1. Aspects of Love
    1. Aspects of Love Opens
    2. ‘Love Changes Everything’ performed at Kennedy memorial
  2. Bombay Dreams
    1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years
    2. Bombay Dreams Movie Announcement
    3. Bombay Dreams opens
  3. By Jeeves
    1. The film version of By Jeeves is released
  4. Cats
    1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years
    2. Stagecoach perform Cats at the NIA
    3. The film version of Cats is released
  5. Evita
    1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years
    2. Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar Tony nominations
    3. Andrew helps the Dutch find their Evita
    4. The 2006 revival of Evita
  6. Jesus Christ Superstar
    1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years
    2. Jesus Christ Superstar to tour Australia
    3. Jesus Christ Superstar UK Arena Tour 2013
    4. Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE Arena Tour DVD/Blu-Ray released!
    5. Andrew joins the cast on stage at the M.E.N. [Photos]
    6. Stars turn out for opening weekend of Jesus Christ Superstar
    7. Fourth London show added to Arena Tour!
    8. Watch the official trailer for ITV’s Superstar
    9. First O2 show sold out! Second date added
    10. Superstar – Live Show Announcement
    11. Jesus Christ Superstar UK Arena Tour
    12. Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar Tony nominations
    13. Andrew announces casting panel for ITV1 Superstar
    14. ITV1 and Andrew Lloyd Webber today announce ‘Superstar’
    15. Jesus Christ Superstar celebrates 40 years!
    16. Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway
    17. Jesus Christ Superstar to move to La Jolla Playhouse
    18. Andrew and Tim Rice appear on The Culture Show
    19. The 25th Anniversary production of Jesus Christ Superstar
    20. Jesus Christ Superstar Opens in London
  7. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
    1. Joseph voted Best Musical Revival
    2. Lee Mead’s final performance as Joseph in the West End
    3. Joseph is still amazing audiences 40 years on
    4. Supporting Children in Need
    5. ‘Any Dream Will Do’ reaches number one in the UK singles chart
    6. The London Palladium revival of Joseph
  8. Love Never Dies
    1. Love Never Dies number 1 in mid-week charts
    2. Love Never Dies released in the UK
    3. Love Never Dies US Movie Release
    4. Andrew attends Love Never Dies final performance at The Adelphi
    5. Love Never Dies receives 10 Helpmann Award nominations
    6. Andrew attends Love Never Dies premiere in Melbourne
    7. Love Never Dies’ Leading Men win Whatsonstage.com Awards
    8. Love Never Dies Australian premiere announced
    9. Love Never Dies album number one across key retailers in China
    10. Andrew and Katherine Jenkins on Dancing On Ice
    11. Andrew Lloyd Webber to appear on Weekend Wogan this Sunday
    12. ‘Love Never Dies’ premieres at The South Bank Show Awards
    13. Love Never Dies World Exclusive for The South Bank Show Awards
    14. Love Never Dies global launch
  9. Song and Dance
    1. Song and Dance Opens
  10. Starlight Express
    1. Starlight Express celebrates 20 years of productions in Bochum, Germany
    2. Starlight Express opens
  11. Stephen ward
    1. Pre-order “Theme from Stephen Ward”
  12. Sunset Boulevard
    1. Sunset Boulevard opens in LA
  13. Tell Me on a Sunday
    1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years
    2. Tell Me on a Sunday national tour, starring Claire Sweeney
    3. Tell Me on a Sunday West End revival
  14. The Beautiful Game
    1. Andrew and Ben Elton in Toronto
    2. The Boys in the Photograph opens in Canada
    3. Andrew and Ben visit Liverpool
    4. The Beautiful Game opens
  15. The Likes of Us
  16. The Phantom of the Opera
    1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years
    2. Phantom to tour North America
    3. Andrew at The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary
    4. The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall
    5. Phantom celebrates 10,000 performances in the West End
    6. 9,000 performances of Phantom on Broadway
    7. The Phantom of the Opera goes digital!
    8. The opening of The Phantom of the Opera
  17. The Sound of Music
    1. Andrew attends The Sound of Music in Norwich
    2. Backstage with Connie Fisher
    3. Problem Solved, Elicia Mackenzie is Canada’s Maria
    4. Andrew appears in Hollyoaks
    5. How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? nominated for Emmy Award
    6. Canada to be the next nation to Solve a Problem Like Maria…
    7. The Sound of Music opens at the London Palladium
  18. The Wizard of Oz
    1. Danielle Wade wins CBC’s Over The Rainbow
    2. Wizard of Oz nominated in 2012 Olivier Awards
    3. There’s NOSE place like home
    4. Royal Variety Performance broadcast
    5. Andrew Lloyd Webber to greet the Royal Party at this year’s Royal Variety Performance
    6. Over The Rainbow…Where Are They Now?
    7. We’re off to see the Wizard – and it’s Michael Crawford!
    8. Andrew visits Cardiff for a special announcement about Sophie Evans
    9. Oz Blog: The winner is revealed
    10. The last Dorothy mission….
    11. Oz Blog: The Final Countdown
    12. Danielle you are Dorothy… and here comes Dangerous Dave as Toto!
    13. Danielle, Lauren and Sophie have a go at Polo!
    14. The winning Dorothy to release charity single
    15. Sierra meets the Dorothys!
    16. Oz: Blog: Andrew makes his final choice and the final three are revealed
    17. Oz Blog: The Fantastic Four
    18. Andrew meets Bobby…
    19. Oz Blog: The second sing-off
    20. Oz Blog: A Dorothy Cull…
    21. We’re off to see The Wizard of Oz!
    22. From Nancy to Dorothy: A message from Sam and Niamh
    23. Oz Blog: An Emotional Goodbye
    24. Oz Blog: An audience with the Lord
    25. Andrew and the Dorothys get ready for their close up…
    26. An Over the Rainbow update from Andrew
    27. Andrew gets ready for next week’s Over The Rainbow
    28. It’s Toto time for Andrew…
    29. Oz Blog: Standing ovations as we say another goodbye
    30. Oz Blog: A chorus of Angels…
    31. Oz Blog: Another sad goodbye…
    32. Behind the scenes at Over The Rainbow
    33. Oz Blog: Making a Song and Dance
    34. Oz Blog: It’s goodbye to another of our Dorothies…
    35. Oz Blog: A Class Act
    36. Oz Blog: The first Dorothy flies over the rainbow
    37. Oz Blog: The first live show… and the public get to choose
    38. Oz Blog: 20 become 10…
    39. Oz Blog: Over The Rainbow kicks off with weekend special
    40. BBC ONE Follows the Yellow Brick Road, Over the Rainbow
    41. Andrew in Manchester
    42. Andrew begins his search for Dorothy
    43. Could you be Dorothy?
  19. The Woman in White
    1. The Woman in White opens
  20. Whistle Down the Wind
    1. Boyzone reach number one with ‘No Matter What’
    2. Whistle Down The Wind opens in the West End
Oz Blog: The winner is revealed...

24th, May, 2010

Oz Blog: The winner is revealed

Read our Oz Blog on Saturday’s first live show here.

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.

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