Oz Blog: A Class Act

It was an emotional weekend in the Land of Oz as Andrew’s would-be-Dorothys were given some acting tips from panellist Sheila Hancock before we said our goodbyes to another one of the girls in Sunday’s results show.

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.

AndrewLloydWebber.com

Oz Blog: A Class Act