ by Duffy, ‘Cry Me Out’ by Pixie Lott, ‘Take A Bow’ by Rihanna. Luckily John Partridge doesn’t have the same problem with pop, telling group four (Lauren, Katie, Bronte and Clare Harbourne) “If it doesn’t work out, you could give Girls Aloud a run for their money.”

All the girls could certainly give Girls Aloud a run for their money in the style stakes – they had some gorgeous outfits to strut their stuff in: the black lace dresses worn by group three (Emma, Steph, Tegan and Jenny) were particularly striking and the girls in group five (Danielle, Claire Hillier, Amy and Emilie) paired their nautical stripes with some killer shoes. This is clearly the contemporary Dorothy look – Judy Garland, who?

After their pop numbers, the groups each performed a musical track, getting some guidance along the way from some of London’s leading ladies. Group one (Stephanie, Camille, Jessica and Sophie) had some help from West End legend Ruthie Henshall before performing ‘All That Jazz’ from Chicago. Group two (Dani, Philippa, Sarah and Tasheka) were fired up with “Girl power” as former Spice Girl Melanie C, currently starring in Blood Brothers, put them through their paces before they performed a song from the show, “Tell Me It’s Not True.” Legally Blonde ’s Sheridan Smith, _Sweet Charity_’s Tamzin Outhwaite and Kerry Ellis, formerly of We Will Rock You and about to take over the role of Nancy in Oliver!, also shared some tips with the girls.

And after ten heartfelt performances it was time for the panel to pick the final 10. They had some tough choices. As Sheila said, “they all look so different… it really shows that Dorothy could be anyone.” And, as Andrew told group one, referring to the first TV search for the star of The Sound of Music, “any of the four of you would have made the top ten of the Maria programme. That’s how the talent in this country has come on.”

As the panel deliberated, the audience were treated to an emotional final performance as Nancy from Jodie Prenger as she sang ‘As Long As He Needs Me’.  Jodie then told Graham how excited she is about the search for Toto: “he can be any kind of dog, any breed… can you imagine a Great Dane playing Toto?!”

Jodie will be joined by two doggie experts to select the winning Toto… but in the meantime it was time for the panel to return and for Graham to reveal the final ten Dorothys. “It was very hard,” Andrew said. “There were five we all agreed on – but we argued about the rest!”

As each group stepped forward to be told whether or not “you could be Dorothy,” it was all very dramatic as we were told the final line-up is Jessica, Sophie, Stephanie, Dani, Steph, Jenny, Lauren, Bronte, Amy and Danielle. But it’s not over yet! This year there’s a twist, as the audience was invited to vote for their favourite ‘wild card’ candidate – an eleventh Dorothy. Each of the ten girls not voted through by the panel sang a line of ‘Over The Rainbow’ for the audience’s votes (voting is now closed.)

Next week we’ll find out which of those ten wins the wild card entry – and, as the live shows begin, the pressure to find Andrew’s Dorothy is well and truly on…

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For more information on Over The Rainbow, visit www.bbc.co.uk/dorothy.

A farm full of would-be-Dorothys, a new panel of judges, and Graham Norton welcoming  “the Lord” back to his Saturday night TV throne – this weekend saw Andrew begin the search to find a Dorothy for his upcoming West End production of The Wizard of Oz. The show kicked off with a two-part special, all Emerald green t-shirts and sparkle – but the next seven weeks are, as Andrew himself said, “going to be difficult, tough, sometimes heartbreaking.”

We got a glimpse into some of the heartbreak in Friday night’s opening episode as West End casting director David Grindrod took charge of the regional auditions. Approximately 9,000 girls from around the country auditioned – in some cases, in front of Andrew himself.  We saw Andrew arrive at the snowy Glasgow auditions to the strains of The Phantom of the Opera overture. “The Lord,” Graham said, “is back.”

Of the thousands of girls, 110 were selected for the London call-backs and it was then, at the Hackney Empire theatre, that we got our first glimpse of new panellists Sheila Hancock and John Partridge in action. And if the would-be Dorothys were expecting an easy ride they would have been disappointed: “If they can’t deal with [the auditions], they shouldn’t be here,” said Sheila.

Andrew, on a quick visit to the Hackney Empire, took some time out to tell Graham (and us) what he’s looking for. “We want someone with a contemporary edge… someone rebellious, but with charm.” Charmers onstage included glamour girl Amy; Sarah, who confessed to not having perfect pitch and brought her recorder to help find it; and cousins Stephanie and Gemma from Liverpool, who insisted that there would be no problem should only one of them go through to the next round.

So, 50 girls from the London call-backs were selected to go forward to Dorothy Farm, where they were put through their singing, dancing and acting paces… in a barn. But what’s that? The panel had a sleepless night following the London auditions and chose an additional four girls to join the final group. As Graham said earlier in the show, “at this rate we’ll need Dorothy Ranch.”

Then the final 54 were whittled down even further as third new panellist Charlotte Church joined Sheila and John to select the 20 that went on to perform in front of a live audience. Charlotte, as befitting her Voice of an Angel status, wanted to hear the girls sing – “find your honeypot,” she said. Meanwhile, Sheila was looking at the girls’ acting skills – “there’s not many lions in this room!” – and John helped out with the choreography.

But it was down to Charlotte to indicate, by tapping on the shoulder, who was in and who was out. Liverpudlian Gemma didn’t make the final 20 but her cousin Stephanie did, as did Amy and recorder-playing Sarah.

Read our Saturday show Oz Blog here

For updates on the upcoming Wizard of Oz production, sign up for Andrew’s newsletters

For more information on Over The Rainbow, visit www.bbc.co.uk/dorothy.

See Thomas and Michelle take on ‘All I Ask Of You’ from _The Phantom of the Opera_, accompanied by Andrew on the piano, in this clip from the show.

Our exclusive footage shows Andrew backstage at the show recording – and signing one or two autographs!

This Friday 26th March at 9pm, and again on Saturday 27th March at 6.30pm, the search for Dorothy begins as host Graham Norton introduces us to the Dorothy finalists and Andrew’s fellow panellists Charlotte Church, John Partridge and Sheila Hancock – and gives us a glimpse into last few months of _Over The Rainbow_ activity. Watch out for our weekly reports on the BBC1 show on this website.

Andrew will also appear in _The South Bank Show Revisited_ this Sunday 28th March on ITV1 at 10.15pm. The in-depth interview with Andrew begins a new ten-part series in which host Melvyn Bragg re-interviews artists previously featured on _The South Bank Show_ before the programme’s final broadcast last year.

Andrew will discuss the recent opening of _Love Never Dies_, and the programme will include some exclusive _Love Never Dies_ footage.

Viewers will see thousands of hopefuls turning up at open auditions across the country in Friday night’s show, in a bid to become the newest star of the West End.  As the selection process continues, Saturday’s show will showcase the final twenty ‘Dorothys’  in a studio-based ‘sing-off’ – judged by the panel and Andrew, who will make a selection down to ten girls.

Andrew Lloyd Webber commented: “I would like to bring something new to The Wizard of Oz.  I’m searching for a modern Dorothy, who can take the role much further, and continue to appeal to a wide audience.   The film worked fantastically but we need some new songs for the stage show in addition to the much-loved originals from the movie.  “Over The Rainbow” is of course one of the greatest songs ever written.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber is also searching for a Toto, for a one-off gala performance of The Wizard of Oz, when it hits the West End stage next year.  Jodie Prenger (winner of 2008’s I’d Do Anything) will lead the search for Toto in April, at two open audition days.  Viewers will be able to follow the dogs progress across the series, as they do their best to charm dedicated cat man, Andrew Lloyd Webber!

The ‘Wild Card’

In a surprise ‘wild card’ element of the show, after the panel – led by Andrew Lloyd Webber – has agreed upon the ten finalists, viewers will be invited to vote to save one of the girls who doesn’t get through the panels’ vote, to return next week.  Telephone lines will open for a set amount of time after these ten girls have all performed a sing-off song, and the contestant with the most votes will be revealed the following week, in the first live show to air 3rd April.  The results of the ‘wild card’ vote plus the ten ‘Dorothys’ will perform for their chance to stay in the competition, and be critiqued by the panel and Andrew.   Viewers will have the opportunity to cast their votes, and the outcome will be announced in the results show.  The two contestants with the least amount of votes will perform a ‘sing-off’, and Andrew Lloyd Webber will determine the contestant he wants to remain in the competition.

_The South Bank Show Revisited_ season opens with Melvyn Bragg interviewing Andrew Lloyd Webber on Sunday 28 March 2010 on ITV1.

Melvyn Bragg says: “Last autumn Peter Fincham commissioned 10 final South Bank Show programmes which we’ve called _South Bank Show Revisited_. We’ll be going back to some of the artists we’ve worked with over the years and referring to those earlier films and re interviewing them about their current work. I hope that by looking at past work over 30 years and talking about where they are today, the artists will give us a unique perspective on their process and progress over several decades.”

Melvyn Bragg’s first programme in the series is with Andrew Lloyd Webber as he prepares for the opening of _Love Never Dies_ at the Adelphi Theatre. _Love Never Dies_ continues the story of ‘The Phantom’, who has moved from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island.

Over the years The South Bank Show has interviewed Andrew Lloyd Webber four times: in 1978 on Variations – which is also the theme music for _The South Bank Show_; in 1986 focusing on _The Phantom Of The Opera_; in 2000 looking at his work _The Beautiful Game_; and in 2003 discussing his love of art and his remarkable art collection, particularly his Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite works.

Meeting at The Adelphi Theatre, this film uses archive from the original _South Bank Shows_; and Melvyn and Andrew bring the world of his musicals up to date – and discuss his recent and highly successful foray into television talent shows.

Other films in _The South Bank Show Revisited_ season include: Billy Connolly, Ian McEwan, Ian McKellen, Stephen Sondheim, David Hockney, Judi Dench, Kiri Te Kanawa, Simon Rattle and a film on Arts film making to include interviews with Ken Russell, Tony Palmer, James Ivory and others.

_The South Bank Show Revisited_ – a final season to cherish.

_Image shows Andrew in rehearsal for Love Never Dies, with André Ptaszynski and Jack O’Brien. Credit: Catherine Ashmore._

You can watch the performance on the Love Never Dies website.

Andrew will also be appearing on ITV1’s _Dancing On Ice_ this Sunday 28th February at 6.50pm, accompanying popular opera star Katherine Jenkins as she performs her version of ‘Love Never Dies’. _Dancing On Ice_ presenters and legendary skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean will perform a new routine to Katherine’s performance of ‘Love Never Dies’ during this Sunday’s show.

Under these new arrangements with Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group, Universal Music Group will exclusively distribute and market the composer’s recorded music catalogue in digital and physical formats, and Universal Music Publishing Group will administer and exploit Really Useful’s extensive music publishing interests, including their representation for film, TV, advertising and other mediums.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said, “I am delighted to have renewed my partnership with Universal Music. They have been wonderful custodians of my music for over three decades, and it is a relationship that I and my colleagues at RUG value most highly. Together we have taken the music around the world, and it is exciting to be announcing this agreement on the eve of our latest collaboration, the “Love Never Dies” album. I am grateful to my friends, and I really mean friends, at Universal for their loyalty and support over many years, and look forward to working with them in future, especially as we work together to explore the incredible possibilities that digital technologies will bring. ”

The renewed worldwide partnership comes on the eve of the debut of “Love Never Dies,” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical. Polydor Records will release the cast recording in March, to coincide with the show’s opening in London’s West End. This will be followed by openings in New York in November 2010 and Australia in 2011, and worldwide release of the album.

Universal Music Publishing Group will represent the music from “Love Never Dies,” and the new deal also extends the worldwide (ex-UK/Eire) publishing agreement for the entire Really Useful Group catalogue.

Universal Music and Andrew Lloyd Webber have enjoyed a successful relationship since the 1970 release of the original “Jesus Christ Superstar” concept album. The new partnership was negotiated by Jean-François (JF) Cécillon, Vice Chairman, The Really Useful Group; Lucian Grainge, Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Group International; David Renzer, Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Publishing Group; and David Joseph, Chairman/CEO, Universal Music UK.

Lucian Grainge said: “I am personally delighted that we have renewed our commercial and creative association with The Really Useful Group. To have a strategic business partnership with Andrew as well as a personal relationship is one of the things that really makes this business tick.”

JF Cécillon said, “Signing simultaneously both the recorded and publishing catalogues to one company is a major development for us. Our strategy is to enhance the asset value of our properties – in particular across all legal digital platforms globally – and clearly, our ability to manage and protect our music, both past and future recordings, is of great importance. We have a strong and supportive relationship with Universal Music, and I’m delighted to cement our partnership for the future.”

David Renzer said: “We are thrilled to be extending our working relationship with Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Really Useful Group team. Andrew is one of the legends of the theatrical world and of our industry, and we have no doubt that “Love Never Dies” will continue to build on his legacy and incredible track record.”

Recordings of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work have sold in the tens of millions during the past 40 years. Worldwide sales of “The Phantom of the Opera” albums alone have exceeded 20 million. His recorded music and music publishing catalogues include such extraordinary properties as “Evita,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat,” “Cats” and “Starlight Express.”

_image shows, from left: David Joseph, Chairman/CEO, Universal Music UK; Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lucian Grainge, Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Group International; Jean-François (JF) Cécillon, Vice Chairman, Really Useful Group._

Listeners will have another opportunity to hear ‘Til I Hear You Sing’ from Andrew’s new musical Love Never Dies performed by Ramin Karimloo, who plays The Phantom.  Terry will be chatting to Andrew about the new show, which premieres at London’s Adelphi Theatre on 9th March 2010 (previews from 22nd February.)

Follwing the show, listeners will also be able to download a podcast featuring Andrew here.

The auditions were held at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium, giving Leyton Orient fan Andrew the chance to see what life is like at the top end of the football league! Our image shows Andrew outside Old Trafford as he kicked off the Manchester leg of his search – but Andrew made sure he was photographed in his choice of footballing colours, keeping his Leyton Orient scarf firmly round his neck rather than swap it for a Manchester United one…

He joked: “I had to bring a bit of class to proceedings, I’m a Leyton Orient man and from that I shall be not swayed.”

Andrew added today: “Interestingly my remarks in Manchester coincided with the Os biggest win at home in living memory. As all Os supporters know, we reel in late in the season but this time we are clearly heading for the championship!”

View the full performance here – with thanks to ITV.

Andrew writes about the song in the CD booklet:

“When at last I had a story, I made a decision. It would be daft not to occasionally have a flavour of the original show. But only very occasionally. I decided that none of the main melodies of The Phantom of the Opera would appear in Love Never Dies. After all the story is set roughly ten years on and, with one short exception, I have stuck firmly to my rule.

However there is one of the new melodies whose history I should explain before someone else does. It is ‘Love Never Dies’ itself. This was the only tune I wrote at the time when I first thought of continuing the Phantom and Christine’s story.

It was recorded by Kiri Te Kanawa under the title ‘The Heart is Slow to Learn’. Even though I had given up on the new Phantom, some second sense told me not to release the Kiri Te Kanawa recording, although it did subsequently appear on a limited edition compilation.

But with the Phantom sequel definitely abandoned in my mind, I used the chorus of the melody in The Beautiful Game, the musical I wrote with Ben Elton. Frankly I felt it stuck out like a sore thumb from the rest of the score, and it was eventually cut and replaced by ‘The Boys in the Photograph’, now the title of the show when it is revived. However the dramatic situation in the story of Love Never Dies is exactly the same as the one that I had originally composed the melody for and I was always proud of the moment. Once I had the new plot, I restored it to what I hope is its rightful home.”

Theatre producer and Executive Vice President of The Nederlander Organization Nick Scandalios received the honour on Andrew’s behalf.

The ceremony took place in the Gershwin Theatre’s North Rotunda.

At the ceremony Nick said, “Andrew’s incredible body of work speaks for itself. For forty years, Andrew Lloyd Webber has had the single largest impact on American musical theatre. I am delighted to accept this on his behalf.”

Andrew said, “I am deeply honoured that the American Theater Critics Association and the members of the Theater Hall of Fame have chosen to induct me this year. I am sorry that I couldn’t attend the ceremony due to rehearsals for my new musical _Love Never Dies_ in London, but I look forward to visiting the Gershwin Theatre and viewing the plaque on my next visit to New York!”

Melvyn Bragg will host the final South Bank Show Awards taking place on Tuesday 26 January 2010, in front of a star studded audience at The Dorchester, London.

Andrew Lloyd Webber says: “I am absolutely delighted to be able to accompany my new Christine as she gives the very first performance of ‘Love Never Dies’, at the last ever South Bank Show Awards. No television show in the last half century has done more for the arts than The South Bank Show and we are very much looking forward to being part of this final ceremony.”

Melvyn Bragg says: “I could not be more pleased that Andrew has chosen to bring the world premiere of ‘Love Never Dies’ to The South Bank Show Awards. A track from his _Variations_ has been our signature tune from the start. It inspired the only television titles to win a Prix Italia. The films we’ve made with him over the 30 years have chartered a unique and phenomenal career in music theatre. It is just great that having been in at the beginning he is helping us to bring the curtain down”.

Also performing will be Julian Lloyd Webber and his band, who will play the iconic South Bank Show theme: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Variations: Paganini Caprice in A minor No. 24, and also Variation No. 23.

The stellar audience will be treated to a musical feast with these performances. Attendees include: Sir David Attenborough, Rachel Weisz , Diversity, Dominic West, Tracey Emin, Ronnie Wood, Mika, Anish Kapoor, Fearne Cotton, Emilia Fox, Rob Brydon, Ken Russell, Jarvis Cocker, Suranne Jones, Jacqueline Wilson, Rolando Villazon, Lesley Garrett, Twiggy, Sir David Frost, Ronnie Corbett, Will Young, Vic Reeves, Mariella Frostrup, Michael McIntyre, Sir Ian McKellen and Sean Bean,

The South Bank Show Awards will be broadcast on ITV1 on Sunday 31 January.

These unique awards celebrate the best of British talent across the arts including: Classical Music, Comedy, Dance, Film, Literature, Opera, Pop, Theatre, TV Drama and Visual Arts. The ballroom will be filled with glittering talent from across this spectrum to celebrate their strength of artistic achievement.

_Image shows Andrew with Sierra Boggess and Phantom Ramin Karimloo at the Love Never Dies press launch_.

As the auditions kicked off on Saturday 9th January, Andrew said: “I am incredibly excited to be launching the nationwide search for  Dorothy in Glasgow.   I am really  looking forward to seeing what talent this great city has to offer.”

In the below BBC video, Andrew tells us what he’s looking for in his Dorothy.

In the diary, Andrew says, “With hindsight I realise that I noticed the first symptoms of my cancer last summer, though I didn’t know that’s what they were.”

On September 24th 2009 Andrew was referred to a specialist and underwent a biopsy that came back positive. He was told that the cancer had been caught early and after discussing all the treatment options he decided to undergo a Prostatectomy to remove his prostate gland.

The operation was a success, and the cancer was removed, but unfortunately for Andrew this was not the end of his treatment. “I had had appendicitis when I was three. This clearly had been removed by a bloke with a meat cleaver. The scar tissue was so thick and tough that you could use it to shore up the leaning tower of Pisa. Scarring within the abdominal cavity makes it much harder to access the prostate, so it all had to be dealt with by painstaking dissection.”

It was also found that Andrew had an underlying e-coli infection, which was causing him pain and took time to cure. However as Andrew says, “If that infection had been found and cured, I could have been blissfully unaware that I had a cancerous tumour that was on the verge of breaking loose around the rest of my body. I could have thought that my frequent peeing was due to a weak bladder. I have been bloody lucky.

“I say to every red-blooded male, if you do begin to have a problem down under, however embarrassing, go to your GP at once. Even if you don’t have any symptoms, if you are over 50 get regular PSA tests.

“Most importantly, I am alive, my children have a father and, some may say regrettably, I am now fighting fit, ready to bring you “Love Never Dies” and my TV series to cast Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” and to argue with the BBC who want to call the series “Over The Rainbow” when I want to call it “The Oz Factor”. I hope to win that battle too.”

To read the full article, please click here.

_A £10,000 donation to Prostate UK has been made by the Mail on Sunday in place of a fee._

RAMIN KARIMLOO AND SIERRA BOGGESS TO STAR AS ‘THE PHANTOM’ AND ‘CHRISTINE’ IN LONDON – *FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED*

‘THE PHANTOM’ CONTINUES TO HOLD THE WORLD IN THRALL AS HE RETURNS TO PROVE THAT “LOVE NEVER DIES”

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long awaited new show “LOVE NEVER DIES” will have its World Premiere in London at the Adelphi Theatre on Tuesday 9 March 2010, followed by New York on Thursday 11 November and Australia in 2011.

“LOVE NEVER DIES” continues the story of ‘The Phantom’, who has moved from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island, far across the Atlantic. Set ten years after the mysterious disappearance of ‘The Phantom’ from Paris, this show is a rollercoaster ride of obsession and intrigue…in which music and memory can play cruel tricks…and ‘The Phantom’ sets out to prove that, indeed, “LOVE NEVER DIES”.

“The Phantom of the Opera”, based on the French novel by Gaston Leroux, has proved a huge success the world over and has been seen by over 100 million people, making it the single most successful entertainment entity in history. The show has been translated into 15 languages and has played in over 25 different countries, including China, Brazil, Poland and Korea. “The Phantom of the Opera” opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London on 9 October 1986 starring Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford and celebrated its 23rd London birthday on 9 October 2009. “The Phantom of the Opera” has won a staggering 50 awards worldwide, whilst global album sales currently stand at over 40 million copies.

Ramin Karimloo will create the role of ‘The Phantom’ in “LOVE NEVER DIES”, having already played the role to great acclaim in “The Phantom of the Opera” in London. Ramin’s other stage credits include starring as ‘Enjolras’ in “Les Misérables” in the West End, ‘Chris’ in the UK tour of “Miss Saigon” and ‘Artie Green’ in the UK tour of “Sunset Boulevard”. Ramin also played ‘Raoul’ in the West End production of “The Phantom of the Opera”, as well as the role of ‘Christine’s Father’ in Joel Schumacher’s film, making him the only actor to play all three of ‘Christine’s’ loves.

Sierra Boggess will create the role of ‘Christine’ in “LOVE NEVER DIES”. Sierra made her Broadway debut creating the lead role of ‘Ariel’ in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”, receiving both Drama League and Drama Desk Award nominations and a Broadway.com Audience Award for ‘Favourite Breakthrough Performance’. She also understudied the role of ‘Cosette’ in the U.S. national tour of “Les Misérables”. In 2007 Sierra was handpicked by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Hal Prince to originate the role of ‘Christine’ in the brand new production of “Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular”. “LOVE NEVER DIES” marks Sierra’s West End debut.

Joseph Millson will play ‘Raoul’. He has worked extensively in theatre, film and television, including many roles at both the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was nominated as ‘Best Actor 2001’ at the Royal Television Society Awards, and as ‘Most Promising Actor 1999’ and ‘Best Actor 2000’ at the National Television Awards for his starring role as ‘Sam Morgan’ in five series of “Peak Practice”.

Liz Robertson will play ‘Madame Giry’. Liz Robertson has starred in many West End and regional musicals, including “The King and I”, “The Sound of Music”, “I Love My Wife”, “The Mitford Girls” and “Song and Dance”. She starred as ‘Eliza Doolittle’ in “My Fair Lady” at the Adelphi Theatre for which she earned rave reviews and The Variety Club’s ‘Most Promising Actress’ Award, as well as an ‘Olivier’ nomination for ‘Best Actress in a Musical’.

Summer Strallen will play ‘Meg Giry’. She, also, has starred in many West End musicals, including “Scrooge”, “Cats”, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, “Guys and Dolls”, “The Boyfriend” (for which she was nominated for the 2007 ‘Olivier’ Award for ‘Best Supporting Role in a Musical’) and “The Drowsy Chaperone” (for which she was nominated for the 2008 ‘Olivier’ Award for ‘Best Actress in a Musical’). She recently starred as ‘Maria’ in the London Palladium production of “The Sound of Music”, having won the role whilst playing ‘Summer Shaw’ in “Hollyoaks” on television.

‘Fleck’, ‘Squelch’ and ‘Gangle’ will be played respectively by Niamh Perry, Adam Pearce and Jami Reid-Quarrell. Niamh has recently starred as ‘Sophie’ in “MAMMA MIA!” at the Prince of Wales Theatre and was one of the twelve finalists in “I’d Do Anything” on BBC 1, in which she came fifth. Adam spent four years with the National Youth Music Theatre and has subsequently played in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat” and “Evita”, both at the Adelphi Theatre in London. Jami has worked with the English National Opera, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, the Royal Opera House and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and was in the recent West End production of “Equus” and played the lead in “Depeche Mode” for television.

The cast will also include Derek Andrews, Dean Chisnall, Helen Dixon, Lucie Downer, Paul Farrell, Charlene Ford, Chris Gage, Lucy van Gasse, Celia Graham, Simon Ray Harvey, Jack Horner, Erin Anna Jameson, Pip Jordan, Jessica Kirton, Louise Madison, Janet Mooney, Colette Morrow, Tam Mutu, Ashley Nottingham, Tom Oakley, Mark Skipper, Jonathan Stewart, Tim Walton and Annette Yeo.

Lyricist Glenn Slater was nominated for the 2008 Tony and Grammy Awards for Disney’s theatrical production of “The Little Mermaid”. He is lyricist on the current London production of “Sister Act”. Bob Crowley, set and costume designer, recently worked on “Phèdre” with Helen Mirren at the National Theatre. His many award-winning productions include “The History Boys”, “Les Liaisons Dangereuses”, Disney’s “Aida”, “Mary Poppins” and “The Year of Magical Thinking”. Choreographer Jerry Mitchell recently made his directorial debut with “Legally Blonde”, both on Broadway and in the West End, and choreographed the award-winning musical productions of “La Cage aux Folles”, “Hairspray”, “The Full Monty” and “Catch Me If You Can”, which recently opened in Seattle. Director Jack O’Brien directed the award-winning London production of “Hairspray” and won Tony awards for the Broadway productions of Tom Stoppard’s “The Coast of Utopia”, “Hairspray” and the 2004 production of “Henry IV”. His other productions include Stoppard’s “The Invention of Love”, “The Full Monty”, “Hapgood”, “Damn Yankees”, “The Little Foxes”, “Catch Me If You Can”, and operas including “Street Scene” at New York City Opera and “Il Triticco” at the Metropolitan Opera.

The World Premiere of “LOVE NEVER DIES” will take place in London on 9 March 2010 at the Adelphi Theatre. Previews begin on 20 February. The show will subsequently open in New York on 11 November 2010 and then in Australia in 2011.

March 2010 sees the Polydor/Universal release of the album of “LOVE NEVER DIES”, the long awaited follow up to “The Phantom Of The Opera” (the eighth best-selling album of ALL TIME, unprecedented for a musical theatre album). The album release will coincide with the opening of the show in London’s West End and will be available in both deluxe and standard versions.

Buy tickets for the show now.

_For more information, visit the official website – www.loveneverdies.com.. You can also follow the show’s updates on Twitter and Facebook._

Andrew

Now he’s searching for a Dorothy to star in his new West End stage production of The Wizard of Oz.

If you think you are the girl for the role, were aged 16 or over on 26 June this year, and would like to take part in a BBC TV series to find Dorothy, log on to bbc.co.uk/dorothy to find out more.

_Image c. John Swannell._

_Image c. John Swannell._

_Image c. John Swannell._

“Madeleine and I are shocked and deeply upset by Stephen’s untimely death. He was enormously talented and I very much enjoyed working with him on _Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat_ and the Boyzone hit ‘No Matter What’ – my biggest selling single.”

Madeleine and I got to know him well over the years entertaining him at our Sydmonton Festival. His death is a great loss to the musical world.”

_Image shows Stephen Gately during his run as Joseph._

Other inductees this year include the actors Jim Dale, John McMartin and Lynn Redgrave; producers Roger Berlind and Ted Mann; the composer Stephen Schwartz; and, posthumously, the late playwright/actor Charles Ludlum.

Broadway publicist Shirley Herz will be presented with the 2009 Theater Hall of Fame Founders Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Theatre.

The American Theatre Hall of Fame was founded in 1971. Eligible inductees come from many disciplines including actors, playwrights, designers, directors and producers who have had a career on Broadway spanning at least twenty-five years with a minimum of five major theatrical credits. Approximately 400 voting members from the Theatre Hall of Fame and the American Theatre Critics Association make the selections.

_Image c. John Swannell._

“LOVE NEVER DIES” TO WORLD PREMIERE IN LONDON AT THE ADELPHI THEATRE ON TUESDAY 9 MARCH 2010 AND NEW YORK ON THURSDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2010

RAMIN KARIMLOO AND SIERRA BOGGESS TO STAR AS ‘THE PHANTOM’ AND ‘CHRISTINE’ IN LONDON

‘THE PHANTOM’ CONTINUES TO HOLD THE WORLD IN THRALL AS HE RETURNS TO PROVE THAT “LOVE NEVER DIES”

Today, Thursday 8 October, Andrew Lloyd Webber unveils his brand new production “LOVE NEVER DIES” at a global launch in London. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long awaited new show will have its World Premiere in London at the Adelphi Theatre on Tuesday 9 March 2010 followed by New York on Thursday 11 November and in Australia in 2011.

“LOVE NEVER DIES” continues the story of ‘The Phantom’, who has moved from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island, far across the Atlantic.  Set 10 years after the mysterious disappearance of ‘The Phantom’ from Paris, this show is a rollercoaster ride of obsession and intrigue…in which music and memory can play cruel tricks…and ‘The Phantom’ sets out to prove that, indeed, “LOVE NEVER DIES”.

“The Phantom of the Opera”, based on the French novel by Gaston Leroux, has proved a huge success the world over and has been seen by over 100 million people, making it the single most successful entertainment entity in history. The show has been translated into 15 languages and appeared in over 25 different countries including China, Brazil, Poland and Korea.  “The Phantom of the Opera” opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London on 9 October 1986 starring Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford and celebrates its 23rd London birthday tomorrow on 9 October. “The Phantom of the Opera” won a staggering 50 awards worldwide, whilst global album sales currently stand at over 40 million copies.

Ramin Karimloo will create the role of ‘The Phantom’ in “LOVE NEVER DIES”, having already played the role to great acclaim in “The Phantom of the Opera” in London.  Ramin’s other stage credits include starring as ‘Enjolras’ in “Les Misérables” in the West End, ‘Chris’ in the UK tour of “Miss Saigon” and ‘Artie Green’ in the UK tour of “Sunset Boulevard”. Ramin also played ‘Raoul’ in the West End production of “The Phantom of the Opera”, as well as the role of ‘Christine’s Father’ in Joel Schumacher’s film, making him the only actor to play all three of ‘Christine’s’ loves.

Sierra Boggess will create the role of ‘Christine’ in “LOVE NEVER DIES”. Sierra made her Broadway debut creating the lead role of ‘Ariel’ in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”, receiving both Drama League and Drama Desk Award nominations and a Broadway.com Audience Award for ‘Favourite Breakthrough Performance’. She also understudied the role of ‘Cosette’ on the Broadway National Tour of “Les Misérables”. In 2007 Sierra was handpicked by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Hal Prince to originate the role of ‘Christine’ in a brand new production of “Phantom – the Las Vegas Spectacular”. “LOVE NEVER DIES” marks Sierra’s West End debut.

Glenn Slater, lyricist, was nominated for the 2008 Tony and Grammy Awards for Disney’s theatrical production of “The Little Mermaid”.  He is lyricist on the current London production of “Sister Act”.  Bob Crowley, set and costume designer, recently worked on “Phèdre” with Helen Mirren at the National Theatre. His many award-winning productions include “The History Boys”, “Les Liaisons Dangereuses”, Disney’s “Aida”, “Mary Poppins” and “The Year of Magical Thinking”.  Choreographer Jerry Mitchell recently made his directorial debut with “Legally Blonde” on Broadway and also choreographed the award-winning musical productions of “La Cage aux Folles”, “Hairspray” and “The Full Monty”.  Director Jack O’Brien directed the award-winning London production of “Hairspray” and won Tony awards for the Broadway productions of Tom Stoppard’s “The Coast of Utopia”, “Hairspray” and the 2004 production of “Henry IV”.  His other productions include Stoppard’s “The Invention of Love”, “The Full Monty”, “Hapgood”, “Damn Yankees”, “The Little Foxes”, and operas including “Street Scene” at New York City Opera and “Il Triticco” at the Metropolitan Opera later this year.

The World Premiere of “LOVE NEVER DIES” will take place in London on 9 March 2010 at the Adelphi Theatre. Previews begin on 20 February.  The show will then premiere in New York on 11 November 2010 and in Australia in 2011.

The “LOVE NEVER DIES” album was completed in September 2009 and will be released on Wednesday, 10 March 2010, the day after the World Premiere in London.  Pre-order your album here and you will receive a FREE exclusive preview digital track.

To buy your tickets for Love Never Dies now, click here.

You can still find all my latest news and information on the site, or sign up to my newsletters if you would like information sent directly to your email. We will be continuing to update and add detail to the timeline so please do check back to find out more!

Bono spent an hour with the all-Canadian cast who performed a selection of songs and scenes for him from this powerful new musical. Afterwards he met with the cast and writer/director Ben Elton on the storied 100-year-old stage of the Royal Alexandra and spoke with great enthusiasm about their work.

Bono “As song writers new to the theatre, we have a lot to learn from Andrew Lloyd Webber. And Ben Elton is so sharp – I’m interested in anything he does. This is a Canadian company telling an Irish tale by British writers on a theme that unites the whole world. Stories like this need to be told and told in the popular theatre’

Said Ben Elton: “Bono was incredible. He spoke to the cast with passion and humour about what he had seen and even shared some tips on Irish phrasing with our lead couple! He told us how his mother was Protestant and his father Catholic which gave him a unique view on the divisions illustrated in our show.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton’s _The Boys in the Photograph_ , which begins performances at the Royal Alexandra Theatre today, on September 22, 2009, tells the story of ordinary people in extraordinary times. This coming-of-age tale is about a group of young men and women who are involved with a local soccer team at the start of a 30-year civil war. Some are drawn into the conflict, while others stand aside wanting only to be allowed to live and love in peace.

Writer Ben Elton tells their story with humour and compassion, with lyrics that are both funny and heartbreaking. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s evocative score combines heart-searing ballads and stirring anthems. This powerful and passionate musical is a joyous celebration of the freedom that love can bring.

For more information on the Royal Alexandra Theatre production and to buy tickets,
visit www.mirvish.com/boys.

The show, directed by Ben Elton who also wrote the book and lyrics, previews from 22nd September and will run in a limited season until 1st November at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto. The Boys In The Photograph forms part of the 2009/10 Mirvish Theatre Subscription Season.

Andrew and Ben shared their thoughts on the upcoming show with us in an exclusive video extract, while photographer Richard Wahab captured them in rehearsal with actors Tony Le Page and Erica Peck and the band…

The longest-running show in Broadway history, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, is set to reach another unprecedented milestone. With its 8PM evening performance on Thursday, September 17, 2009, the musical will become the first Broadway show ever to reach 9,000 performances. The occasion will be marked the previous afternoon, Wednesday, September 16, with a special presentation during the 2PM matinee’s curtain call. The post-show presentation promises a few surprises for that day’s audience. Now in its phenomenal 22nd Year, the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. production, directed by Harold Prince, continues to play at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street), with no end in sight.

On Broadway, since its debut on January 26, 1988, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has grossed $740 million , making it the highest-grossing show in Broadway history. Total attendance is over 13 million. Its international success – equally staggering – is represented by total worldwide grosses estimated at over $5 billion. This colossal figure makes _PHANTOM _the most successful entertainment venture of all time, surpassing not only any other stage production, but also far surpassing the world’s highest-grossing film Titanic (at $1.2 billion) and such other blockbusters as The Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park and Star Wars. Worldwide, over 65,000 performances have been seen by 100 million people in 27 countries and 144 cities.

Since becoming the longest-running show in Broadway history in 2006 (when it surpassed the then-record run of Cats), every performance has set a new longevity record. The show has always been a record-breaker, with the New York production setting benchmarks that have dominated the industry: for capitalization (a then-spectacular $8 million), total advance (a then-colossal $18 million), total gross and attendance (now a whopping $740 million and 13 million, and counting) and even the number of years before a single ticket was ever sold at the TKTS ticket booth in Times Square (over 14 years, which is still the record, by a long shot). It was also the first and remains the only Broadway show to reach 18, 19, 20 and 21 Years, as well as 8,000 performances – and now continues its long tradition of shattering records by becoming the first show ever to play 9,000 performances.

In addition to PHANTOM ’s amazing longevity and continued box office success, the Broadway production continues to consistently earn rave reviews from returning critics. This month, veteran critic John Simon of Bloomberg News gave it “Do Not Miss” status by giving it FOUR STARS, raving “_PHANTOM_ is still the king of romance and chills! Looming like Everest, it is deservedly Broadway’s longest-running musical. With cunning direction, lavish sets and costumes and dramatic lighting, the visual opulence immediately grips you and sustains its hold. And even after more than two decades, PHANTOM shows no evidence of wear, thanks to successively fine casting.”

The Broadway production is the winner of 7 Tony Awards including Best Musical.

There are currently ten productions around the world: London, New York, Budapest (Hungary), Nagoya (Japan), Warsaw (Poland), Copenhagen (Denmark), Seoul (Korea), Buenos Aires (Argentina), the U.S. National Tour and a revised production in Las Vegas at The Venetian.

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber earlier this year confirmed that he has greenlit pre-production on a sequel to the show, Phantom: Love Never Dies.

Based on the classic novel by Gaston Leroux, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA stars John Cudia in the title role with Jennifer Hope Wills as Christine and Ryan Silverman as Raoul. The musical also co-stars George Lee Andrews (Monsieur Andre), David Cryer (Monsieur Firmin), Patricia Phillips (Carlotta), Cristin J. Hubbard (Madame Giry), Evan Harrington (Piangi) and Heather McFadden (Meg Giry). At certain performances, Marni Raab plays Christine. Mr. Andrews has been with the production for its entire run and in 2006 was recognized by Guinness World Records as the inaugural record-holder for the performer with the longest time in the same Broadway show – a record he still holds and continues to add to with each performance.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and is directed by Harold Prince. Lyrics are by Charles Hart (with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe) and the book is by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has production design by the late Maria Bjornson, lighting by Andrew Bridge and sound design by Mick Potter with original sound by Martin Levan. Musical staging and choreography is by Gillian Lynne. Orchestrations are by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

For more information on The Phantom of the Opera,  visit the official website.

Nick then gave his own rendition of the Aspects of Love track, saying: “We sang this song the last time I saw him and I think he loved this song – I know he loved this song – because it said so much about him and [his wife] Vicky.”

You can also view the full video on the NECN website

It’s a return to home territory for Connie, who won the role of Maria in the BBC 1 hit series How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? Connie played the role at the London Palladium for 15 months to huge critical acclaim and says she is delighted to play Maria again, “I have missed her immensely, I hadn’t realised just how much!”

For more information on The Sound of Music UK Tour,  visit the official website.

Andrew met Michael in 1988 when _The Phantom of the Opera_ was playing on Broadway. Michael came to see the show several times and loved the theatricality of the show.

Andrew said, “I think he had a connection with the lonely, tortured musician. He found the idea of somebody working through music and having a girl as a muse very intriguing – and he loved that there was illusion in the show.”

Michael approached Andrew about the idea of making a film of the musical, with himself as the Phantom. However, although an interesting concept Andrew felt at that time that it was too early to make the musical into a film.

Andrew went on to speak about Michael Jackson’s immense talent. “I saw him a couple of times in concert. Thriller was probably the best stage event Ive ever seen. From my musical-theatre perspective, I could see that he was bringing a completely new vision about dance to the stage. A tremendous amount of what he was doing then you see in musicals now.

“I would absolutely put him up there with the all-time greatest performers. I’ve seen most of the top rock acts – I saw Elvis several times – but with Michael’s concerts, his showmanship was consummate.”

To read the full article, visit The Telegraph Website

She joins four of the other Nancys in West End productions. Rachel Tucker stars in _We Will Rock You_, Samantha Barks in _Cabaret_, and Jessie Buckley in _A Little Night Music_ and of course Jodie Prenger plays the role of Nancy in _Oliver!_.

Andrew told the Daily Telegraph, “It is a very proud moment. I enjoy working with young people,” he said. “I can get performances out of them.”

The recent success of the Nancys mirrors that of previous contestants in _How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?_ and _Any Dream Will Do_. Many have gone on to star in West End hit productions including Lee Mead in _Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat_, Leanne Dobinson in _Les Miserables_, Siobahn Dillon in _Grease_, Ben Ellis in _Hairspray_, Aoife Mulholland in _Chicago_ and _The Sound of Music_, Daniel Boys in _Avenue Q_ and Connie Fisher in _The Sound of Music_.

I wouldn’t normally use a football expression to describe Eurovision but this year it was definitely a contest of two halves. The first was the stunning production of the songs – with its beautiful staging, the Russians have set a new benchmark; the second was the dull (unless you were Norwegian) voting as a landslide victory was evident after just a handful of countries delivering their scores. Alexander Rybaks “Fairytale” achieved a record score and 16 douze points.

But the best UK entry in years at least kept us Union Jack wavers on the edge of our seats at Moscows Olympiyski Stadium. And we were not disappointed with Jades fifth place – an excellent result for her and the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren-penned “It’s My Time.” It was good to be back on the left-hand side of the scoreboard. (Though those of us with each-way bets on the UK were miffed that we dropped from fourth on the last vote. Thanks Norway!)

Now that the two semi-final system has largely removed the dross from the final of the contest the standard of songs and presentation has improved hugely. _Eurovision_ is a now a big, slick spectacular. For the traditional spectacle of schocks, frocks and schlock you have to look to the semi-finals, which are mainly watched by fans and people desperate to vote their own country through. The only jaw-dropping sights this year were the Albanian man in a green sequinned suit and Ukraine’s entry with giant wheels and Roman gladiators in skimpy silver loincloths.

The entertainment acts from _Cirque de Soleil_ and _Fuerza Bruta_ (who appeared at London’s Roundouse theatre a few years ago) certainly provided eye-popping entertainment. Odd, though, that none of the acts was home-grown.

There was some Russian flavour in the countdown to the broadcast when we were were warmed up with the singing of some traditional Russian songs and a slightly nationalist feel was engendered during the show by the occasional reference to what a great country Russia is. (Can you imagine that happening if the UK was hosting?)

For us veterans of the Eurovision circus (and this was my eighth contest) every Eurovision is different – each has its own specific flavour. I hadnt been to Moscow since being a student there 30 years ago. Everyone may have mobile phones now and there are posh shops (back then you were hard pushed to find anything worth buying) but some things haven’t changed.

Younger Russians, though, seem more upbeat. As me and my companions, the inestimable Schlagerboys, swayed and waved our flags through Jade’s performance, various Russians came up and had their pictures taken in front of us and our Union Jacks. UK is cool in Russia, it seems.

So what does Moscow 2009 mean for the contest? The concerted attempt to prevent partisan voting by introducing the 50 per cent jury vote seems to have worked to some extent, though official figures will prove whether this is true. This year, the Scandinavians were worse offenders in this respect than Eastern Europe. The Norwegian victory, though, was never in question.

And for the UK entry next year? This has been a year of big change in the BBC’s approach to our entry and with Graham Norton taking over in the commentary box. Will the BBC mount another high-profile show to choose our song? The name of Gary Barlow has often been rumoured in connection with writing our song. That would be a result indeed.

It will be tough to come up with as terrific a performer as Jade Ewen, whose career is just starting with the release of her first album later this year. The contest means that she has been seen by millions, and Eurovision fans are very faithful to their favourites. Since winning _Your Country Needs You_, through the weeks of touring Europe to promote our entry, to Saturday’s performance, Jade has not put foot wrong – her charm and professionalism has impressed everyone. All UK Eurovison fans wish her the very best.

So, from this particular fan, its Do Svidaniye from me – and see you next year in Oslo!

*Mark Cook* (watching Eurovision since 1967)

_Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue_

Photos of winners Norway courtesy of Eurovision.tv

Andrew said, “Jade performed brilliantly, as I knew she would. I am delighted with her 5th placed finish. After so many years of disappointing results the UK can finally hold its head up high. I am sure that this will be a springboard for Jade and that she will go on to enjoy great success as an artist. We would like to sincerely thank everyone who voted for the UK’s entry.”

During a frenetic round of media interviews and rehearsals, Andrew said, “Singing in such a big competition, with millions watching around the world is a huge challenge for Jade, but a fantastic opportunity. She is a very talented young performer and it has been great working with her. She has been working incredibly hard since the public chose her as the UK’s entry. I have my fingers crossed that Jade follows Abba and Riverdance to international mega stardom.”

The 2009 Eurovision Song Contest Final begins at 11 pm (local time) in Moscow on Saturday 16 May and will be transmitted live all over Europe. Those of you based in the UK can watch the show on BBC One at 8pm.

Co-produced by David Mirvish and the Manitoba Theatre Centre, the first Canadian production of The Boys in the Photograph was directed by Ben Elton, who also wrote the book and lyrics– a coming-of-age story about love triumphing over evil, set against the backdrop of growing unrest and rising conflict in 1960’s Belfast.

The Boys in the Photograph re-envisioned Andrew and Ben Elton’s The Beautiful Game originally seen in London in 2000, adding three new songs to the score and re-working other elements of the show.

The Manitoba Theatre production completed its run on 23rd May 2009. Shortly afterwards, co-producer David Mirvish announced that the show would form part of the 2009-10 Mirvish Theatre Subscription Season, opening on 20th October 2009 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, again with Ben Elton directing.

To read the full article, click here

As a Phantom fan in Birmingham, UK watches the film version of _Phantom_, over in Fredricksburg, USA another fan is listening to the soundtrack. In Buenos Aires, they’re talking about the recent premiere of _Phantom_ in the city, and in London members of social networking site Twitter are starting to ask when _Love Never Dies_ is due to open.

A case of _The Phantom of the Opera_ is there… inside everyone’s minds? Not quite. The new _Love Never Dies_ website picks up mentions of _The Phantom of the Opera_, Andrew Lloyd Webber and _Love Never Dies_ made by fans across the worldwide web.

So if you’ve got a Twitter, Flickr or other social networking account, keep your eyes on www.loveneverdies.com and find out if your _Phantom_ comments and photos have made it onto the site… … but be warned – it can become addictive!

Entitled “To draw attention to the threat posed by online piracy to the future of Britain’s creative talent,” Andrew highlighted the cultural and commercial importance of our creative industries to the UK economy. These industries account for 1 million direct jobs, and have an economic output of at least £60 billion. This is now under threat.

The text of Andrew’s speech is as follows:

“My Lords, I have tabled this debate because I truly believe that this is a crucial moment in the history of Britain’s creative heritage: our cultural industries are under threat. It is imperative that we address those threats and bring all the creative industries’ future viability to the forefront of political debate. You may well be wondering why I, someone who makes a living from live theatre, would initiate such a debate. While I am incredibly lucky that my life, my passion and my main source of income – musical theatre – is not impacted by the problems afflicting other creative businesses, I see those problems damaging the cultural and economic fabric of the nation, and that troubles me.

I was further moved to initiate this debate after a conversation I had a few weeks ago with one of Britain’s leading orchestral players. He was agonising about whether to deter one of his children from following his footsteps. His reason was that the backbone of the livelihood of many professional instrumentalists is film score work. He could foresee a situation in a decade’s time when there was virtually no orchestral film work because illegal downloading would so decimate the film industry that orchestral recording sessions would be a thing of the past. In this connection I was reminded that three out of five of London’s main orchestral recording studios have closed since 2000.

And therefore, as I stand here I am speaking on behalf of my many colleagues whose livelihoods and their children’s future livelihoods are being compromised by inaction. I do not come equipped with the answers. Frankly they are way outside my world of musical theatre. My sole objective is to draw my noble Lords’ attention to the cataclysmic consequences for all the creative industries if this area remains unregulated.

The economic sustainability of Britain’s creative industries is hugely important to this country – important culturally and important commercially. It is estimated that our creative industries – film, music, literature, games, TV, software, books, printed media – have an economic output of at least £60 billion – equivalent to over 7% of UK GDP.

They are important too in terms of employment and of the hope they give to aspiring, usually young, men and women, that there are businesses that can employ them and invest in them in order that their talents can be developed. Again, it is estimated that creative industries account for 1 million direct jobs – and a further 800,000 in related sectors.

Indeed the Interim Digital Britain Report notes that the “digital economy underpins our whole economy and builds our national competitiveness.”

The question that occurs to me is whether, in ten years time, Britain will be a place that the Beatles could have emerged from. Will Britain be a fertile environment for all creative talent? Will Britain be a place where music, TV, film, games and publishing companies are sufficiently healthy to invest in British creative talent and take it to the rest of the world?

No… Not in a world where there are no longer shops where you can buy the physical products and where the internet is a Somalia of unregulated theft and piracy.

This is as much a battle against mindsets as it is against anything else. There are many people who like taking things for free from the internet even though it is not legal. The fact that something is easy and many people do it has confused commentators and politicians alike. Content on the internet is a problematic issue for regulators because the matters are technologically and legally complex and also, in a period running up to an election, politically, frankly problematic. But, as we have seen throughout history (and recently in the financial markets) there are dire consequences when people drift down the path of unregulated behaviour.

With the exception of live entertainment, all our creative industries are suffering but none more so than the one I am most familiar with – the music business. It is in the frontline of this battle and the first example of what can happen to an industry which is reliant on the protection of its intellectual property rights in order to survive.

The UK recorded music business is a major contributor to Britain’s creative economy. I would like to share with you some astonishing figures to illustrate. In 2008 the UK recorded music market was valued at £900m in trade terms. The UK music business punches well above its weight globally – it is a major exporter. 4 out of the top 10 global selling albums in 2008 were British. It is a major employer creating over 100,000 jobs.

However the market is being decimated by the impact of online copyright infringement. Recorded music revenue in the UK has fallen every year since 2003. In Europe as a whole the recorded music business is 60% the size it was in 2001.

It is estimated that 7.3 million people in the UK (28% of the online population) are now engaged in illegal peer to peer file-sharing, a figure which is projected to rise to 8.7 million by 2012 if action is not taken. This activity erodes the commercial value of the UK’s world renowned music sector. It is calculated that £180 million of losses were directly attributable to online copyright infringement in 2008; the losses for the six year period from 2007-2012 are predicted to exceed £1.2 billion.

As I am sure you all appreciate, such levels of loss are unsustainable. It is estimated that online film and music piracy could cost 30,000 UK jobs (and that doesn’t take into account the performers and composers who will lose their livelihood – and stop creating as a result). The biggest single cause of the music business’ demise, and indeed that of all creative industries, is the carriage of file sharing services by Internet Service Providers.

Globally only 1 in 20 tracks which are downloaded from the internet are paid for, i.e. a 95% online piracy rate. Innovative business models (of which there are numerous examples which enable consumers to access legally any music they want) have to compete with free providers – an unfair battle and an unwinnable one.

The music business, because of the universal popularity of music, its ease of access and its relatively low bandwidth requirements will be the first to fall, but other cultural industries will surely follow.

No-one questions that improving the capability and quality of the UK’s digital networks is an essential task. The improvement of fixed, cable, mobile and broadcast transmission mechanisms is crucial if the provision of digital services is to keep pace with what users, be they individual consumers or businesses, expect and demand. Our broadband industry is hugely important to Britain and will be the backbone to society as well as to commerce, but what will it deliver?

Given that consumer demand for faster digital networks is driven to a large degree by demand for quality content, in particular creative content – music, films, games, television, journalism, books – I believe that it would be a serious mistake to invest billions of pounds in faster networks without ensuring that there is a sustainable commercial arrangement for those creative works on those new networks in the UK. At the moment, no such sustainable commercial arrangements exist. As their businesses increasingly move to digital consumption, the ability of UK creative businesses to continue to invest billions of pounds every year in creating and marketing new high quality content is under existential threat.

The railway and roads opened up the first Industrial Revolution. Broadband and the internet are opening up the next one. Our internet service providers deliver excellent facilities that help so many people in so many ways. But we need to remember that one of the principal reasons for their popularity is that they search out information and creative content that people want. If internet service providers continually attract people to illegal sites – as they do now – and not to legitimate sources of content, then they are part of the problem, not part of the solution. These companies make billions in profits (in 2007 just one ISP made profits of £5.78 billion – this compares with the recorded music business’ turnover in the UK I mentioned earlier of £900 million) and yet they contribute nothing to the creative economies that they feed off and undermine – 40% of their sales come from Broadband and IT services and P2P traffic is believed to account for an astonishing 60% of all traffic on online networks.

Internet Service Providers can help themselves – they are able to control bandwidth traffic when it suits them. They are not going to change without regulation otherwise the good players could lose customers to the bad players. I wonder how long this can be tolerated.

People have got into the habit of talking glibly about “content providers” as if they are some sort of optional part of the process. The great wines of France are not content providers to the glass manufacturing business and Britain’s creative industries are not content providers for broadband. They are the experiences that bring consumers to the internet in the first place, and they can only survive in a safe internet world. Lawlessness is not a model for any society and it cannot be a model for our digital future.

The cultural ‘free lunch’ is not free because film, music, printed media and so on cannot be produced, marketed and distributed for free. Investment must be rewarded and performers, composers and authors must be paid. Otherwise how can they survive?

It is important to remember as well that pirates are bandwidth hogs who reduce the quality of service and raise costs to legal users. Illegal file-sharing spreads viruses and inappropriate (and unexpected) content for minors. There are even dire predictions that the internet will grind to a halt over the next few years. Dealing with piracy removes that threat.

Through various reviews, notably the Gowers Review in December 2006, Creative Britain in February 2008 and the July 2008 Consultation on Filesharing, I have been encouraged by the Government’s stated determination to act. The Interim Digital Britain Report gives life to that commitment and to the prospect of legislative action.

However, I do wish to raise the question of whether we are giving this crucial issue enough prominence and whether we are creating an outcome that is in the interests of a section of the economy where Britain leads the world and has the precious chance to create new jobs and new world-beating content for the future.

As I said I do not have the answers but I do have serious concerns as to whether the actions proposed to date will achieve the Government’s aim (stated in July 2008) of reducing unlawful file-sharing by 70%-80% over 2 to 3 years. Government would appear to be willing the ends but not the means. [Proposing to legislate to require ISPs merely to write to infringers and leave rightsholders with the near impossible, and deeply expensive and unpopular, task of suing those who persist is simply not going to produce the required deterrent effect.] Internet Service Providers need to be made to do more to play their part in tackling infringement taking place on their networks.

It should also concern Government because fairly monetising the demand for creative works in digital form represents a key opportunity to generate revenue that can help to repay substantial investments in new digital infrastructure. If the regulatory response is right then massive value can be derived by internet service providers from legal services and there will be an incentive to invest. Notwithstanding Government’s repeated calls to industry to adopt new business models, Government should accept that taking valuable content for free is not a business model. It creates no value. Only if illegal downloading is properly addressed can new business models have the room to breathe and succeed.

As I said I do not of course, in any way, oppose the laudable aim of improving networks; but next generation networks need not just to be faster, they must also be smarter, safer and they must work better as an ecosystem that allows information and creative businesses to prosper. I thought it is crucially important that we raise this issue in this House because we are at a point in history when our trajectory will be set. And the world will look at the UK carefully in seeing the direction that we take.

My Lords, I look forward to hearing the contribution of those noble Lords who follow me in this debate. I beg to move for papers.”

But for those who are newer converts to the cause -perhaps you’re a Brit who started paying attention after hearing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rallying cry of Your Country Needs You, maybe you’re a fan of _Your Country Needs You_ winner and this year’s UK entry Jade Ewen, or you might live outside Europe and are wondering what on earth were Boom Bang-a-Bang*ing on about – it might be time for a bit more background on this most European of Song Contests.

So in preparation for the big event, which this year takes place in Moscow on 16th May, were going back to basics with our Beginners Guide. This is what you need to know to sound like a Eurovision expert:

* This first ever Eurovision Song Contest took place on 24th May 1956. This year’s contest will be the 54th to be broadcast throughout Europe, making it one of the longest running television shows in the world.

* The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) was formed in February 1950, comprising 23 broadcasters from Europe and the Mediterranean. 5 years later the EBUs Marcel Bezenon conceived the idea of countries participating in an international song contest to be broadcast throughout all represented nations – the Eurovision Song Contest was born…

* As of last year, Eurovision now has three live shows – two semi-finals, where viewers and judges across Europe determine which countries (there can be up to 25) will be represented in the final.

* Four countries – the UK, France, Germany and Spain, also known as The Big 4 – are guaranteed a place in the final because they contribute the most funding. Each of The Big 4 countries finished in the bottom 10 last year.

* In 2003, the first Junior Eurovision Song Contest took place in Denmark. Last year’s was held in Cyprus and Georgia won.

* 2007 saw the first ever Eurovision Dance Contest. Last year’s, which was held in Glasgow, was hosted by Graham Norton and Claudia Winkelman.

* Speaking of Graham Norton, having hosted _Your Country Needs You_ earlier this year, the Irish comedian and TV presenter is set to take over the reins as the UK’s commentator for the 2009 contest, after veteran Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan, who has provided the voice for the BBC coverage of Eurovision since 1971, stepped down last year.

* This year’s contest is reintroducing juries as well as the phone voting of recent years. This year, national juries from each country will get the chance to listen to the songs several times and have a 50% stake in the voting for each song, alongside the usual phone voting which will make up the other 50%.

* You can’t vote for your own country to win…

* The country with the most wins under its belt is Ireland, with 7, although last year its entry – Dustin the Turkey, a glove puppet singing the track ‘Irelande Douze Pointe’ – caused headlines when it failed to make it past the first semi-final.

* Here’s a final fact you may know – the UK entry this year, ‘It’s My Time,’ has been composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren. Jade Ewen will sing the song for the UK, and Andrew has already secured one vote: none less than Russian Prime Minster Vladimir Putin. And every vote counts for the UK: last year’s entry came joint last…

*thats a reference to a song that won the contest for the UK in 1969 – Boom Bang-a-Bang was sung by Scottish singer Lulu and was one of four songs that scored joint-first in that years Eurovision Song Contest.

(Facts and figures from the official Eurovision site, www.eurovision.tv)

2. Angelica Agurbash, Love Me Tonight, 2005 (failed to qualify for final). The queen of the costume change – and the universe if you believed the self-publicising journal foisted on everyone – managed to wear three outfits during her entry for Belarus, none what you might call understated. And men in frills leaped and bounded in attendance as she performed. Camp as Butlins.

3. Marie N, I Wanna, 2002 (1st) It was the nifty routine that won Marie N Eurovision for Latvia rather than the song, which didn’t even make the Latvian Top 30 after the contest. Starting out dressed as a bloke in a white suit and trilby, she gradually disrobed to become a sultry, sexy siren in an evening dress. Dana International without the surgery, then.

4. Lill Lindfors, Gothenburg, 1985. This outfit award goes not to a singer but the host of the 1985 contest in Sweden. Lill Lindfors entered and seemingly caught the bottom part of her frock on the set, which ripped off leaving her rather embarrassed. Then she calmly unfolded the top half of her ensemble to form a full-length dress. Phew, that was close!.

5. Herreys, Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley, 1984 (1st) The Swedish blonde trio of brothers swept to victory with this lyrically challenged number. The secret of their success? Their little gold boots, which were actually referred to in the song. Why else would you wear em, eh?

6. Youddiph, Vyechny Stranik, 1994 (9th). One of Russia’s early entries featured a soulful young lady in a dress that made her look, as one wag put it, like a sun-dried tomato. It was certainly red, and with various holes and spaghetti-like panels, she could make her frock do all manner of, er, interesting things. All of which distracted from the rather dull song.

7. Paul Oscar, Minn Hinsti Dans, 1997 (20th). The Eurovision night all PVC freaks will remember. Cool Icelander Paul writhed around on a sofa in shiny kecks fondling himself while blonde Amazons in more PVC and fishnet contorted themselves around him to a throbbing beat. Yikes.

8. Hot Eyes, Ka Du Se Hva Jeg Sa, 1988 (3rd). In this niftily titled Danish entry it wasnt so much lead singer Kirsten’s clashing turquoise ensemble and spiky red hair. Or the backing dancers in orange and yellow wielding cardboard guitars, or the conductor joining in. It was that Kirsten was clearly on the point of giving birth. Good job hubby Soren was on hand among the backing singers.

9. Linda Wagemankers, No Goodbyes, 2000 (13th). Dutch Linda looked like she rented her voluminous black and white PVC hooded cloak from Billy Smarts Circus. It needed to be big – when she took it off to reveal a skimpy, silver shredded number, there were also two male dancers lurking underneath!

10. Schmetterlinge, Boom Boom Boomerang, 1977 (17th). The four male backing dancers wore Lycra one-pieces which where white on the front and revealed them wearing tuxedos and smiley facemasks when they turned around. The Austrian entry – which included the words kangaroo, didgeridoo and Kojak – was a dig at the contest in particular and the record industry in general.

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue

And the nominees, in no particular order, are….

TOP 10 PERFORMANCES

1. Abba, Waterloo, 1974 (1st). Predictable, I know, but you can’t have any list of the best of Eurovision without reference to the spangly and endurable Swedish foursome. With the name of a tinned-fish company, they have seemingly conquered the universe, and continue to do so.

2. Dana International, Diva, 1998 (1st). Probably not the greatest song in the Eurovision cannon but Israel’s Dana – not to be confused with Irelands 1970 winner Dana (Domestic) – did it for transsexuals everywhere. As Terry Wogan remarked of the Gaultier-garbed songstress, she didn’t even wear a polo-neck.

3. Teach-In, Ding Dinge Dong, 1975 (1st). Again, technically not great but this Dutch ditty is my personal favourite as a song that sums up old-style Eurovision. Bouncy and chirpy, how can you not love the lyric “Dinge dong every hour, when you pick a flower, even when your lover is gone, gone,gone”? And the ending. Ting!

4. Celine Dion, Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi, 1988 (1st). Singing for Switzerland, old leather lungs (pre-makeover) belted out this chanson with all the subtelty of an airport-sized bar of Toblerone and wearing an outfit modelled on an avalanche. Probably the most successful Eurovision act after Abba.

5. France Gall, Poupee de Cire, Poupee de Son, 1965 (1st). The contest finally got hip and swinging with the first proper pop song to win (The Beatles had already got big by then, mind you), written by Serge Gainsbourg, of soft porn ‘Je taime Moi Non Plus’ fame, and performed for Luxembourg by his 17-year-old protege, blonde gamine France Gall.

6. Guildo Horn, Guildo Hat Euch Lieb 1998 (7th). This falls into the memorable rather than best category, and not just for the turquoise crushed-velvet suit. Shaggy-haired German Guildo made the Hunchback of Notre Dame look attractive as he clambered willy-nilly over the NEC Birmingham set, played cowbells and – shudder – manhandled Katie Boyle.

7. Baby Doll, Brazil, 1991 (21st) What makes this memorable is that the misnomered Baby Doll, representing Yugoslavia, would probably only see 40 again in a rear-view mirror. An excitable flurry of peroxide, blue chiffon and matching eye shadow, she attempted to summon up the mood of the Rio carnival. Baby Doll (yes, she still goes by that name) performed for fans in Belgrade last year, giving us her version of Puppy (sounded like Poopy) Love.

8. Pan, Bana Bana, 1989 (21st). A personal favourite for the sheer delirious histrionics of it all. The song sounded like a James Bond theme filtered through a souk, and one half of the Turkish quartet (the two guys) clearly had more than their fair share of left feet. Meanwhile, the enthusiastic conductor was having some kind of fit on the podium.

9 Mocedades, Eres Tu, 1973 (2nd). This lovely Spanish ballad was performed by a frumpy-looking group who belied their name, which translates as Youth. Their song, while unknown in the UK, went on to be a huge hit in the US. And Spain finished just ahead of Cliff again in his second (failed) attempt at Eurovision glory.

10. Sandie Shaw, Puppet on a String, 1967 (1st). My first Eurovision saw barefoot SS annihilate the opposition in the UKs first victory. A monster hit around Europe that summer, it spawned similar oompah, fairground-style entries in the contest for years after.

Keep your eyes on the site for Marks pick of Eurovisions Best Outfits…

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue

Andrew, who collaborated with AR Rahman on the 2002 smash-hit musical _Bombay Dreams_, said: “I am absolutely delighted that A R Rahman, one of the worlds great composers, has been recognised at the Oscars. I am very proud to have presented his work _Bombay Dreams_ in the theatre.”

Rahman picked up the Oscar for best original score before scooping the best song Oscar moments later. The awards took _Slumdog’s_ tally to eight for the evening, with Danny Boyle winning the best director Oscar.

_Slumdog Millionaire_, the rags-to-riches tale of a boy from Mumbai, has dominated the awards season and has seen A R Rahman win a Golden Globe, a BAFTA and The Critics Choice Award 2009 alongside several other industry accolades.

Find out more about Andrews collaboration with AR Rahman on the hit musical _Bombay Dreams_ with our exclusive video clip…

AND don’t miss ‘Shakalaka Baby’, one of the tracks from _Bombay Dreams_, as it will be making an appearance on the BBC1 show _Let’s Dance for Comic Relief_ on Saturday 7 March.

A record-breaking 25,000 voted in this year’s awards which asked theatregoers to pick their favourite West End shows and performers from the past 12 months.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat walked away with 43 percent of the vote, beating off competition from Buddy, Fiddler on the Roof, Grease, Rent and Little Shop of Horrors.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “Joseph celebrates its fortieth anniversary on March 1st so it’s really terrific that the show is still wowing audiences and winning awards.”

It was a miracle we ever got there but take off we eventually did – after two hours on the ground while the plane was de-iced, most of which involved a poor woman struggling with a long-handled broom to get the snow off the wings – and we landed two hours behind schedule. Ah well, Valletta late than never.

All this for Eurovision, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jade. But the contest is big in Malta. They’re desperate to win but have never QUITE done it (second twice since 1991). So much so that great fame greets the victors and ignominy the failures. One recent Maltese representative who received only one point in the contest didn’t go out for a year afterwards. Another who fared not much better has all but given up a singing career.

One TV producer and presenter (she seems to do everything on Maltese TV including Deal or No Deal) told us: “For most of the world the big event this year was Obama being made president. Here its Eurovision!” Yikes. And she congratulated us on having Andrew write our song. “He’s a god,” she murmured reverently.

So no surprise that the final to choose the Maletese entry on Saturday (they started the selection process in November) was an epic show lasting over four hours with 20 songs – amazing given the islands population of just 400,000 – though it was definitely a question of never mind the quality… Le tout Malta was there in all their finery.

There was the unfortunately titled Kamikaze Lover – think Norway’s 1992 winner Nocturne, all violins and just two sentences of lyrics, but on a camp acid trip thanks to the leering, posing lothario performer. The Village People met Il Divo in Tonight at the Opera, there was a quartet of people who looked like neighbours who’d got together to write a song (Ha Hi Hu) and took us back to somewhere circa 1976, and one soloist had the nerve to call herself just Kylie. Honestly. Cute Vittorio and Dorothy would be a shoo-in for the lead roles should they ever do a Maltese version of High School Musical. And then there was the only guitarry song of the night by a blond youth who goes by the name of Klinsmann. Yes, his parents really did name him after the German footballer.

The 20 entries were whittled down for the televote to a final three by a “celebrity” panel, which included 1995 Irish winner Linda Martin and Nicki French and, inexplicably, one of her backing dancers for her 16th-placing 2000 entry “Don’t Play That Song Again”.

It was a long evening, though we all knew who was going to win – Chiara, who came 3rd in the Birmingham Eurovision in 1998 and then one place better in Kiev four years ago. Will she go all the way in Moscow? “Well What If We” tries to ape her 2005 hit “Angel” but is inferior – and while she can carry a ballad, she’s up against our very own Jade. Even in rehearsal those watching reported goosebumps at her performance of “It’s My Time” and on Saturday she didn’t disappoint with the best performance of the night. Loving the big key change, and we waved our Union Jacks in jubilation as the audience applauded enthusiastically.

Though the prize for schmoozing da votes went to Turkey’s Hadise, who performed her entry at the drop of a hat several times on TV, shimmied around with the Maltese flag and said the magic words “I love Malta”. Douze points for Turkey.

But the UK had a screen presence in the inestimable Schlagerboys (see my last blog) who are revered in Malta and explained on TV the next day that this was the first time in ages that UK has a song and a singer to be proud of . “We love Chiara,” they trilled “but we are rooting for Jade this year.” Yes, its OUR time at last.

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue

Do you long to get a Eurovision fix all year round? Here’s my guide to being a true Eurovision fan.

Well to start with, the Eurovision season, as one friend calls it, or the build-up to the contest lasts a lot longer these days. Albania is always the first to choose its entry, through a song festival held every December for the past 45 years. Other countries start dusting off the glitter for their selection process kicks off in the new year and the finals – 43 countries – last up to mid-March. Thanks to YouTube and satellite TV, hard-core fans can follow each country’s progress and get all the latest gossip from such websites as the fan-run esctoday.com.

Of course, a real Eurovision die-hard has to try and get to the contest itself, and it’s not always easy or cheap (many of the regulars are giving Moscow a miss this year because of the financial times and the expense of this particular city).

Time was not that long ago when the audience for the contest comprised nicely coiffed ladies and gents in DJs all politely clapping the songs. Now it is open to the crazed, flag-waving supporters of all nations. The atmosphere at the 2004 final in Istanbul was more like a camp version of the FA Cup final.

And there are now, with the semi-finals, three lives shows to enjoy. Added to all that there are the official parties for accredited participants and media plus events for the fans too.

It’s not always easy, though, as getting the tickets can be a labour of Herculean proportions. One friend almost had a nervous breakdown over a month in trying to get tickets online for Kiev four years ago. We paid top wack and ended up behind a huge platform with a bank of cameras blocking our view. It’s not all glitter and fun being a Eurofan you know – oh yes there’s heartache and disappointment too (rather like supporting a football team I suppose).

A cheaper option for more hard-core types is the final of individual countries. Sweden’s Melodifestivalen is the most popular, a six-week contest that takes place all over Sweden, in which the country’s top stars fight to enter. The standard of songs is high, the sort of thing that, until this year, UK fans could only dream of. It’s compulsory Saturday night viewing through February and March for winter-weary Swedes. Some two million vote in the final – nearly a quarter of the population – at the huge Globen arena in Stockholm and tickets are like gold dust.

Schlager, as Scandinavians refer to anything connected to Eurovision, is big in Sweden, so Stockholm is a good place to visit for a Eurovision fix at any time. You’ll get more Boom Bang-a-Bang for your buck in late July/early August for the city’s Gay Pride celebrations, when one night of the festival in the park plays host to a schlager concert with Swedish acts plus those of Eurovisions past and present from other countries too.

If thats not enough schlager, try Patricia’s, a boat moored on the edge of Sodermalm, every Sunday night where the music is fun and the food (try the Reindeer Extravaganza) is half-price. Clubs such as Linos also play schlager/Eurovision. The only place for any self-respecting fan to stay is at the Rival Hotel, owned by Benny from Abba and situated in a quiet square in the funky (well as funky as Swedes ever get) Sodermalm area. It’s a smart and laid-back hotel. Watch out, too, for the opening of the new Abba museum.

If you can’t get to Sweden there are regular schlager parties in London – the clientele is a mix of expat Swedes and UK Euro fans, held every couple of months. The longest running Eurovision night – 10 years and counting – in London, though, is at the Retro Bar near Charing Cross station on the second Thursday of every month. With it’s highlight of a mini contest of six Eurovision videos and jury voting, it gets a serious crowd and is usually packed out.

Most of all, though, being a Eurovision fan means you make lots of new friends – and you never have a dull time when they’re around.

READ THIS: John Kennedy O’Connor’s official Eurovision history is a must-have bible for followers. For a different slant, there is Nul Points, in which Tim Moore tracks down all those who scored the magical zero. It’s an affecting mix of high comedy and tragedy.

LISTEN TO THIS: There are CDs and DVDs of the more recent contests, and many compilation albums but “Song for Eurotrash” is a unique combination of Eurovision hits performed by the unlikeliest singers, among them Shane MacGowan, Sacha Distel, Terry Hall and Sinead O Connor and Edwyn Collins.

And finally…. a mystery solved

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s brow furrowed. “Why on earth did Malta give 12 points to Scooch? he asked. The Maltese ambassador looked equally bewildered and expressed complete ignorance. Around the country several hundred Eurovision fans were yelling at the TV screen: “The Schlagerboys!”

To explain. The Schlagerboys are two awfully nice chaps who live in Birmingham but would much rather, as their splendid blog explains, live in the land of schlager, Sweden (see above). For the past two years they have told a nation – OK, a small island – where to give their top marks, douze points, on the big night.

Two years ago, the Schlagerboys – aka Andrew, who teaches children with special needs, and David, who works in human resources, were big supporters of the Maltese entry and dressed in appropriate colours with flags for the semi-final. They became favourites on Maltese TV, and told Maltesers to give their 12 points to the UK’s Scooch. Which they duly did.

Last year the boys told Malta to vote for Sweden (great song but shame about the scary stick insect, praying mantis, alien-looking singer). Sweden got it’s only 12 points from Malta. It wasn’t a coincidence.

The boys are serious in their pursuit of all things schlager – namely cheesy pop songs with big hair and heels, glitz, strutting and pointing and, most crucially, a key change. They don’t have much truck with ballads (but they love this year’s UK entry). They have pursued schlager singers all over Scandinavia and Malta (they will be at Malta’s final on Saturday); they even went to Nuneaton carnival to see Bucks Fizzs Cheryl Baker and to see Nicki French (“Don’t Play That Song Again”, 16th in 2000) in panto last year in Chipping Norton. Talk about dedicated. So who will get Malta’s 12 points this year? Just ask the Schlagerboys in Moscow!

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue

So what can she look forward to over the next few months leading up to the contest in Moscow’s Olympic stadium?

Well a certain amount of travelling, for a start. For the first time, the UK’s entry will be promoted around Europe, sometimes with the personal endorsement of Andrew Lloyd Webber. It will be a continuation of the charm offensive to win hearts and votes that we first saw in the opening show of _Your Country Needs You_. First stop: the Maltese final in Valetta on Saturday. They’re big Eurovision fans in Malta.

Those who have taken their entry on the road before the contest have certainly done well in the past. The year Greece won in 2005, Helena Paparizou had toured extensively with “My Number 1″, partly paid for by the Greek Tourist Board. These days winning the contest is as much about selling a song as winning the chance to have a free (ish) three-hour advertisement extolling the beauties of the host country to 100 million people.

This year, of course, with the involvement of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren, there will be a huge demand for the UK song and Jade.

For her the ultimate goal is Moscow (how Chekhov, how Three Sisters) and competing against 24 other countries in the final. Not for nothing has Andrew described the contest and the surrounding antics as a zoo. Over two weeks in a round of parties, rehearsals, interviews, press conferences and appearances, 43 countries in total will all be jostling for their share of the limelight. Usually it is the most colourful and outrageous acts that get the most publicity. The UK has a head start this year but it will be a testing time for young Jade.

But can we actually win the thing? Much depends on our place in the running order on the night, and the fact that we automatically qualify for the final does not do us any favours vote-wise. But we are delivering a message that the UK is taking the contest more seriously and there is a major change in the voting that should improve our chances.

With all the partisan voting of the past few years there were probably only seven countries that could win Eurovision: Russia, Ukraine, Greece, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Armenia – by virtue of friendly neighbours, political alliances or the spread of their population around Europe.

Mindful of the Eastern block voting, the Eurovision authorities have reintroduced the national juries, which will count for 50 per cent of the vote. Older Eurovision fans will recall the days of yore with those crackly voices delivering jury votes over the phone. Being limited in number – this year they will be made up of five music professionals – the jury votes are often a tad eccentric (one year the Turkish jury was made up of Istanbul taxi drivers).

Back-up juries have occasionally been used in recent years, where there has been a technical problem with the televote, or in small countries where there are not the required number of votes. The results are always uncertain – last year the UK even got six of our total 14 points from a jury in San Marino! All of which should make the hitherto tedious voting more interesting.

In this respect it’s a crucial year for the contest. If the voting remains interminable and predictable, audiences, particularly in Western Europe, will vote with their remote controls and stop watching. Some countries, as Austria has done, may even pull out of Eurovision altogether.

It’s also a make-or-break year for the UK. A good result this year is likely to mean that next years selection process will be high-profile. A bad result – and this seems unlikely given the high standard of our song and singer – could mean going back to the bad old days and the so-called decade of shame since we last won in 1997.

Whatever happens in Moscow, one thing is certain: Jade has star quality and a terrific career ahead of her.

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue.

For the first time ever, on BBC1′s _Your Country Needs You!_ The public have voted week after week on who will sing for the UK. Andrew Lloyd Webber and his team made it their mission to find the right act. Tonight, in the grand finale, Graham Norton announced that the public had voted Jade, as the singer with the best chance of Euro-glory.

She will perform “It’s My Time,” specially written and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren.

Immediately after winning Jade, from East London said: “Winning means everything. I just feel so overwhelmed and so grateful for the opportunity and Ill do everything to try and win and to try and turn our luck around.”

About Andrew’s song, Jade said “I feel like the lyrics were written for me, I really related to them even though he wrote it for all of us (finalists). It felt like it was my journey Andrew was writing about. Even if it was just for the moment it was my time to show everyone how much it meant to me.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “We’ve got the most fantastic artist and I’ve done my best with the song, and I know Jade will give 150 per cent. Eurovision is going to start the career of this incredibly talented woman. I have the joy of taking Jade around Europe.”

For the opening of the show all three finalists, Jade, Mark, and the twins, Francine and Nicola, stormed the stage with their version of the Bucks Fizz Eurovision classic _Making Your Mind Up_. This week the acts had the challenge to also perform three songs each, including their favourite from the series, a new performance and Andrews specially created song “It’s My Time.”

After singing their songs and receiving feedback from Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lulu and singer Duncan James the hopefuls faced a nervous wait as the public cast their vote. Last year’s Eurovision winner Dima Bilan from Russia also performed his winning Eurovision entry “Believe.”

As votes were counted, the reunion took place of the Eurovision wannabes who had previously left the show – Damien, Emperors of Soul and Charlotte when they performed together with Lulu the pop hit “Relight My Fire.”

The Eurovision Song Contest Final is on Saturday 16th May in Moscow.

Picture it: Dublin, 1981. It was one of the all-time iconic moments of Eurovision, when Velcro rocked and UK won the Eurovision Song Contest. You’ll be pleased to know that Bucks Fizz are still ripping those skirts off these days.

Now the group consists of original members Cheryl Baker and Mike Nolan, plus Shelley Preston, who replaced Jay Aston. And they still perform the 1981 winner ‘Making Your Mind Up‘. “But now I have to rip off two skirts at the same time. It‘s incredibly difficult while singing as well,” jokes Mike.

And there have been a few wardrobe malfunctions. “Sometimes Shelley‘s skirt has peaked too early and come off in the song before ‘Making Your Mind Up‘,” adds Cheryl drily..

But even she admits that they might owe their Eurovision victory and subsequent successful careers to the power of Velcro. “I think if we hadn‘t ripped off our skirts we might not have won. I don‘t know whose idea it was. I usually say it was me!” “So do I!” pipes up Mike.

The pair will be recalling their success at the final of Your Country Needs You on Saturday, though their memories of the 1981 contest are something of a blur. “There was a lot of Irish hospitality,” admits Cheryl, and although they were an unknown group put together for the contest, they were favourites to win.

Says Mike: “I was a bit cocky going to Dublin and thought we were going to walk it. But when we started rehearsing and I heard the other songs I got less and less confident. By the end of the week I didn‘t think we would do it.”

On the night, though, as they bounded on in primary colours, blond hair (one could only imagine the fights over the peroxide bottle) and full of the sparkle their name implied, their harmonies were not exactly spot on. “I was great – it was the other three who let me down.” laughs Mike. They won by just four points but the song went on to top the charts around Europe.

For Cheryl, doing Eurovision was a dream come true. “I had wanted to do Eurovision since I was a little girl and winning it was like getting an Olympic gold medal for me.” Bucks Fizz was her third attempt. In 1976‘s Song for Europe she was in the band Co-Co, which just lost out to Brotherhood of Man, and in 1978 Co-Co got to the contest in Paris with ‘The Bad Old Days‘, where they came 11th. “That was the worst position the UK had ever come at that time but if we got that now we would be putting out the bunting!”

Bucks Fizz has had various incarnations over the years, involving a total of 17 members, and at one time there were two competing versions, one led by I‘m a Celebrity‘s David Van Day. Cheryl and Mike were asked to do Eurovision again in the mid-Eighties. “We said no. Johnny Logan managed it twice but we felt once you‘ve done it, it‘s time to go,” says Cheryl. “I wouldn‘t want to do it again,” adds Mike.

So what of the contest today? Cheryl: “I‘m glad we‘re taking it seriously this year – it needs a kick up the bum. It‘s just go too big. I think it would be fairer if there were regional finals. Western Europe just doesn‘t get a look in any more.”

Mike: “Until five or six years ago I would watch it and would always be on to the phone to Cheryl talking about the songs. We don‘t do that any more and now when I watch I‘m just flipping through the channels. I think if we don‘t do well this year we should just pull out.”

It seems the fun has gone out of Eurovision for Mike and Cheryl, the core members of Bucks Fizz who have always got on famously and clearly enjoy what they do. Mike says: “We have always got on. Mind you, we do have rows sometimes – we‘re like an old married couple.” Nowadays they do about a dozen gigs a year. “That‘s enough, so it‘s still fun when we get together. If it‘s not fun it‘s not worth doing it,” says Cheryl.

And that‘s their advice to this year‘s UK representative, to just enjoy themselves. Says Cheryl: “We had a fantastic time doing Eurovision and afterwards with all the singles and albums. I wouldn‘t change a single day of it. It was a great opportunity, and I just hope that whoever sings for the UK this year welcomes it with open arms.”

The 1981 Contest

If the overall standard of songs in Dublin – following Johnny Logan‘s first win the previous year – was not of the highest order, then it certainly supplied one of Eurovision‘s most memorable moments.

It was the Bucks Fizz skirt moment of course, which went on to influence Eurovision shtick for years after. Even now, singers – usually women, though Greece‘s Sakis Rouvas, who is back in the contest this year, had two women rip his jacket from his muscled torso to reveal a ripped T-shirt in 2004 – are wont to peel off a costume to reveal another one underneath.

In 2005 Belarus‘s Angelica Agurbash – who publicised herself with her own newspaper all about Angelica and held a party where she welcomed each person individually – managed three costumes in one of the campest-ever performances. A sparkly cloak was removed to reveal a sparkly big frock, which in turn covered something briefer – and sparkly.

The record for the number of costumes worn at the same time is probably held by a Romanian backing dancer from 2003. At the start of the song she looked like a girl who could do with missing a few meals but she stripped off one layer after another until, at the end, she was eventually revealed as a slim young thing clad in just a skimpy one-piece.

Velcro apart, that night in Dublin wasn‘t Bucks Fizz‘s best performance, and perhaps that was why the contest was so close. With two juries to go, Switzerland, UK and Germany were tied but when the Swiss gave points to UK and none to Germany, it was all over. UK ony received the top douze points from two countries (Switzerland had five and France and Germany four 12s) but UK was the only country to receive votes from every single jury..

There were the customary bizarre moments: the Austrian singer was backed by four women dancers who seemed to be on a different planet, even from each other. One wore just a leotard and an American footballer‘s helmet.

Finland went for the unlikely genre of reggae and blond moppet Ricki Sorsa performing in a pink and yellow harlequin outfit. ‘Reggae OK‘, he sang. Actually, it wasn‘t. Equally bizarrely decked out were the Irish trio Sheeba singing ‘Horoscopes‘. You could have predicted the outcome just by looking at the exotic green costumes, which wouldn‘t have looked out of place in a production of Aladdin.

And poor old Norway brought up the rear once again with nuls points – they‘ve done it a record four times.

The voting process was as confused as ever, especially when Yugolsavia seemed to have lost the plot together with their score sheet. Asked after a long pause what their votes were, an exasperated female voice replied: “I don‘t have it!”

And the interval act, performed by Planxty, offered a spooky glimpse of the future. Showing Irish music through the ages, it was called Timedance…..

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue

Theres an old song in the Stephen Sondheim/Jule Styne musical Gypsy called “You Gotta Get a Gimmick”. It could be the mantra or motto for Eurovision.

Over the years we have seen the weird and not so wonderful come to the stage in a bid to stand out among the musical crowd – and these days there are even more nations – 43 this year – slugging it out for attention. Last year saw Russian winner Dima Bilan perform as Olympic gold medallist skater Evgeny Plushenko twirled around him on a tiny patch of ice. I have already suggested that we might get cyclist Sir Chris Hoy to do a few laps around the UK entry this year.

But it was ever thus and even the UK has been responsible for a few memorable moments in the Eurovision annals, one of the most iconic being Bucks Fizz’s tribute to Velcro with “Making Your Mind Up in 1981″. And who could forget the dance that accompanied Brotherhood of Mans “Save Your Kisses for Me” in 1976?

Others you may, or may not, remember: the Swedish entry in 2000 with Native Indians stomping around the stage in a haze of smoke (hosts Sweden were clearly trying NOT to win the contest two years in a row). With more of a lifestyle statement than a gimmick, Israels Dana International made a stand for transsexuals when she won in 1998; the same year, Germanys Gildo Horn, a grinch in green velvet, made the Hunchback of Notre Dama look attractive as he clambered all over the set in Birmingham.

There have been been giant penguins, spot welding, PVC and fishnet, gold boots… the attempts to persuade us to vote have been many and surreal.

A few years back there was certainly a trend for the big stage number: witness Ukraines “Wild Dances”, a riot of whips and leather led by Warrior Princess Ruslana and some long-haired chaps whose stomping actually broke the stage. But that same year a 16-year-old British girl called Lisa Andreas represented Cyprus with a simple classy ballad. Looking like a young Barbra Streisand, she stood alone, bathed in light, to mesmerising effect.

Ok, so Ruslana romped to victory and Cyprus came 5th but the past couple of years have seen the rise of the ballad again. With entries throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the stage (and I think Switzerland actually used that and other implements in 1979), it is sometimes better to go for less is more. With “It’s My Time”, the UK entry written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren, at last we have a classy song; its time to forget the cheesefest of Eurovisions past and send a class act.

And so to this weeks TV show. Is it me or is Andrew’s entrance getting bigger? First a shy regal wave to Rule Britannia, then he was flanked by two spangly lovelies reminiscent of Gina G in her groin-length sequin number. And on Saturday there were four young ladies decked out in red, white and blue.

This was the crunch week, the semi-final, the so-near-and-yet-so-far show that no one wanted to leave. Over the past three weeks we have become familiar with the acts strengths and weaknesses, and on Saturday all sought to show another side to their talents.

In this, Mark probably succeeded the most. With Justin Timberlake’s “Rock My Body”, a more stubbled, laid-back Welshman ditched his musical theatre veneer in favour of something more contemporary. After his performance of Rod Stewart’s “I Don’t Want To Talk About It”, Andrew said it was clear Mark had finished playing panto – he connected with the audience and gave his best performance so far.

Birthday girl Jade performed Celine Dion‘s “All By Myself” and Aretha Franklin‘s “Think”. “Truly extraordinary” was Andrew‘s comment and Emma Bunton agreed that Jade was brilliant and exciting.

With the Emperors of Soul – singing Take That’s Patience and Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” – the panel again raised questions about the groups suitability for Eurovision. “But I have no doubt about your talent or your future,” said Andrew.

Finally, twins Francine and Nicola gave us The Everly Brothers “All I Want to Do is Dream” and “About You Now” by the Sugababes, after yet more tears. “Its the Eurovision Sob Contest,” joked Andrew. “There is something very special and unusual when they sing together in harmony,” he added. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Britain fell in love with them – but will the rest of Europe?”

It was a shock when Jade was put into the danger zone alongside Emperors of Soul but no surprise that Andrew saved her, and we are set for a nail-biting final on Saturday. It’s now make-or-break time for the UK reputation at Eurovision. We have a top-notch song – but will the voting public pick the right act to perform it?

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue.

When asked to write the lyrics for the UK entry for this years Eurovision Song Contest, Diane Warren knew little of this great cultural institution.

“I had heard of the contest and knew that Abba won it but you don’t see much about it in the US. I’ll be doing some more research when I get back to LA,” she says. “But it was such an honour to be asked to write with Andrew. How could I say no to that?”

She has in fact worked with many singers who have taken part in Eurovision: she is currently working with 1969 UK winner Lulu, and has helped last years Russian victor, Dima Bilan. She also wrote the Grammy winner “Because You Loved Me” for 1988 contest winner Celine Dion. This apart from writing songs for the likes of Elton John, Tina Turner and Barbra Streisand.

Given Diane’s history, with such songs as Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart” and LeAnn Rimes “How Will I Live,” the smart money is on the UK song – to be revealed in the final of _Your Country Needs You_ on January 31 – being a ballad. But she is sworn to secrecy about the work in progress, except to reveal that it has a title. “I came up with it while singing the chorus,” she says.

Diane rarely collaborates with other composers but, of working with Andrew, she says: “Its kind of scary collaborating with someone with such a great reputation. I’ve been working on endless cigarettes, coffee and fear,” she jokes. “But it’s been a lot of fun as well, like two worlds coming together, and you can hear that in the song. Its a great opportunity to come up with a song that will stand the test of time. I’m getting quite obsessed about it.”

The final song will need to suit all three acts that end up in the final – not an easy task. “Those left at the moment are very good, all so different. The song will be arranged to suit any of them. But thats the thing about great music, it transcends all genres,” says Diane, who has a star on Hollywood Boulevard.

So how has she adapted to the three-minute limit on Eurovision songs, coming up with a lyric so quickly, and the fact that it has to appeal to a very mixed audience who may only hear it once? “That suits me. I like my songs to be instant. You shouldn’t have to tell the listener that they will get it next time they hear it.”

The choice of Diane Warren as songwriter has caused controversy in some quarters: some have complained that a British person should have been used. To which Andrew replies: “Under Eurovision Song Contest rules, provided I have written the music, I am free to choose a songwriter of any nationality. My first instinct was, of course, to approach a UK lyricist but the people I had in mind simply weren’t available at the right time. I want the UK to have the best possible chance of securing victory at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest and I cant think of anyone better qualified than Diane Warren to help me write the song.”

It’s not unusual. US R&B star Timbaland helped Dima Bilan to victory last year and the UKs last winner, Katrina in 1997, was also American-born. Greece last year entered a singer who was clearly raised in the US and before that a performer who, though from a Greek family, had lived most of his life in Finchley! This year Ireland’s Ronan Keating has a song in the Danish final 12. And, of course, Canadian Celine Dion sang for Switzerland, appropriately wearing an outfit modelled on an avalanche and belting it out with all the subtlety of an airport-size bar of Toblerone.

But despite Diane’s recent acquaintance with Eurovision, she plans to go to the contest in Moscow, aware that the UK hasn’t been doing too well of late. “I think our song will change all that,” she says firmly.

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue

The Eurovision Song Contest a zoo? Well that’s how Andrew described it on Saturday night. Not the show you see on TV, you understand; nor is he equating the contestants with animals (though there was a large penguin in Luxembourgs 1980 entry). But he’s right, and having been to the past seven contests, I would agree that it has become something of a circus.

Even at my first Eurovision in Tallinn in 2002, where 24 countries took part, it still had that innocence that we have come to know and love over the years – one of the reasons the late John Peel was such a surprising fan of the contest. Eastern Europe had then started to make its presence felt in the form of the Baltic states but today there are 43 countries taking part and, as of last, year, three live shows – two semis and the final.

What was an event that, with rehearsals, lasted just a week now takes a fortnight. As well as the rehearsals and press conferences, there is all the attendant brouhaha – a round of parties hosted by different countries, PAs and performances. Every singer is treated like royalty but for those who have to perform in the semis it’s an exhausting – and occasionally surreal – experience.

As one of the BIG Four (UK, Germany, Spain and France) who automatically qualify for the final – a double-edged sword that counts against us in terms of votes – the UK act faces less of all this. Though with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren writing our song, this year there will see a high level of interest.

And then there is the big night itself. The singer has to connect with the 100 million viewers watching TV as well as the 20,000 or so in Moscows huge Olympic stadium. The camera may be where the votes are but the stadium audience is crucial, too. If the song goes “big in the hall”, as Mr Wogan was wont to put it, that enthusiasm will be communicated to those with their fingers poised on the phone dial.

It’s a lot to ask of a young and inexperienced performer – and it was largely for this reason that Andrew saved Emperors of Soul and voted 17-year-old Charlotte off the second _Your Country Needs You_ show on Saturday.

Put your arms in the air for the UK

So there we were in the studio waving our arms aloft to the chorus of “Save Your Kisses For Me” – rather unwise given that I’d been under my osteopath earlier that day with a dodgy neck and shoulder. But it was the least we could do as the five remaining acts warbled their way through the treacly 1976 winner (the most successful ever in terms of the percentage of votes gained) and did some of the goofy Brotherhood of Man dance.

It was a cheesy start but it soon become apparent that the performers had upped their game this week, and in the case of sheep farmers son Mark, “raised the bah” (nice one, Andrew).

For twins Nicola and Francine there were more tears in rehearsal but they acquitted themselves with “The Promise”. Duncan James said they sang the number better than Girls Aloud.

Emperors of Soul looked and sounded more contemporary with Prince’s “Kiss”. Andrew said they would be great for dinner theatre but Lulu questioned whether they were quite right for Eurovision.

With Christina Aguilera’s “The Voice Within”, Jade had the most difficult song, said Andrew, but dealt with it impressively. Duncan was “blown away” by her and Lulu called her “the whole package”.

Charlotte’s version of Duffy’s “Gonna Rain on Your Parade” showed a different side to her, said the panel, but Andrew wondered if she could cope with the Eurovision experience. She would certainly have a singing career, though, he added. Finally, Mark gave us “Me and Mrs Jones”, though the fresh-faced Welshman might have been better singing about Mrs Robinson. Said Lulu: ” You are Prince Charming and you have the voice.” Duncan praised Mark’s range.

An excellent week all round, summed up Andrew, part of which was spent working on the UK song with lyricist Diane Warren (about whom more later this week). So, much anticipation for next weeks semi-final, when four will become three.

So far the Beeb has got the tone of YCNU absolutely right – coupling the serious aim to send a great entry with a touch of the tongue in cheek (still loving those Dad s Army Union Jack arrrows), all helped by shiny Grahams witty hosting. Eurovision is supposed to be fun, after all.

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Graham Norton joined Chris Moyles this morning to discuss their mission to secure Eurovision glory but the Radio 1 DJ was more interested in securing Andrew’s interest in composing _Chris Moyles The Musical_. To listen again click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chrismoyles/

“The show was probably the best production of _Oliver!_ I’ve seen. The public got it right. She’s great.”

Lulu is the first to admit that she hasn’t watched a lot of Eurovision since she won it with Boom Bang-a-Bang 40 years ago.

“I stopped watching when we started to do badly and then it got so political, and now with Eastern Europe running the contest… I just didn’t want to be upset or disappointed any more,” she sighs. “It’s just become so frustrating to watch.”

But her interest has been rekindled by acting as one of the panel of Eurovision advisers on _Your Country Needs You_ and working alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber.

“Andrew has taken the whole thing to a different level. I think it’s fantastic what hes doing for the country. Taking part has made me feel quite patriotic again!” she adds.

But she’s feeling the pressure of having to help the country choose a winning act. “It’s so difficult – what will the rest of Europe go for? I was very upset that Damien went in the first show as I just loved his voice and his style of singing.”

So what advice does she have for the eventual winner? “Well they’re all winners. This is such a great opportunity for all of them, even if they don’t win – to have this time with Andrew mentoring them. It’s a great learning curve and invaluable experience.

“But they have to sing from the heart, that is everything for me. If it comes from a place of love, without ego getting in the way, good things will happen for them.”

When Lulu represented the UK in Madrid in 1969 she was just 20 but already had a wealth of experience. “It was nerve-racking. You do feel a tremendous sense of responsibility but I think the success I had had and my confidence helped me carry it off.” And with a charismatic performance, tieing with three other countries, carry it off she did, in a sparkly pink mini-dress and with a jolly Ole at the end of the song.

It was tense up until the last jury, when three countries were tied in first place and UK was one point behind. The Finnish jury ignored the top three and gave one point to us. “Thank God for the Finns,” laughs Lulu. ” I can’t remember anything at that point but I know I was very glad to be in the top 4 and not the top 5!”

She has freely confessed that her oompah-style song – typical for a UK entry of the time after Puppet on a String’s victory two years previously – was not her favourite of the final six shown on the BBC, one of which was written by an unknown Elton John and Bernie Taupin. But it provided one of her biggest hits – No 2 in the UK chart, No 3 in Sweden – and she recorded it in five languages.

“It really wasn’t my style, it was camp and kitsch and not very challenging as a singer but it WAS cheerful. I still sing it sometimes. Ill tease people by saying I won’t do it but then I do.”

Like Boom Bang-a-Bang, taking part in _Your Country Needs You_ has certainly been uplifting, says Lulu. “I’m getting so caught up in it all. ” You can be sure that this year Lulu WILL be watching the Eurovision Song Contest.

The 1969 Contest

The 1969 Eurovision Song Contest is best known for having four joint winners: UK, Spain, France and Netherlands. It was certainly a surreal show – ironic given that the contest logo was designed by Salvador Dali.

The four-way tie caused a furore and much confusion on the night, and the following year five countries – Norway, Sweden, Finland, Portugal and Austria – withdrew from the contest in protest at the result. The voting system was eventually changed.

It was certainly a colourful contest (though that may be because my recording has the colour turned up so that everyone has bright orange faces and looks like they’re related to Judith Chalmers and the commentary is in Swedish).

Bounce was the order of the day for many of the songs, and there was none bouncier that the Irish entry Wages of Love. A cult entry among Eurofans, it had Muriel Day bounding on as if someone had put a firecracker up her vivid green chiffon mini-dress. And then there was Spain’s Salome, in a blue fringed, one-piece trouser suit. As her up tempo song, Viva Cantando, speeded up and she shimmied correspondingly faster, she resembled a vibrating chinchilla.

Also in the line-up was Sweden’s Tommy Korberg, who went on to represent his country again in 1988 and star in the original West End production of Chess, written by Tim Rice and Abbas Benny and Bjorn.

Given that in those days there were only 16 juries giving 10 points, there was plenty of kerfuffle over the scoring, in time-honoured Eurovision tradition, with those crackly voices delivering bewildering votes over the phone. There was political voting in those days, too. With British tourists newly invading the Spanish costas, we received few favours in the ensuing years; likewise with Ireland while the Troubles in Northern Ireland were at their height. France never did us many favours, either, having blocked us from entering the Common Market.

The spirt of Dali hovered over the interval act, too – a film with strange music that looked as if someone had wandered around Spain with a cine camera while on acid.

Of course, some might argue that the contest should never have been happened in Madrid at all, following the victory the previous year of Spains Massiel with La La La (138 Las) over Cliff Richard by one point. It has since been claimed by a Spanish documentary that General Franco sent TV executives around Europe to offer favours in in return for votes, so that Spain could win and improve its image abroad.

So, some might be of the opinion that Cliff was robbed. Hence the wag at the contest in Belgrade last year who had a giant Union Jack bearing the legend “Justice for Cliff”. And quite right too!

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue

Oh joy, a live band, and everyone was – sorry, Prince – partying like it was 1998 – the last time a live orchestra was seen on the Eurovision stage, in Birmingham in fact. It’s all backing tracks these days.

It brought to mind all those conductors who took to the podium for their country, some catching the eye with a snazzy jacket or jaunty tie, or sporting a pony tail.

There was the UK’s Ronnie Hazlehurst conducting Rock Bottom in 1977 with a rolled-up brolly and wearing a bowler. And in 1974 there was the dressed-up Swede who conducted Abbas Waterloo. “Oh it’s Napoleon!” exclaimed the commentator, showing a remarkable grasp of history, having assured us at the top of the show that our host for the evening at the Brighton Dome was George IV!

More memories – this time of _Top of the Pops_ – were evoked on Saturday by the expectant audience standing around the sparkly red, white and blue stage with its rippling slo-mo Union Jack at the rear. Suitably, Andrew entered to Rule Britannia, giving us a shy, regal wave. So far so uplifting.

But what did we hear from our Lord through the programme as he faced the six acts he has chosen.” I’m genuinely scared… It’s keeping me awake at nights…..It’s poleaxingly worrying…..” Has ALW suddenly realised what hes taking on, writing a world-class song in record time, or is he just upping the dramatic tension?

Confidence was certainly buoyed by the news that the songwriter for the UK entry will be multi-Grammy winner Diane Warren, who penned such stunners as LeAnn Rimes’s “How Will I Live”, Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart” and The Sugababes “Too Lost In You”. And before someone points out that amid all this Union Jackery she is actually American, last years Russian winner was produced by Timbaland, so if the Russkis can snag a bit of US musical know-how, so can we.

Any fears that we might end up with the vocal equivalent of John Sergeant in Moscow this May were soon banished as the acts faced Euro advisors Andrew, Strictly’s Arlene Phillips and 1969 Eurovision winner Lulu.

Of Emperors of Soul’s version of “Love Train,” Andrew praised their individual singing and remarked: “I’ve never seen anything quite like this on Eurovision. I’m not sure if thats a good thing or a bad thing to say.” “They can deliver the whole package,” added Arlene , who knows about these things.

Twins Nicola and Francine, with James Taylor’s “You Got a Friend,” were praised for their warmth and humour. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the British public fell in love with you but will the rest of Europe?” mused Andrew. “Not the strongest of voices,” said Arlene.

Jade, who, thrillingly for Euro fans, looked like last years Ukrainian runner-up, the fabulous Ani Lorak (she wuz robbed), was described as remarkable by two judges after singing Deja Vu. “Most of the people on this show are great but you are exceptional,” enthused Lulu. “You are the new Beyonce,” said Arlene.

Wales, of course, is voting for Mark, who is clearly a Prince Charming on and off stage and a shoo-in for the girly vote. His rendition of Will Youngs Your Game was praised as charismatic by Andrew, while Lulu said he gave his all and would have no problems on the big night.

But the two acts left in the danger zone by the voting public were the youngest, 17-year-old Charlotte, who overcame crippling nerves to, as Lulu put it, pull a performance out of the bag, and the oldest, 36-year-old Michael Bolton soundalike Damien. A safe pair of hands remarked the panel but this was a contest to launch a new career as well as represent the UK, said Andrew.

And that, ultimately, marked the exit for Damien as Charlotte was saved to sing another day.

For the remaining five acts the hard work is just beginning, and having seen one Eurotask, where they were required to sing at the O2 arena in preparation for the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, I look forward to more such trials. Like testing out their ability to handle Velcro in the manner of Bucks Fizz or learning the goofy Brotherhood of Man dance.

Bring it on, I say.

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue

Lee won the highly coveted title role in the West End revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat after weeks of public voting on BBC1’s Any Dream Will Do.  During the programme’s run Lee became an immensely popular candidate and by the time the final was aired he had secured his position as the nation’s favourite and won an army of devoted fans.  Many of these turned up for his final performance as Joseph.  After the final curtain the audience erupted in with a standing ovation and tumultuous applause as Andrew Lloyd Webber appeared onstage to present Lee with his very own Dreamcoat.

Amidst the loud cheers that were a staple of his Joseph run, Lee thanked Joseph creators Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber – who, having acted as a judge on Any Dream Will Do, told Lee’s many fans, “You voted for him – and you got it spectacularly right.”

Lee passed the Dreamcoat onto Gareth Gates, who stepped into the role of Joseph on 9th February 2009.

Diane, whose CV reads like a whos who of pop music, has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry including Elton John,Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, The Pussycat Dolls and Christina Aguilera. No fewer than 31 of her songs have charted in the top 10 of the US Billboard 100, and she remains one of the hottest talents in songwriting today.

On working with Andrew and changing the UKs Eurovision fortunes, Diane said: “I am thrilled to be working with Andrew Lloyd Webber. He is a legend, and I am honoured to write with him for the Eurovision Contest artist. I hope that a song from Andrew Lloyd Webber and me will spell a change of fortune for the UK at Eurovision. We will write the best song possible for the event and for the artist. I am excited to be a part of this event with Andrew.”

Dianes songs have appeared in more than 100 films and in 1997 she was awarded a Grammy for the track ‘Because You Loved Me’, performed by Celine Dion for the film _Up Close and Personal_, which starred Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Redford. She has also received six Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song.

Andrew said “I am very excited to be working with Diane Warren, one of Americas greatest songwriters. This is a massively new direction for me and I cannot wait to get started.”

The first live show of _Your Country Needs You_ aired earlier this evening giving the public their first chance to have a say on who they want to represent them in May.

The concert was produced by Jeffrey Finn Productions and featured performances from Broadway stars including Liz Gallaway, Soshana Bean, Ron Bohmer and Eric Kunze.

_Image shows Shoshana Bean performing ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ . Photo credit: Scott Suchman December 2008._

So the six acts vying to represent the UK in Moscow in May have been chosen. Over the next four weeks, as they are trained and mentored by Lord Andrew and his team, one act will be voted off by the audience each week, until there are three remaining for the final on January 31. They are:

Charlotte
At 17, Charlotte is the youngest of the six acts. When she was 11 her family moved from Nottingham to Essex in order for her to go to the Sylvia Young stage school, and she wrote more than 500 letters to get the grants and scholarship she needed.
“Im really excited about being in the show and just amazed at how quickly everything has happened,” says Charlotte. “I cant begin to imagine what it will be like to appear on Saturday night BBC television. I just know Ill be nervous but Im determined not to let it get the better of me.”
Eurovision favourite: Gina Gs Ooh-aah Just A Little Bit from 1996.
Related trivia: The UKs youngest entrant was 15-year-old Emma with Give a Little Love Back to the World, which came 6th in 1990.

Damien
Damien started in musical theatre at the age of 12, has performed backing vocals for Tom Jones and has in the past few months appeared on television shows including Later With Jools, Strictly Come Dancing and Here Come The Boys. Once GQ Magazines Face of 1995, he also appeared in the West End production of Rent and regularly plays piano and performs in London bars.
He says: “Id never even thought about Eurovision until now but Im really excited about Andrew Lloyd Webbers involvement. I reckon that the competition will be more credible now that hes writing the song.”
Eurovision favourite: Love City Groove singing Love City Groove in 1995.
Related trivia: Love City Groove was the first rap-style entry in Eurovision and came 10th. Daz Sampson continued the tradition in 2006 with Teenage Life.

Emperors of Soul
This five-piece group of friends – Julian, Gerod, Leon, Leroy and Fraser – originally got together in 2008 to perform as a Temptations tribute band. They come from as far afield as Yorkshire, South London, Los Angeles, Barbados and Luton and all have been in West End productions such as The Lion King and Andrew Lloyd Webbers Whistle Down the Wind.
“As West End performers were all really nervous about performing in front of Andrew Lloyd Webber,” says Gerod, whose idea it was to get the band together. “Were excited about the possibility of being the UK entry for Eurovision.”
Eurovision favourites: Julian: Save All Your Kisses For Me by Brotherhood Of Man (1976) and Bucks Fizz Making Your Mind Up (1981). Leon: Love Shine A Light, by Katrina and The Waves,1997. Leroy: Even If, by Andy Abraham in Serbia last year. Fraser: Cliff Richards Congratulations (1968) and Making Your Mind Up by Bucks Fizz. Gerod: the German entry for 2000, Stefan Raabs Wadde Hadde Dudde Da.
Related trivia: The first black performer to win
Eurovision was Dave Benton, originally from Aruba, who, with Tanel Padar, sang Everybody for Estonia in 2001.

Francine and Nicola
20-year-old identical twin sisters from Sheffield are both trained singers who live at home with their parents. They went to the same school, work in the same pub and supermarket, go to the same university on the same course and both started going out with their current boyfriends on the same day. The only way most people can tell them apart is that Fran, who is older by 35 minutes, has a fringe! They have appeared on X Factor Boot Camp.
“Its totally amazing to be part of the final six, and its great for us to be following our dreams,” says Nicola. Francine adds: “We think that all the acts are very different and think they will all bring something fresh and fun to the competition.”
Eurovision favourites: Francines is Puppet On A String (Sandie Shaw, 1967) while Nicola prefers ABBAs Waterloo from 1974.
Related trivia: Blonde twins have been in Eurovision before. Sophie and Magaly sang Le Papa Pingouin – with a man in a penquin suit – for Luxembourg in 1980 and came 9th. The song was revived in a cover version by Pigloo in 2006 and topped the charts in France for three weeks.

Jade
Jade, from Plaistow in East London, is another of Sylvia Youngs graduates and no stranger to performing, singing and acting. Her first successful audition was for the role of Nyla in The Lion King and shes since appeared in Whistle Down The Wind, as well as TV programmes including The Bill and Casualty.
For two years she was part of a girl band called Trinity Stone, aimed to be the UKs answer Destinys Child. The band didnt make it big but Jade has been determined to make it as a solo artist.
Says Jade: “Im a true believer of fate. Id been longing to work with a great writer and then suddenly I was auditioning for Andrew Lloyd Webber. Who knows where Ill end up next!”
Eurovision favourite: Gina Gs Ooh-ah Just A Little Bit.
Related trivia: another Eurovision alumnus has been in The Lion King – Javine Hylton, who came 22nd in 2005 with Touch My Fire.

Mark
Twenty-three-year-old Mark has been playing Prince Charming in Bromley and had to fit in auditions for Your County Needs You. Originally from North Wales, he comes from two generations of farmers in North Wales and speaks fluent Welsh. Since graduating from theatre school he has appeared in the West End productions of Spamalot and Wicked and also played Troy in High School Musical. As a dancer he has performed with Will Young, Gareth Gates, Liberty X, Westlife, Ronan Keating and Charlotte Church.
Mark says: “The whole experience has been a total whirlwind! Now I just cant wait for the live shows!”
Eurovision favourites: Waterloo by ABBA and Bucks Fizz with Making Your Mind Up.
Related trivia: Wales provided the UK with its best result since winning in 1997. Jessica Garlick came third in 2002 with Come Back, though Welshman James Fox only managed 16th in 2004 with Hold On To Our Love.

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue

But when it comes to Eurovision these days, Eastern Europe is indeed our musical foe. In a matter of years it has annexed the contest with its cultural, neighbourly and political voting, plus all those expats living around Europe and voting for their particular motherland (why else would Ireland keep giving 12 points to Lithuania?).

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s offensive, though, has been more one of charm to win foreign hearts and minds over to the UK cause. Mission impossible? “Research and advance, LW, ” the bespectacled Ms Frobisher, our gel in the bunker, crisply advised the Lord.

No sooner than you could sing Putin’ on the Ritz, Andrew was off in a private jet to Moscow to meet the Daddy Bear of them all, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, while Graham Norton sniffed out tourist tat and bemused Russians in Red Square. Despite evading the question about why Eastern Europe always votes in it’s own back yard with the steely expression of a world leader, Mr Putin promised to vote for the UK in May. Mind you, he never seemed to look ALW in the eye, and I’ll bet he had his fingers crossed behind his back.

Potentially more useful in terms of votes was the vow from last years winner, sultry hunk Dima Bilan, to get his fans to vote for us – he’s a big star and has legions of them. Dima triumphed in Belgrade writhing around on the stage while an Olympic Gold medallist skater twirled round him on a patch of ice the size of a Bucks Fizz skirt.

Perhaps we could get Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy to do something similar for the UK entry this year? Or we could take a leaf out of Frenchman Sebastian Telliers book and drive a vehicle on stage. What’s Lewis Hamilton doing in May?

So on from Russia went those red, white and blue arrows to Poland and Hungary, where their love of Andrew Lloyd Webber knows no bounds and douze points is seemingly in the proverbial bag. That we should take the contest more seriously was the constant message from abroad, including an awkward-looking group of foreign ambassadors in London (and the Beeb was even spoiling them with some Ferrero Rocher).

It might seem obvious but it’s an important point. Having studied Russian and visited the Soviet Union in the Seventies, I recognise the wisdom of Andrews remark that: “Eastern Europe takes the contest very seriously but we just laugh at it. When they were part of the Communist zone, Eurovision was a beacon of light for them and I think they resent the fact that we just make a joke of it.” It’s also a question of expectation from a nation with the best pop music in the world to bring something half-decent to the Eurovision table.

But there is change afoot here in Blighty (though perhaps the BBC accountants don’t actually want us to win the thing as it’s costing Russia 28 million euros to stage the contest) and there’s no time for whingeing. Albania and Turkey have already chosen their songs for goodness sake!

So now the battle is on to find who will represent the UK at Moscows Olympic Stadium on May 16. Having waded through a swathe of submitted videos of the good, the bad and the ungainly, held auditions and workshops, Andrew and record industry executive Colin Barlow (who has managed Girls Aloud and Take That) have narrowed the field down to six acts: a capella group Emperors of Soul, twins Francine and Nicola and soloists Mark, Damien, Charlotte and Jade (about all of whom, more very soon).

As they say in Russia: Vsyevo koroshevo! (Good luck).

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big Issue

It was 1967 when, on a grainy black and white TV set, I watched Sandie Shaw tiptoeing to barefoot victory with Puppet on a String. Since then I’ve only missed one Eurovision – Brotherhood of Man winning in 1976 with ‘Save All Your Kisses for Me’, dammit.

As a child I even used to make my family hold up scorecards for the voting. One year I watched it it all alone on a portable TV in my student room in Leeds (another year in the uni TV room). By 1988 I was hosting my own Eurovision parties, with guests bring themed food and drink for each country. I always ended up with a lot of rollmops and large bendy sausages I didn’t need.

Then in 2002 I actually went to the contest in Tallinn, Estonia (you never forget your first time). It was so exciting being in the audience and hearing the countdown as the whole of Europe tuned in. Marc Charpentier’s ‘Te Deum’ fanfare that precedes the contest always gives me goosebumps. Since then I’ve been, as a freelance journalist, to the contest in Riga, Istanbul, Kiev (just months after the Orange Revolution), Athens, Helsinki and Belgrade.

I have faithfully waved my Union Jack for our entry, even for those tuneless nuls pointers Jemini. Rather embarrassingly, I ended up on the same plane home as Jemini – it was like intruding on someones grief.

Among my personal kitsch favourites over the years are a rather-past-it Yugoslavian singer by the name of ‘Baby Doll’ in 1991 shimmying away in an excitable flurry of peroxide, blue chiffon and matching eye shadow singing about Brazil (imagine my excitement when I saw her at the contest in Belgrade last year!) And I’ll never forget Gildo Horn,a German contestant in Birmingham in 1998 who made the Hunchback of Notre Dame look attractive as he clambered about the set in turquoise crushed velvet. Or Paul Oscar, the Icelandic PVC enthusiast who writhed suggestively on a sofa surrounded by Amazonian blondes in fishnet. Only in Eurovision.

We all have memories of the contest, its part of our cultural heritage, something we watched as children with our families, and which we continue to watch every year (viewing figures are now increasing each year). The thrill I had as a child of being allowed stay up late to watch a seemingly glamourous spectacle has never quite left me.

Of course the contest has changed enormously. Most obviously in size, with two semi-finals and more than 40 countries taking part. Even since my first trip seven years ago, it seems to have lost a certain innocence that was always appealing.

My enjoyment of the show has been tempered, too, by the poor performance of the United Kingdom in recent years (we last won in 1997), partly because of the Eastern European block voting, but also the lacklustre entries submitted by this country.

So, like many Eurovision fans, I was thrilled by the news that our foremost theatrical Lord, Andrew Lloyd Webber, is to write this year’s UK song. Even if we don’t win, this will at least restore some musical pride for the country that gave the world The Beatles and send a message to the rest of Europe that we are taking this most treasured of musical institutions more seriously.

So this year promises to be the most exciting for UK fans in a long time. Follow the journey to Moscow’s Olympic stadium in May with the behind-the-scenes blog on this site.

Mark Cook (watching Eurovision since 1967!)

Mark Cook is a journalist and theatre critic for the Guardian Guide and The Big issue

Tune in to 102.0 or online at www.smoothradio.com to hear this very special programme.

The two men met at Prime Minister Putin’s dacha. They spoke for nearly an hour about a wide range of serious matters including Russia’s relationship with Europe, its relationship with the UK as well as the Eurovision Song Contest.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “At least weve got one vote in the bag.”

Elaine Bedell, Controller Entertainment Commissioning said: “This was an historic meeting – Andrew Lloyd Webber meets Prime Minster Putin – to discuss the UK’s prospects in Eurovision.”

To more of the interview make sure you tune into the first show of BBC1′s _Your Country Needs You_ on Saturday 3rd January.

To achieve a sensible price point, The Really Useful Group shall be passing on more than the VAT reduction to get to the next nearest 50 pence. e.g., a £55 ticket will cost £53.82 after the VAT reduction but we shall reduce to £53.50.

In a special message to cast and crew Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “Omedetou gozaimasu to everyone involved with _Cats_ in Japan. 25 years – what a fantastic achievement”.

The show premiered in 1983 with Akiko Kuno playing Grizabella and Takanori Yamamoto playing the part of Old Deuteronomy.

Alongside _Strictly Come Dancing_ judge Arlene Phillips, Andrew will critique the very best riders from around the world and their interpretation of the music in the dressage section of this new form of eventing, with the help of international dressage judges, Jennie Loriston-Clarke, Isobel Wessels, Frances Verbeek and Andrew Gardner.

Express Eventing, in association with British Eventing, is a condensed version of three-day eventing – dressage, show jumping and cross country – packed into just half a day.

The all-star line up of international riders, which will include Olympic medallists, World Cup winners, European champions and winners of the most prestigious eventing competitions in the world, such as Badminton and Burghley, will each perform a four-minute freestyle dressage test, set to their own choice of music.

Andrew said: “My wife Madeleine was an international eventer, so this sport has been a big part of our life – though I will admit that I still have a lot to learn about horses. I am delighted to be asked to play a part in what is a great new sporting event.”

For more information and to buy tickets for Express Eventing International Cup, go to <http://www.eeicup.com>www.eeicup.comor call the Express Eventing ticketmaster hotline 08705 582582.

Following a televised address in which Andrew Lloyd Webber launched _Your Country Needs You_, the BBC show that will find the UK’s next Eurovision entry, Dave and Dom and their band Folk Face immediately contacted Andrew to ask if they could enter as an act.

On Friday their wish came true when they auditioned for Andrew with a song written especially for the occasion.

Under the rules of the competition Andrew and his expert team of music industry professionals will have the ability to mix up the acts and change their names in a bid to create the perfect entry. Andrew asked Folk Face if they would consider splitting if he felt one of the group was greater than the other or would work better with someone else in the competition. Dave and Dom replied a resounding yes, perhaps marking the end of Folk Face.

For more information on how to enter contact the official BBC Eurovision Song Contest website at www.bbc.co.uk/eurovisionl. The deadline for entries is 21st November 2008.

To watch Folk Face.s full audition visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chrismoyles/folkface_eurovision.shtml

Andrew presented the award to Simon in front of a 5,000-strong audience at London’s Royal Albert Hall while many millions of viewers watched at home.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “We are here to celebrate somebody who in my view has changed the course of television as we know it. This man not only understands how important music is but, how important it is to put the right artist with the right music. He cares incredibly about the programmes he produces and Im so proud tonight to give this award to one of the finest people who has ever worked in television and in music – Simon Cowell”.

If you missed the show watch it now by clicking here: www.nationaltvawards.com/.

_Image courtesy of The Press Association._

In a televised address to the nation on Saturday evening, Andrew invited Eurovision-wannabes to submit an audition through the BBC website, he said: “The BBC have asked me to unite our kingdom in a quest to bring home the Eurovision Crown once more. I have been asked to write the song but where will I be unless one of you volunteer to sing it.”

The search is open to amateur, professional and semi-professional singers – soloists, duos and groups. Entries will be scrutinised by Andrew and his expert team of music industry professionals, who’ll then decide on a shortlist of six finalists. They will also have the ability to mix up the acts, delete and change their names in a bid to create the perfect entry.

The battle to represent the UK will climax in a series of live shows _Your Country Needs You_ on BBC One, hosted by Graham Norton, where the viewers will have the final say on who will pick up the baton for the country in the Eurovision extravaganza being held in Moscow next May.

It has been over 10 years since the UK last won the contest, but Andrew is looking forward to the challenge, “I have never shied away from the impossible and this looks like the biggest mission impossible of all time. But with the might of the British public behind me, who knows what will happen?”

For more information on how to enter contact the official BBC Eurovision Song Contest website at www.bbc.co.uk/eurovision. The deadline for entries is 21st November 2008.

_Phantasia_ is a musical fantasy, for violin, cello and orchestra, by Geoffrey Alexander based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s _The Phantom of the Opera_.

The performance, which forms part of the Classic FM series, takes part at indigO2, the intimate concert venue within The O2 in Greenwich.

For more information and ticket information, visit the website.

Polydor Records celebrates the 60th birthday of Andrew Lloyd Webber, with the release of 60. This amazing 3 CD, 60 track set spans the whole of Andrew’s illustrious career and includes hits from all of his most famous musicals – _Jesus Christ Superstar_, _Cats_, _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_, _Starlight Express_, _Evita_, _Sunset Boulevard_ and of course _The Phantom Of The Opera_. The album features hit recordings, hits from cast albums – all sung by a diverse range of superstar and original artists.

From Elvis Presley singing ‘It’s Easy For You’ (the song that Andrew and Tim Rice wrote especially for him) to Barbra Streisand, Sarah Brightman, Shirley Bassey, John Barrowman, Michael Crawford, Madonna, Tom Jones and rocker Alice Cooper (singing ‘King Herod’s Song’) this collection really has it all.

For over 40 years Lloyd Webber has provided the world it’s musical soundtrack. Not only in the realm of musical theatre, but in the charts across a variety of genres – including pop, classical, rock and jazz. In 2006 Andrew Lloyd Webber pioneered television casting for musical theatre with the hit BBC series _How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?_ which won an international Emmy. He repeated this success with _Any Dream Will Do_ which cast the title role of _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_ and this year with _I’d Do Anything_.

Buy the CD in our online shop

Between now and October 15th, bank employees who visit the box offices of _The Sound of Music_ and _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_ will be able to claim two free tickets for one of the shows on production of a P45 issued after September 1st, 2008.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “Both _The Sound of Music_ and _Joseph_ are feel good shows and I thought that free tickets might offer some respite, albeit for a couple of hours, for some of those people who have sadly lost their jobs in the current economic upheaval. All you have to do is present your P45 as proof at the box office and two free tickets are yours.”

The offer is subject to availability and terms and conditions apply.

Tickets available for Monday – Thursday performances only and subject to availability.

Offer only valid on production of P45 issued after September 1st, 2008.

The offer is available on tickets for The Sound of Music and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Claims must be made in person at the appropriate box office.

To qualify claimants must have worked for a bank or financial institution.

On Thursday 18th September, Irish stars including David Shannon, Michael McCarthy and Alex Sharpe of Celtic Woman will take to the stage along with Aoife Mulholland and Jessie Buckley who were discovered through the ground-breaking television casting shows _How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?_ and _I‘d Do Anything_.

Together, Aoife and Jessie will perform the title song from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton’s newest collaboration, _The Boys In the Photograph_, which has been developed by Lloyd Webber and Elton from their musical _The Beautiful Game_.

The concert will be conducted by Gareth Hudson and include pieces from _The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Starlight Express, Sunset Boulevard, Aspects of Love, Tell Me On a Sunday, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Woman in White_ and more.

The event has been organised as a birthday tribute by the RTE Concert Orchestra, which is also marking its 60th anniversary this year.

The concert begins at 8pm at the National Concert Hall, Dublin.

Visit www.rte.ie/performinggroups for more information.

The show was hosted by West End performer and TV star John Barrowman, with performances from artists and West End stars including Joss Stone, Steve Balsamo, Jason Donovan, Idina Menzel, Duncan James, Jonathan Ansell, Denise Van Outen, Andrew Johnston, Lee Mead, Hayley Westenra, Philip Achille, Julian Lloyd Webber, Dean Collinson, Ramin Karimloo and Gina Beck, Rhydian, Maria Friedman, Ruthie Henshall, Shonagh Daly, Elaine Paige, Jodie Prenger and other contestants from the BBC TV shows _I’d Do Anything_ and _Any Dream Will Do_.

The concert, which was later broadcast on BBC Radio 2’s _Friday Night Is Music Night_ on October 10th, also saw a special announcement from Andrew Lloyd Webber. As Andrew appeared onstage to accept his birthday bouquet and to thank the BBC, the performers and the crowd, he revealed: “I promise you I will try my best with the sequel to _The Phantom of the Opera_, which I can exclusively reveal tonight will be called _Love Never Dies_.”

After months of auditions, intense training at Maria school and a nail-biting finale the viewing public chose the 23-year-old from Vancouver.

“To see Elicia, the dark horse coming from absolutely nowhere and taking the competition in this way is one of the most thrilling things I have experienced in my five series of major reality television programs,” said Andrew Lloyd Webber.

“ìI think Janna is a wonderful artist but there is something about Elicia that has grown and grown throughout this series and I am convinced that she can take the role of Maria further than it has ever been taken,” he continued. “It is a credit to the supreme professionals who have worked in Canada with all the girls that a result so totally unexpected and so right has prevailed. This is a great night for reality TV and for musical theatre and I know it will have provided a platform for the finalists to have major careers in the theatre.”

“I am honoured to have been associated with the program. The remarkable production values that CBC and Temple Street have brought to this format have more than matched the Emmy award-winning original.”

This is the second time Andrew Lloyd Webber has helped answer the question of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? He pioneered television casting for musical theatre with the original hit BBC series of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? which went on to win an International Emmy. He repeated his success with Any Dream Will Do which cast the lead role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and has cast the musical Oliver! for the BBC this year through the television series I’d Do Anything.

The Sound of Music will open at The Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto later this year. Visit the official website at www.soundofmusictoronto.ca for more information on the forthcoming stage show.

Andrew was not due to appear live on the show until the finale on July 28th but, his overwhelming commitment to finding the perfect Maria has led him to reorganise his plans. He is setting aside work on Phantom…Once Upon Another Time, the continuation of _The Phantom of the Opera_, and will arrive in Toronto this week where he will work closely with the Marias as they prepare for the performances of their lives.

“I can’t wait to get into the studio with the girls. They really need my help at this stage of the competition. It could prove disastrous if the wrong girl is picked, not only because my reputation is on the line but, because we have got to find a girl who can really do this. The public has a huge responsibility towards the winner as she has got to be able to cope with the gruelling reality of performing a demanding role week in, week out,” he continued. Andrew will join his musical supervisor Simon Lee, vocal coach Elaine Overholt and Broadway leading man John Barrowman as a special guest judge on Sunday, July 20th and will stay in Canada for the remaining three shows. Away from the cameras he will work closely with the girls before Canada decides who will take the stage in the forthcoming production of The Sound of Music at The Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto.

Andrew Lloyd Webber pioneered television casting for musical theatre with the original hit BBC series of _How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?_ which went on to win an International Emmy. He repeated his success with _Any Dream Will Do_ which cast the lead role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and has cast the musical Oliver! for the BBC this year.

To find out the latest on Canada’s search for the next Maria Von Trapp visit www.cbc.ca/maria/

The Likes of Us has only been performed twice to date, and with the approval of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber it is being made available to NODA members of the UK amateur market prior to a professional release.

The Likes Of Us was Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webbers first collaboration, written shortly after they met in 1965. It tells the story of Dr Thomas Barnardo, whose crusade to rescue children living on the streets became world-renowned. For the amateur productions, RUG will license the performance rights at 11% of gross box office receipts and will donate a portion of its own share of receipts to Barnardos until the end of 2010.

Speaking of the launch, Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “I am absolutely thrilled that NODA is working with the Really Useful Group on The Likes of Us.  It’s the first show that Tim Rice and I wrote together over 40 years ago. It never made the West End stage and received its world premiere just three years ago at the Sydmonton Festival where Tim himself played the Auctioneer.”

Eric Smart, Chairman of Trustees for NODA, said at the event: “Andrew Lloyd Webber is our Patron, and we are most grateful to him and Tim Rice for agreeing to release The Likes of Us to the amateur sector before a professional release. That in itself is truly unique and this innovation deserves to be widely recognised.”

To celebrate the launch, the youth section of Ilford Operatic and Dramatic Society performed excerpts from The Likes of Us. View video footage from their performance of ‘Another Cup Of Tea.’

Starlight Express opened at the purpose-built Starlighthalle on 12th June 1988. By June 2008, over 12 million people had seen the production. An indoor laser show and fabulous firework display marked the show’s achievement, with Andrew and Arlene appearing onstage following the evening’s performance.

Bochum’s Starlighthalle, which was designed especially for the show, was built in less than a year, entering it in to the Guinness Book of Records as one of the fastest buildings ever to be constructed.

“Jessie has a huge future ahead of her. I think she has true star quality and I will follow her career with great interest and help her in anyway that I can”.

Andrew

“It was such a devastating surprise to see Rachel and Samantha in the bottom two, but in a split second decision, I really felt I had no choice; Rachel had been in the sing-off twice before, whereas it was Samantha’s first time. As a final four, the girls were pretty evenly balanced. I’d worked with them during the week and I’d put everything I had into directing Rachel and encouraging her to put her all into her performance. From here on, I really don’t have a clue who will win.”

Make sure you don’t miss the final this Saturday at 6pm, with the results show the same evening at 8.45pm.

Niall FitzGerald, the Deputy Chairman of Thomson Reuters, will also be honoured at the dinner when he receives the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship in recognition of his distinguished business career and esteemed corporate leadership, both in the UK and globally.

_Image c. John Swannell_

“I was very sorry to lose Niamh, she’s an extraordinary talent but just a couple of years too young for this role at the moment. However she has huge potential and it will be very interesting to see how she develops.

The final four contestants are very different and we have an incredibly high standard. This year we really have no front runner because everybody has their own idea about who should be Nancy. I’m really looking forward to the final programmes because it’s coming down to be the closest competition that one could ever have dreamed of. Whilst at this stage of the competition last year I was starting to see how it was going to go, this time I haven’t got a clue.”

I was surprised that Niamh was with her in the bottom two because she had taken on all the notes I had given her, although I appreciate that people might think Niamh’s voice is not quite ready yet.

I would like to work with Ashley in the future. I think she has a lot to offer but I don’t think she is right for the West End.”

Andrew

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “The most recent production’s of  THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA around the world from Vegas to China have the most fantastic sound systems and it is wonderful that the flagship London production will now have the newest and best of them all to get the best out of our huge cast and the largest orchestra in the West End.

Designed by Mick Potter, the digital system will double the amount of microphones used in the show and the Phantom himself will now use 3 microphones.  The new surround sound system will consist of over 10 kilometres of cable, 120 speakers placed throughout the auditorium and a digital sound desk that will make the largest orchestra in the West End and 40 strong cast sound more powerful than ever before.”

This is Andrew’s speech:

“My Lords, first, I declare an interest as an owner of theatres in London and also as a composer who uses theatres.

In drawing attention to the problems facing the owners of places of entertainment, I totally admit that I do not know the answers to the questions that I am about to raise. My hope today is to draw attention to our ageing commercial theatre stock and, by doing so, to stimulate a serious discussion about the way forward for this country’s mainly Victorian and Edwardian commercial theatres. I must declare my other interest: I am passionate about architecture and I think that my love of Victorian art is quite well known. Therefore, some of the things that I am about to say sit extremely uneasily with me, especially as, when I was a boy, I was one of those who lay down in the street demonstrating against the shameful demolition of the St James’s Theatre. However, I must say these things.

First, I should like to quote from that tireless advocate of all things Victorian, Sir John Betjeman. In his First and Last Loves, he begins his chapter on the architecture of entertainment thus:

‘If there is one word which safely can be applied to the constructions for entertainment it is the adjective impermanent.’

He goes on a little mischievously to compare theatres and concert halls to churches, but concludes that, while churches are built to last, places of entertainment are not. Sir John’s point is that taste, fashion and style of production change and that buildings constructed for entertainment must, by definition, be replaced or altered as entertainment itself evolves, although the controversial old rogue does add that, as fashion changes, new and more hideous structures arrive on the sites of older buildings as we continue to slide into deeper depths of barbarism. However, today, some of those barbarisms are listed.

Sir John is right that the architecture of entertainment is impermanent, but he could not have seen other developments that call into question the suitability of some of our older buildings for present-day theatrical use or indeed any use. When the stock of theatre buildings was constructed times were very different from ours in a whole series of ways. People were physically smaller; there was less demand for bars and lavatories; it was assumed that the wealthy expected to be segregated from the hoi polloi in terms of auditorium ingress and egress; no one gave any thought to access for disabled people; and, for a significant number of patrons, being seen was far more important than being able to see what was on stage. We need only think about most 19th century opera houses. Backstage, dressing rooms for non-star names were cramped, poorly located and without showers. Technical capacities were severely limited by current standards in terms of lighting, sound and stage machinery. The modern audience, performer and artistic teams today all expect modern facilities. Decent sight lines are paramount today, nobody wants to sit behind a pillar all evening.

Ownership of a listed building imposes on the owner a kind of involuntary trusteeship of what is deemed to be part of our national heritage, but buildings that are in living contemporary use surely cannot be treated as if they are museum assets. English Heritage is reasonably flexible in its demands when listed buildings are refurbished, but the demands are there and meeting them can be very costly indeed. A substantial part of the cost of the recent refurbishment of buildings such as the Royal Festival Hall, the Coliseum and the Royal Opera House was the cost of maintaining the heritage aspects of the buildings. We are talking about many, many millions of pounds, not the odd hundred thousand. For example, to install the air conditioning that is badly needed in the Theatre Royal Drury Lane would cost in the region of £15 million. Were it not to be a grade 1 listed building, the figure would be about £1 million to £2 million. The reason is that the Theatre Royal Drury Lane has no cavities in its walls in which air conditioning can be installed. The listing requirement means that every internal wall of the building would have to be taken down, a cavity for air conditioning created, and the wall rebuilt exactly as it was originally constructed.

The difficulty for commercial theatre owners is that this expenditure yields no economic benefit in terms of the operational viability of their buildings. Not one more seat becomes available for sale as a result. Indeed, improving the audience experience while retaining the architectural qualities of the building normally means losing seats, which commercial theatres can ill afford to do.

May I introduce to the debate by way of example of one London theatre I intimately know and love, if not adore – the Palace Theatre. My company bought the theatre in the mid-1980s. It was in a shocking state. Its main terracotta facade was covered with a huge neon advertising sign that dominated Cambridge Circus. All its statues had been removed. Its glorious marble front of house and its extraordinary auditorium had been covered in surplus paint from one of the old railway companies at a time when appreciation of high Victorian art was at its lowest. I remembered what Sir John Betjeman had written in the same chapter of First and Last Loves that I quoted from, in which he opined that the architecture of entertainment was by definition impermanent. He wrote:

“The noblest surviving building in my opinion more impressive within and without than Covent Garden” is the Royal English Opera House … This is on an irregularly shaped island site. Its main facade on Cambridge Circus is concave and the awkwardness of the corners of such a facade is overcome by graceful octagonal turrets … The three tiers of galleries are cantilevered out, a revolution at the time, so that no columns obstruct the view of the audience. The decoration throughout is scholarly Flemish Renaissance. Nothing is skimped and the entrance hall and staircases are rich in those contrasting marbles Collcutt, that great architect – delighted to use … The Palace is the only theatre architecture of the last sixty years in London, or for that matter the provinces, which climbs into the regions of a work of art.

The theatre was constructed by Richard D’Oyley Carte as an opera house partly to thank his composer Sir Arthur Sullivan. It opened with Sullivans serious opera, _Ivanhoe_, which failed almost immediately. After a couple of short seasons, the whole project went belly-up and the Royal English Opera House became the Palace Theatre of Varieties. The Palace’s future is, I hope, completely secure as long as I am around but it is a good example of a building whose long-term situation I seriously worry about. For instance, the terracotta, which was totally restored only 20 years ago, now needs to be completely renovated again at a cost which will wipe out any profit that the theatre has made over the past few years.

The Palace has only 1,416 seats. If all those seats were great, it would be a wonderful medium-scale musical or opera house, but they are not. Three hundred and seventeen of them are in one of the most vertiginous balconies in theatreland today and very hard to see from or to sell. They are cramped and impossible to reseat due to the rake. Thirty-eight seats are in boxes which are great if you want to be looked at rather than watch the show, and 274 seats are considered to be restricted view.

Thus this wonderfully sited musical house has in practice only the number of seats of a large playhouse. Combined with the capital costs of, say, £3 million to £4 million for a production of a scale to fill the building, the running costs of such a production, let alone the cost of maintaining the building, will become extremely unviable as a theatre without public or private subsidy. The Palace is just a tip of the iceberg. Maybe it is an extreme example, but the fundamental problem of the theatres difficulty in keeping its head above water in todays market is replicated on a differing scale all around the country.

Some will say, “What about the Royal Court? Is that not an example of what can be done with an old building?”. Without in any way deprecating the splendid achievements in Sloane Square, I draw attention to the fact that the public funds given to refurbish the Royal Court exceeded the total profit made by the four Shaftesbury Avenue playhouses since the Second World War.

Finally, I share with the House some remarks made by a very important and one of our leading stage designers. He said:

“What the theatre needs today is the equivalent of a large warehouse attached to wonderful front of house and backstage facilities preferably in a location with great access by public transport. In that warehouse what you need are basic theatrical facilities like the ability to fly scenery but most of all you need comfortable, flexible seating so that a production can play in the round, in a proscenium shape or whatever a writer, director or artists require.”

I urge noble Lords to understand that I am not proposing the wholesale demolition of Londons West End, nor am I suggesting that the taxpayer is suddenly faced with a huge bill to refurbish our ageing commercial theatre stock. But as someone who has spent more than 40 years professionally involved with musical theatre, I felt that it was time to put my love of theatre architecture to one side and at least draw the attention of Her Majesty’s Government to some of the issues that confront theatre owners and artists as we head for the second decade of the 21st century.

For the whole debate visit Hansard.

_Image c. John Swannell_

I feel a bit guilty because although obviously the choice of songs is not mine, Sarah (right) sang “Mister Bojangles” just as I asked her to and I was very pleased with the way she delivered it.

However, I have to choose the girl who I think is most likely to keep the curtain up eight shows per week and really entertain the public. I know Rachel will be absolutely rock solid and I feel Sarah might not be quite ready yet, although she has had some really great acting moments and has performed consistently well during the series. I wish her the very best.”

Andrew

Jenna also received guidance from the girls as they performed the backing vocals for her renditions of “Do-Re-Mi” and “The Sound of Music”.

For the full story check out www.mirror.co.uk

“The sing-offs are going to get more and more difficult. Obviously the viewers have very different ideas about who should be Nancy. I decided to follow the panel from Las Vegas. It was a very close decision to lose Francesca but on balance she is a professional actress with a real career ahead of her. Ashley is a dark horse, next week she is going to have to convince me that I would want to pay the money to hear her in a theatre.”

Don’t miss the latest episode of I’d Do Anything, on Saturday BBC1 at 7.05pm, when Andrew rejoins Graham and the judges in the studio.

Andrew’s appearance on the show – which was broadcast in the USA on FOX on 22nd April and in the UK on ITV2 on 24th April 2008 – saw contestants Syesha Mercado, David Archuleta, Carly Smithson, Brooke White, Jason Castro and David Cook perform several of his hits during ‘Andrew Lloyd Webber Week’.

The performers worked on tracks from shows including _The Phantom of the Opera_, _Starlight Express_, _Jesus Christ Superstar_ and _Cats_. Andrew was on hand to guide them through their song choices from the set of hit show _Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular_ at the Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas.

The results show, aired in the USA on 23rd April and in the UK on 25th April 2008, saw all six contestants perform ‘All I Ask of You’ accompanied by Andrew. Carly Smithson, who performed ‘Superstar’ from _Jesus Christ Superstar_, was revealed as having lost the public vote.

Andrew made a later return to the _American Idol_ set, coaching finalists David Archuleta and David Cook during the show’s final week. He was the first mentor in the history of _American Idol_ to make a return appearance on the series, working on three songs with each of the two finalists at Henson Studios in LA.

David Cook, who performed iconic Phantom track ‘Music of the Night’ during Andrew Lloyd Webber Week, went on to win the series.

_Image c. John Swannell_.

He will collect the award at a star-studded ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall on May 8th where he will be joined by some of the biggest stars in classical music. Performers on the night include Andrea Bocelli, the world’s biggest selling classical star, Nigel Kennedy and Sarah Brightman, who will be making her Classical BRIT debut.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “I am absolutely thrilled that my music is being recognised at this years Classical BRIT Awards and delighted to be receiving the award for an Outstanding Achievement In Music”.

The Classical BRIT Awards were established in 2000 to recognise the outstanding achievements of classical musicians and the growth of classical music sales in the UK. The awards have proved their vital importance to the UK music industry with the huge impact the event has on record sales of those artists performing, winning and nominated. For more information visit www.classicalbrits.co.uk.

Tickets can be obtained for £10, or by donation, by sending an e-mail toinfo@pimlottfoundation.org.

All tickets will be available for collection from the Box Office on arrival at the concert on April 18th.

Payment may be made when collecting your ticket.

He hopes the fans of musical theatre in China enjoyed the recent tour of Cats and sends his best wishes to you.

Visit www.chinamusical.net.

On last nights live results show, presenter Ryan Seacrest announced that the award-winning composer and producer will join the list of top musical talents who have made appearances on ‘American Idol‘ as mentors, including Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton and Neil Diamond. As a mentor, he will share his expertise with this season‘s finalists.

_American Idol_ has been a big ratings hit in the US since it began in 2002. Last week the show scored an audience of nearly 30 million, more than double the number of viewers who tuned in to its closest rival, _Survivor: Micronesia_ which attracted 13.2 million viewers.

Andrew will be juggling his appearance on American Idol with his appearances on the current BBC 1 show _I‘d Do Anything_ in which he is leading a nationwide search for new West End stars to take on the roles of Oliver and Nancy in the forthcoming production of _Oliver!_

Visit the American Idol Web Site and the _I‘d Do Anything_ Web Site for exclusive videos, photos and special behind-the-scenes information on the shows.

Bart was the East End boy made good, a composer and lyricist who graduated from writing student reviews, to best-selling pop songs, to world beating musicals, in a meteoric rise to fame during the 50s and 60s.

His hits included the pop songs ‘Livin’ Doll’ and ‘A Handful of Songs’ and the shows _Lock Up Your Daughters_ and the multi-award winning musical _Oliver!_

Michael and Andrew Lloyd Webber discuss how and why Bart sold the rights to this masterwork, and descended into an alcohol and drug-fuelled obscurity that lasted for over a decade, and how he was restored to fame by a building-society commercial.

More information can be found at the BBC Radio 2 Web Site.

On _I’d Do Anything_, Andrew was reunited with TV presenter Graham Norton. He was joined on the judging panel by _Oliver!_ producer Cameron Mackintosh and Barry Humphries, Denise Van Outen and John Barrowman.

Over the course of the series, 12 contestants – selected from the thousands that initially auditioned in regional heats – competed for the role of _Oliver!_’s iconic East End girl Nancy. Blackpool’s Jodie Prenger was the show’s eventual winner, beating fellow finalist Jessie Buckley into second place when the results of the public vote were announced on 31st May 2008.

Of the12 boys who made it through to the live shows, 3 were chosen by the judging panel to share the title role: 12-year-old Harry from Oxfordshire; Laurence, 11, from Cheshire; and 11-year-old Gwion from Carmarthenshire.

_Oliver!_ opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on January 14th 2009. After the show’s opening night, Andrew said of Jodie: “The show was probably the best production of _Oliver!_ I’ve seen. The public got it right. She’s great.”

The couple are hosting a low-key event in Majorca this weekend. Around 35 to 40 close friends and colleagues have been invited to attend a dinner at a restaurant in Deia, near to the Lloyd Webber’s home on the island. A local rock band has been hired to entertain the guests and not the star-studded, musical-themed entertainment some reports have suggested.

The weekend will cost the couple a tiny fraction of the figure which has been suggested. It has been organised by Madeleine Lloyd Webber as a thank you to colleagues who have worked with Andrew for many decades.

Andrew said; If I was spending £5 million on the party as reported I hope that the Daily Mail would be able to negotiate ownership of the jet and the hotel in the price.

Andrew was offered the chance to host a big celebration in the heart of Londons West End, but he specifically chose not to hold a lavish party.

Andrew and Madeleine Lloyd Webber would like to ask the media to respect their privacy at this time.

Sir David Frost presented him with the Society’s Special Award “for his remarkable achievements over the last few decades as well as his recent role in bringing theatre to new audiences the world over”.

On accepting the award Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “If I have been one small part of this, then that’s enough for me”.

This is his seventh Laurence Olivier Award, widely regarded as the most prestigious in London theatre. It coincides with his 60th birthday, which falls on March 22.

The Society of London Theatre was founded in 1908 by Sir Charles Wyndham. It represents the producers, theatre owners and managers of the major commercial and grant-aided theatres in London’s West End.

_Image shows Andrew at the Oliviers with Lee Mead, Connie Fisher and Elena Roger. C. Getty Images._

This Saturday, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice will be attending the show at London’s Adelphi Theatre. They will be joined by David Daltrey and members of The Mixed Bag who accompanied the choir and orchestra of Colet Court in the second ever performance of Joseph at Westminster Central Hall in 1968.

To discover more about Joseph and his coat of many colours visit www.josephthemusical.com.

They will be performing two pieces, including Andrew’s “Pie Jesu”, at the tribute concert, which has been entitled “I’d like to teach the world to sing.”

Sir Roger Moore, Jeremy Irons, Helena Bonham Carter, Elaine Paige, Wayne Sleep, Bonnie Langford and Gloria Hunniford will also be performing their own personal tributes at Her Majesty’s Theatre on Sunday.

Ian, who sadly passed away in May last year, believed that he could teach anyone to sing and proceeds from the event will go towards a project called _Singing for Breathing_ which aims to help patients with respiratory problems at Royal Brompton Hospital, where Ian was treated for many years.

The evening, which is being billed as “I’d like to teach the world to sing”, is directed and choreographed by Gillian Lynne. Peter French produces. Tickets are now on sale for this unique tribute and can be purchased via the See Tickets website at www.seetickets.com or by calling 0844 412 4657.

_Image shows Julian Lloyd Webber._

He will be presenting the award for Best International Group with Denise van Outen. The nominations are Arcade Fire, Eagles, Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon and The White Stripes. R’n'B star Kelly Rowland, Britain’s very own time lord, David Tennant and _Lord of the Rings_ legend Sir Ian McKellen will also be presenting awards at the ceremony.

Speaking ahead of the awards Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “It has been another incredible year for British music. The talent and diversity is formidable and I am delighted to be able to join the nation in saluting this talent tonight.”

Watch The BRITs 2008 from 8pm on ITV1.

In an exciting twist, Summer Shaw’s successful impromptu audition for Andrew outside his London offices was not so far from the truth – as actress Summer Strallen had in fact been deliberately placed in Hollyoaks as part of an elaborate plot that blurred fact and fiction and brought the world of musical theatre and television together.

In the five months before Andrew’s appearance on Hollyoaks, Summer Strallen had been cast as Maria in the West End production of The Sound of Music and had already begun work on show. Her first appearance as Maria on the London Palladium stage was on 26th February – the same day as her final Hollyoaks scenes were shown on Channel 4.

23-year-old Summer succeeded Connie Fisher, who won the part during the hit BBC television casting show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?

Saturday nights will stir to the strains of “Consider Yourself” and “Oom-Pah-Pah” when BBC ONE raises the roof in its search for stars for the much loved, timeless British musical Oliver!.

In _I’d Do Anything_ the challenge is on to find a new talent for the role of Nancy and a total of three young protégés who will take it in turns to play orphaned urchin Oliver.

Again, Graham Norton will host the proceedings and be reunited with Andrew Lloyd Webber who is back on his throne and, this time, the show will involve another titan of musical theatre, Cameron Mackintosh. Alongside Andrew, a select panel of judges will preside over the weekly show trying to discover those special people with incredible singing and acting talents, whose destiny lies on a west end stage.

Following the fabulous formula of previous Saturday night successes – _How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria_ and _Any Dream Will Do_ – the search for the nation’s next Oliver and Nancy will begin with auditions early in 2008. The show will broadcast on BBC One next year.

Elaine Bedell, Controller, Entertainment Commissioning, says, “We’re really pleased to be building on the success of _Any Dream Will Do_ with a new search for west end stars next year. _Oliver!_ is a much-loved British musical so we’re sure the show will unite families and melt hearts across the UK as we watch some of Britain’s best new talent take centre stage.”

_I’d Do Anything_ is a BBC Vision production for BBC ONE.

For more information visit the official BBC website – www.bbc.co.uk/oliver

Winners Connie Fisher and Lee Mead perform a special duet together, and Andrew Lloyd Webber shares his favourite moments from the two competitions.

They will be joined by star judges Denise Van Outen and John Barrowman who will be performing group numbers with the Joseph’s and returning Maria’s.

Join in with the festivities on Christmas Eve at 19:00 on BBC1.

THE WINNERS STORY
After winning Any Dream Will Do, Lee Mead went straight to the West End to take on his role as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The Winner’s Story follows Lee on his incredible journey to West End stardom.

Don’t miss The Winners Story at on BBC1 at 17:00 on Saturday 29 December.

The first workshop performance of The Boys in The Photograph will take place at LIPA in April.

_”The music business as we know it is virtually dead. The day of lip-sync manufactured pop is dying. Now everything is about live performance. That is one of the reasons that I am thrilled by the Government’s initiative”._

If you would like to join Andrew in his support of Music in Schools and the Music Manifesto visit: www.singup.org and www.musicmanifesto.co.uk.

The BBC1 show fought off stiff competition from Argentina’s _CQC_, Spain’s _The Prison Choir_ and Japan’s _Takeshi Kitano presents Comaneci University Mathematics_.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: _”I am hugely proud of the show’s achievements and the way in which the show introduced musical theatre to a whole new audience, showcasing new talent in front of millions of viewers every week”._

British television dominated the 35th annual International Emmy Awards, which honour television programmes produced outside the US. British programmes won seven out of the eight categories in which they received nominations.

Image c. Amy Winehouse’s official website – www.amywinehouse.com.

The money was raised from various activites including two special charity performances of _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_, the telephone votes cast during _Any Dream Will Do_ and the sales of the Joseph single.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, who handed over the cheque to Terry Wogan as part of BBC1′s live appeal night, said: “A huge thank you to Lee, the viewers and everyone at Joseph who have worked so hard fundraising for this year’s BBC _Children in Need_. It is a fantastic sum of money and really will make difference to disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.”

Lee Mead kicked off last night’s BBC1 extravaganza with a nationwide singalong, before rushing back to the Adelphi Theatre for the second of the Children in Need charity performances of _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_.

*Location:* BBC Studios, White City

Lee will then be rushing back to the West End to take part in a special performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to benefit the appeal.

This special performance at the Adelphi Theatre will also include the children of Brampton Primary School who won the Any Dream Will Do choir competition and sang in the live final in June.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group is delighted to announce that sales of the single “Any Dream Will Do” by Lee Mead have so far raised in excess of £57k for this year’s BBC Children in Need appeal. The final amount will be revealed live on the night.

The single, which was released by Polydor under licence from RUG, also includes “Close Every Door” performed by Lee and the other two finalists Keith Jack and Lewis Bradley.

For every penny donated to BBC Children in Need, a penny will go towards projects helping disadvantaged children and young people in the UK.

_Any Dream Will Do_ has been short listed alongside _Britain’s Got Talent, Dancing on Ice, Strictly Come Dancing_ and _X-Factor_ in the category of Most Popular Talent Show. The final round of voting will begin soon so log on to www.nationaltvawards.com and vote!

The winner will be announced by Sir Trevor McDonald at the ceremony in October.

Last week Andrew surprised the three finalists by calling on their rehearsal at the London Palladium.

Congratulations to Brigitte Heitzer who won the final of the TV show on Sunday evening and will star as Eva Peron in Evita at the New Luxor Theatre in Rotterdam.  The show commences previews on 29th November and will open on Sunday December 16th.

Official TV Show Web Site
New Luxor Theatre Web Site
Evita Information

Lee Mead has become a household name, earning rave reviews as the lead in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hugely successful sell out show _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_.

Fan of the show Gary Barlow went to see the musical earlier this year and as a result has written a new song called ‘When I Need You The Most’ for Lee’s album.

The album is being recorded at the famous Soho Studios in London and is being produced by award-winning producer Graham Stack, who has recently been working with Enrique Iglesias among others. ‘Lee Mead’ will also include ‘Paint It Black’ as performed on the BBC’s _Any Dream Will Do_ along with the official Children In Need single ‘Any Dream Will Do’ which reached number two in the UK singles chart in the summer.

Lee is signed to Polydor via The Really Useful Group, with whom Polydor have enjoyed a successful relationship for more than twenty years.

The single, which was released by Polydor under licence from RUG, also includes “Close Every Door” performed by Lee and the other two finalists Keith Jack and Lewis Bradley.

For every penny donated to BBC _Children in Need_, a penny will go towards projects helping disadvantaged children and young people in the UK.

Lee will be performing live on ="blank">BBC _Children in Need_ on Friday 16 November before rushing back to the Adelphi Theatre to take part in a special performance of _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_ to benefit the appeal.

There are limited seats still available for this performance, book here.

More than 500 judges in 35 countries were tasked with whittling down submissions to a final list of 38 nominees in nine categories.

Winners of the 35th International Emmy Awards, which honour television produced outside the US, will be revealed on 19 November in New York.

Connie Fisher

Connie won _How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?_ and starred as Maria at the London Palladium until February 2008. She won the Best Newcomer at the London Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards (jointly with Andrew Garfield) and Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards London Newcomer of the Year.

http://www.conniefisher.co.uk

Helena Blackman

Helena went on to star as Dorothy in _The Wizard of Oz_ at the Leicester Haymarket and is currently starring as Nellie Forbush in the UK tour of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic _South Pacific_.

http://www.helenablackman.com/

Siobhan Dillon

Siobhan is currently playing Patty in _Grease_ at the Piccadilly Theatre. She is also the understudy to Sandy.

http://www.siobhan-dillon.co.uk/

Abi Finley

Abi starred in a revival of Tim Rice’s _Blondel_ before going on to star as Serena Katz in the UK tour of _Fame_. Abi was also voted the 2007 Jewish woman of the year.

http://www.abifinley.com

Aoife Mulholland

Aoife went on to play Roxy Hart in _Chicago_ at the Cambridge Theatre. She is currently playing the role of Maria for two performances a week in _The Sound of Music_ at the London Palladium. She is also set to star in forthcoming Danny Patrick film _The Best Years_.

Belinda Evans

Belinda went on to join the West End production of _The Phantom of the Opera_ at Her Majesty’s Theatre.

http://www.belindaevans.co.uk

Laura Sicurello

Laura completed her scholarship MA course in Musical Theatre at the Mountview Theatre School.

Leanne Dobinson

Leanne starred alongside Marti Webb in _Snow White_ at the Theatre Royal, Windsor last Christmas. She will shortly be appearing in _A Rough Guide to Musicals_ at Jermyn Street Theatre.

Meliz Serman

Meliz returned to London’s Guildhall to complete her Masters in classical music and is now pursuing a career in showbusiness.

http://www.myspace.com/melizserman

Simona Armstrong

Simona has recently performed in the _Carnival Messiah_ at Harewood House.

Lee Mead

Lee won _Any Dream Will Do_ and continues to play the lead role of Joseph in _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_ at the Adelphi Theatre until June 2008.

http://www.lee-mead.com/

Keith Jack

Keith will be playing the Narrator in Bill Kenwright’s UK tour of _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_.

Ben Ellis

Ben landed a role in a West End production of _The Music Of Dirty Dancing_ and from October 11th will play the role of Link Larkin in the West End production of _Hairspray_.

Craig Chalmers

Craig is starring as Joseph in Bill Kenwright’s UK touring production of _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_. Craig is also a member of Dream On, a band formed by 5 of the finalists of _Any Dream Will Do_.

Lewis Bradley

Lewis will stand-in for Lee as Joseph in _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_ for 25 shows in 2008. In the meantime, Lewis will be touring as male lead in Chicago & Beyond, an anthology show covering all the great musicals. Lewis is also a member of Dream On, a band formed by 5 of the finalists of _Any Dream Will Do_.

Daniel Boys

Daniel is appearing as Austen Bennett in the UK production of gender-swapping musical _I Love You Because!_ at the Landor Theatre in Clapham. In December he will be joining the cast of _Avenue Q_ in the West End.

http://www.danielboys.net

Rob McVeigh

Rob will be appearing in Cinderella at the Sheffield Lyceum this Christmas.

Seamus Cullen

Seamus is starring in _Thriller Live!_ the UK and European tour of the Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 story. Seamus and his band Mosquito are also recording a new album.

http://www.myspace.com/seamuscullen

Johndeep More

Johndeep will be playing the role of Dandini in _Cinderella_ at the Theatre Royal, Windsor this Christmas.

Chris Barton

Chris plays a brother in Bill Kenwright’s UK tour of _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_. Chris is also a member of Dream On, a band formed by 5 of the finalists of _Any Dream Will Do_.

Antony Hansen

Antony is currently on tour with Bill Kenwright’s UK tour of _Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat_. Antony is also a member of Dream On, a band formed by 5 of the finalists of _Any Dream Will Do_.

Chris Crosby

Chris is currently starring alongside Gary Wilmott in the UK touring production of _Half a Sixpence_. Chris will also be starring as Prince Charming in _Cinderella_ at Windsor this Christmas. Chris is also a member of Dream On, a band formed by 5 of the finalists of _Any Dream Will Do_.

The lead role of Maria in the Canadian production will be cast by the public through an eight-part national primetime television series which will air on CBC Television next summer.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “The role of Maria is pivotal to the success of The Sound of Music. It needs a performer with amazing vocal talent, compelling acting abilities and remarkable stage presence who also exudes youth and vitality.

“The quality displayed by the Maria finalists in the UK, and the discovery of the remarkable Connie Fisher, proves the enormous wealth of untapped talent there is in the UK. I cannot wait to see if Canada can match that talent.”

This timeless family classic will be overseen in Canada by director Jeremy Sams, choreographer Arlene Philips and designer Robert Jones, who all won critical acclaim from London critics for their superb work on the West End production.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian and David Mirvish will present the North American premiere of the smash-hit London production of The Sound of Music at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre beginning in September 2008.

Visit Mirvish.com for more information and the latest ticket news.

Lee Mead will be at the BBC Television Centre to kick off the live show at 7pm and will then hotfoot it to the Adelphi Theatre to star in _Joseph_ at a slightly later than usual performance time of 8pm.

The children’s choir selected by _Any Dream Will Do_ will also make an appearance in this special performance and the show will be signed by Dr Paul Whittaker. (Hearing impaired patrons should contact Customer Relations on 0870 895 5505).

All box office receipts from this special performance of _Joseph_ will be donated to BBC _Children in Need_, so hurry, book your tickets now to support this very worthy cause. For this performance only, the tickets are priced at £17.50-£59.50 and are only available from SEE Tickets (Box Office: 0870 895 5598).

_Joseph_’s relationship with BBC _Children in Need_ includes a previous gala performance for the charity in July and a BBC _Children in Need_ single released by Polydor under licence from RUG. The single includes a new recording of _Any Dream Will Do_ by the public’s Joseph Lee Mead and the heart-wrenching “Close Every Door” by Lee and the other two finalists Keith Jack and Lewis Bradley. All net proceeds from the sale of the single will also go to BBC Children in Need.

For more information visit the _Children in Need_ web site

Andrew received the highly coveted Honor alongside conductor Zubin Mehta, country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson and film director Steven Spielberg.

The Honorees were received by the then-President of the United States of America George Bush at the White House, before attending a gala performance at the Kennedy Center Opera House.

Among the artists on stage for the gala were Betty Buckley – who won a Tony Award for her performance as Grizabella in “[_Cats_]“:/shows/cats – and Sarah Brightman, who together performed one of Andrew’s most instantly recognisable songs, “Memory”. Broadway actress Christine Ebersole sang “As If We Never Said Goodbye” from “[_Sunset Boulevard_]“:/shows/sunset-boulevard/, while Elena Roger, the Argentine actress who wowed audiences with her showstopping performance in the 2006 West End revival of “[_Evita_]“:/shows/evita made her U.S. stage debut.

The Honorees were joined in Washington D.C. by some of Hollywood’s biggest names including actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon, Joan Collins, George Lucas and Liam Neeson.

The 2006 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony was later broadcast in the United States on the CBS network, December 26, 2006.

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?  was the first of Andrew’s casting projects with the BBC and the show was a great success, with peak viewing figures nearing eight million. The show saw ten actresses compete to play the role of Maria in Andrew and David Ian’s revival of the classic The Sound of Music at the world-famous London Palladium.

Eventual winner Connie equally won over the critics with the Daily Mail declaring: “Connie Fisher triumphs as Maria.” Co-star Lesley Garrett also triumphed, with The Independent calling her “phenomenal.”

Connie Fisher was succeeded in the role by Summer Strallen. The London Palladium production completed its run on 21st February 2009. In summer 2009, Connie Fisher returned to the role of Maria in a new UK touring production of the show.

Argentinian actress Elena Roger took on the iconic role of Eva Peron to great acclaim – with The Daily Telegraph’s Charles Spencer saying: “Elena Roger glows with star quality in the lead role of Evita.” Michael Grandage, artistic director of London’s premier art-house theatre The Donmar Warehouse, was also critically acclaimed for his direction of the show, which also starred Philip Quast as Peron and Matt Rawle as Che.

The production ran until May 2007 and was nominated for a number of awards, including a nomination for Elena Roger as Best Actress In A Musical at the 2006 Laurence Olivier Awards.

Written by Charlotte Jones, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and with lyrics by David Zippel, this Victorian tale of love, greed and deception tells the story of Laura Fairlie and her marriage to Sir Percival Glyde, his friend the manipulative Count Foscoe, and the significance of the mysterious woman in white…

The show’s London opening starred Maria Friedman as Marian Halcombe, Angela Christian as Laura, Martin Crewes as Walter Hartright and Michael Crawford as the original Count Fosco. It was directed by Trevor Nunn and co-produced with Sonia Friedman.

The Sunday Times called The Woman in White: “…a chilling return to spectacular form,” while Mark Shenton of Whatsonstage.com praised the score as “Lloyd Webber’s best and most melodically textured score since Phantom.”

Tell Me on a Sunday was originally released as a record and broadcast on the BBC during a TV special starring Marti Webb. It was later incorporated as one half of Andrew’s “Concert for the Theatre” Song and Dance. The 2003 production featured five brand new songs, some additional material by Jackie Clune and, following its extended West End season, the show then toured the UK with Marti Webb, Patsy Palmer and Faye Tozer alternately playing The Girl.

Featuring several of Andrew and Don’s most recognisable songs, including ‘Take That Look off Your Face’ and ‘Tell Me On A Sunday,’ the 2003 West End production garnered fantastic reviews, with The Times praising Andrew’s “superb gift for melody” and Denise Van Outen declared “a bona fide national treasure” by the Daily Mail.

The show tells the story of Akaash, a young slum dweller, who dreams of becoming a huge movie star, and of his fateful encounter with beautiful Priya, the daughter of one of Bollywood’s greatest film directors

Bombay Dreams was directed by Steven Pimlott and featured a script by Meera Syal with lyrics by Don Black. The show came about after Andrew Lloyd Webber met film director Shekhar Kapur and the two discussed Shekhar’s idea of bringing Bollywood to a Western audience – a discussion that led to the eventual development of Bombay Dreams as a musical theatre project, a project they continued to collaborate on after Shekhar introduced Andrew to the composer A.R Rahman.

During the two years that followed, Andrew said: “it [became] my obsession to bring this melodic genius [Rahman] to the West End musical stage.” When he succeeded, ITV’s London Tonight called the show “the bravest attempt at a West End musical in years.”

Based on the beloved P.G Wodehouse stories of Bertie Wooster and his butler Jeeves, the film version of By Jeeves was based on the 1996 Scarborough and London production also directed by Ayckbourn. The show is a contemporary reworking of the 1975 Andrew Lloyd Webber/Alan Ayckbourn musical production, entitled Jeeves.

When Bertie’s banjo mysteriously disappears just as he is about to give a concert in a church hall, the unflappable Jeeves suggests that he entertain his audience by relating the hapless romantic misadventures of his circle of high-society London cronies. With members of the audience playing the roles of Bertie’s friends onstage and Jeeves serving as writer, composer, director and props master, an impromptu theatrical extravaganza unfolds… The film features thirteen songs composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Alan Ayckbourn.

The show opened at the Cambridge Theatre, London on 26th September 2000 and ran until 1st September 2001. During its run the show was awarded the prestigious Best Musical Award in the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards 2000.

The Beautiful Game was later revisited by the authors and evolved into The Boys in the Photograph. Originally workshopped by LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) in Spring 2008, The Boys in the Photograph had its first professional outing in Canada in 2009.

As the Jellicle Cats emerge into the junkyard, each cat introduces themselves and their unique qualities: from the magical Mr Mistoffelees to the mysterious Macavity; the glamorous but spurned Grizabella and the Old Gumbie Cat, Jennyanydots – she who sits upon the stair or on the steps or on the mat…

Led by the wise Old Deuteronomy – a Cat who has lived many lives in succession – the Cats prepare for the Jellicle Ball, and for the moment when Old Deuteronomy will choose which of them will make the Journey to the Heaviside Layer.

The film was shot in London’s Adelphi Theatre and the accompanying soundtrack was completely re-recorded with a seventy piece orchestra to create a full digital sound. In the film, the license plate on the car that can be seen at the back of the stage reads “TSE 1” for T.S. Eliot – whose collection of poetry, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, inspired Andrew Lloyd Webber’s award-winning musical.

The concept album for _Whistle Down The Wind_also included performances from Tom Jones, Michael Ball, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler and Tina Arena’s version of the title track ‘Whistle Down The Wind.’

Andrew and lyricist Jim Steinman, together with Patricia Knop and Gale Edwards (co-book writers with Andrew) relocated the original story to Louisiana in 1959, setting the action around the time and place where the word teenager was invented.

Swallow, a 15 year-old-girl growing up in America’s deep South, discovers a mysterious man hiding out in a barn. When she asks who he is and the first words he utters are “Jesus Christ”, it’s as if all her prayers have been answered. Swallow and the town’s other children vow to protect the stranger from the world that waits outside – the townspeople who are determined to catch a fugitive hiding in their midst. As fantasy and reality collide, Swallow is torn between the two and begins to discover who she is and where she is going.

Andrew’s emotive score combines hauntingly beautiful love songs and explosive rock music with lyrics by acclaimed rock’n’roll songwriter Jim Steinman. The score includes the songs ‘No Matter What’ – the Boyzone version of which reached number one in the UK charts – and the well-known title track ‘Whistle Down the Wind.’

After successfully playing at the Aldwych Theatre in London for over two years, Whistle Down The Wind undertook two UK tours and played a 2006 season at London’s Palace Theatre as well as touring the USA from 2007-2008.

Directed by Gale Edwards, with a design by John Napier, the 1996 version of the show starred Steve Balsamo as Jesus, Zubin Varla as Judas, and Joanna Ampil as Mary Magdalene. During its run, the production received a 1997 Olivier nomination for “Outstanding Musical Production”

The LA production starred Glenn Close (Norma Desmond), Alan Campbell (Joe Gillis), Judy Kuhn (Betty Schaefer) and George Hearn (Max von Mayerling), with Close, Campbell and Hearn later going on to recreate their roles for the show’s 1994 Broadway opening at the Minskoff Theatre.

Sunset Boulevard weaves a magnificent tale of faded glory and unfulfilled ambition. Silent movie star Norma Desmond longs for a return to the big screen, having been discarded by tinsel town with the advent of “talkies.” Her glamour has faded in all but her mind. When she meets struggling Hollywood screen-writer Joe Gillis in dramatic circumstances, their subsequent passionate and volatile relationship leads to an unforeseen and tragic conclusion, perfectly captured by Andrew’s sweeping score.

The accompanying video featured Jason onstage at the London Palladium, accompanied by the children’s choir who also featured in the show. The single stayed at number one for two weeks

This record-breaking show was completely different to earlier productions with the children’s choir becoming an integral part of the action and Mark Thompson’s award-winning set and costume designs, and Anthony van Laast’s witty choreography creating an extravaganza for all the family.

This production went on to form the basis for several UK and US tours and a video starring Donny Osmond as well as the 2007 West End production of Joseph, which saw Lee Mead take on the title role at London’s Adelphi Theatre after winning BBC TV show Any Dream Will Do.

The production won the 1991 Ivor Novello award for Best British Musical while in 1992 Mark Thompson won two Laurence Olivier awards for Best Set Design and Best Costume Design.

Based on the novel by David Garnett, the musical production of Aspects of Love featured music by Andrew with lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart. The score for the show includes ‘Love Changes Everything,’ the single version of which was a huge hit for Michael Ball, who also starred in the original London production as Alex Dillingham.

Aspects of Love tells the story of passion, love, life and loss across three generations of a family and their artistic companions, against a background of 1940’s France and Italy.

The original London production also starred Ann Crumb as Rose Vibert and Kevin Colson as George Dillingham. The Financial Times’ reviewer Michael Coveney called the show “a remarkably daring piece of work.”

Phantom is now the most financially successful musical of all time. Based on the novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, written by French author Gaston Leroux, the musical is set in the Paris Opera House in the late Nineteenth Century and tells the story of Christine Daaé; her lover Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny; and the mysterious masked figure who lives beneath the Opera House – the Phantom of the Opera.

Within months of opening, the show – described as “Fantastic, fabulous and phantasmagorical!” by The Daily Mirror and “A gorgeous operatic extravaganza that is a thrill to the blood and a sensual feast for the eye” by the Sunday Express – scooped the 1986 Oliver Award for Musical of the Year, with Michael Crawford winning the Outstanding Performance in a Musical Award. Phantom also won the 1986 Evening Standard Award for Best Musical.

Written for Andrew’s children in 1984, featuring lyrics by Richard Stilgoe and choreography by Arlene Phillips, Starlight Express was always intended to be nothing other than fun for all the family. The actors, on roller skates, portray various engines in a child’s train set and, in the original production, the Apollo Victoria Theatre was overhauled to include a race track that extended into and around the stalls and around the front of the dress circle.

The original production of Starlight Express was directed by Trevor Nunn. Original London cast members included Ray Shell as Rusty, Jeff Shankley as Greaseball, Jeffrey Daniels as Electra and Stephanie Lawrence as Pearl.

Variations was choreographed by Anthony van Laast. The work was then combined with Tell Me on a Sunday (an Andrew Lloyd Webber/Don Black song cycle) to produce Song and Dance, the original London production of which starred Marti Webb, Wayne Sleep and, later, Lulu and Sarah Brightman.

The Daily Mail’s Jack Tinker said of the production: “With Don Black’s most evocative and sophisticated lyrics, we are taken on an emotional odyssey… (Marti Webb’s) performance never loses its winning appeal. Wayne Sleep and a dazzling troupe of high-octane dancers supply the language of the dance. A series of pyrotechnic styles flash and fizz the rest of the evening away…”

By the time the show closed, after some eight years and 3,358 performances, it had become the longest-running musical in West End history.

Jesus Christ Superstar, which was originally released as a concept album in 1970, is a rock opera that tells the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The show was the first musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice to be produced for the professional stage.