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Wednesday 24 Sep 2014

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Over The Rainbow – you're not Dorothy

Jenny Douglas and Jessica Robinson's West End dreams are over as they become the sixth and seventh contestants to be eliminated from ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One's Over The Rainbow, in a double-elimination special across Saturday and Sunday night.

In yesterday’s live show, all six remaining Dorothy finalists performed solo renditions of musical theatre songs to show viewers that they have the singing skill and sheer charisma to carry one of the most challenging roles in musical theatre. Panellist Charlotte Church also gave her first solo performance in four years, performing an exclusive preview of the track The Actors, from the album she is currently recording.

After a public vote during the live Saturday night show, Jenny and Lauren were revealed to be the least popular Dorothys and Andrew Lloyd Webber decided to save Lauren, following the first sing-off of the weekend. So Jenny became the sixth Dorothy to leave the competition.

After performing their songs and receiving feedback from Andrew Lloyd Webber and the expert panel of Sheila Hancock, Charlotte Church and John Partridge, the Dorothys faced a nervous wait for viewers to cast their votes.

On Jenny's performance John said: "When you perform an up-tempo number, I love it. With slower songs, however, your emotion becomes a bit half-baked. Did it move me or touch me? No."

Charlotte disagreed with John, saying: "I disagree – there were moments of magic in it. Your voice sounded very 'classic' in places."

Sheila added: "That is a very difficult song, normally sung by an older actor. It should have much more humour in it, but you went for sad and stuck with that all the way through. It needed more colour."

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: "You actually did better than I thought you might, as that is a song about an older woman. Sondheim nearly called it 'send in the fools' as the woman is really a fool for falling in love. A really tough song for girl as young as you."

Before announcing who was in the bottom two, Graham Norton asked each panel member who wasn't Dorothy.

John said: "Sophie". Charlotte said: "Jenny" and Sheila said: "Sophie".

Jenny and Lauren gained the least amount of public votes, and had to sing a rendition of Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Then it was up to Andrew Lloyd Webber alone to choose which Dorothy should be saved for another performance. Andrew said: "Lauren".

On hearing the announcement, Jenny said, "It's really tough to go. Toughest thing is leaving my girlies – we've been on such an amazing journey together. We're definitely going to keep in touch. It's been brilliant. My life has just changed so much – I never thought in a million years Id be here today. Thank you all to everyone who has kept me in the competition for this long."

The remaining five hopefuls – Lauren Samuels, Danielle Hope, Jessica Robinson, Steph Fearon, and Sophie Evans – then went on to perform a Wizard Of Oz medley, before the close of the show, to keep their dream of becoming Dorothy alive.

In last night's (Sunday) show, the result of the public vote for the final five Dorothys was announced. Jessica and Danielle were revealed to be the least popular two, and they then performed a sing-off – Take That Look Off Your Face from Tell Me On A Sunday.

Ahead of the sing-off, Andrew Lloyd Webber said: "You're both terrific – it is going to be the most dreadful dilemma" and, following their performance, he decided to save Danielle.

He commented: "You are really, really terrific girls – we ask the public to think about everything you've done so far… there's no question you will go on to other things, but I am thinking about the role of Dorothy here, so I am going save Danielle. I say this with the heaviest heart in the entire world, Jessica you are so wonderful and quirky – you’re a real star in the making”. So Jessica became the fifth Dorothy to leave the competition.

On hearing the announcement, Jessica said, "I've had the best experience of my life so far. I've got the opportunity to go and train in September, and that's what I’m going to do. This has changed my life, it's changed my life as a performer and as a person. Im stronger than ever. I've loved it, and these girls… well, I can't wait to go and see one of them on stage."

In next week's semi-final, the remaining Dorothys (Steph, Lauren, Danielle and Sophie) perform once again for the nation to decide who should be Dorothy in the new West End production of Wizard Of Oz.

Notes to Editors

The telephone vote lines open for 15 minutes mid-way through the Saturday night live show, and viewers are invited to vote for their chosen Dorothy. Lines then close, results are verified and the two Dorothys with the least votes are announced, live, on Saturday's show.

Once a Dorothy has gone, there is a reminder of the remaining five Dorothy's performances, the phone lines are unfrozen, then the contestants perform a Wizard Of Oz medley before the Saturday show ends.

As the show ends, the phone lines are then un-frozen for a period of time, and viewers are invited to vote again. The two Dorothys with the least votes are announced on Sunday's show and, following a sing-off, Andrew Lloyd Webber again decides for another Dorothy to leave the competition, leaving four Dorothys to carry on into next week's (17 and 18 May) semi-final show.

Performance order:

Main show:
Saturday opening performance: Defying Gravity – from Wicked

Dorothy solo performances:
Danielle Hope – On My Own, Les Miserables
Jessica Robinson – Superfragillisticexpialidocious, from Mary Poppins
Steph Fearon – Somewhere, from West Side Story
Jenny Douglas – Send in the Clowns, from A Little Night Music
Sophie Evans – I Enjoy Being A Girl, from The Flower Drum Song
Lauren Samuels – Being Alive, Company
Mission Song – performed by all 6 remaining Dorothys:
Talk to the Animals – from Dr Dolittle

Sing-off performance (bottom two Dorothys):
Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel
Goodbye Song: We Thank You Sweetly/Over the Rainbow from The Wizard Of Oz
Remaining five Dorothys: A Wizard Of Oz Medley; Follow The Yellow Brick Road; Off To See The Wizard; It really Was No Miracle; Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead; Merry Old Land Of Oz; If I Only Had The Hear/Part

Results show – Sunday:
Opening performance: Defying Gravity – from Wicked
Mash Up – performed by all five remaining Dorothys: Matchmaker (Fiddler On The Roof)/Rich Girl (Gwen Stefani)/To Life (Fiddler On The Roof)/I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas)
Guest Performance: If My Friends Could See Me Now – Sweet Charity. Performed by Tamsin Outhwaite
Sing-off performance (bottom two Dorothys): Take That Look Off Your Face – Tell Me On A Sunday (song and dance)
Goodbye Song: We Thank You Sweetly/Over The Rainbow from The Wizard Of Oz

CS

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