Oz Blog: An Emotional Goodbye

Read our Oz Blog on Saturday’s show here.

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

AndrewLloydWebber.com

Oz Blog: An Emotional Goodbye