Andrew Lloyd Webber Withdraws From BBC's 'OZ' Reality Show, Program Cancelled

The Sun newspaper has reported that the planned UK reality show to find a "Dorothy" for the upcoming West End stage production of 'The Wizard of Oz' has been cancelled by the BBC after Andrew Lloyd Webber withdrew.

The BBC reality show would have followed the past hits How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? and I'd Do Anything in finding cast members for West End musicals, with Lee Mead, Connie Fisher and Jodie Prenger all gaining fame through the programs.

The reports indicate that Lord Lloyd Webber was concerned about the timing in relation to his upcoming production of The Phantom of the Opera sequel, LOVE NEVER DIES. The musical impresario pulled out of the planned talent contest because was afraid he would be accused of trying to seek publicity for the 'Phantom' follow up.

"We will not be finding Dorothy through a BBC reality show - we've pulled it," Lloyd Webber's business partner André Ptaszynski told the Sun newspaper, adding, "We spoke with BBC director general Mark Thompson and we agreed to pull it." Ptaszynski confirmed to the paper that the composer hoped to judge another musical reality show in 2011. To read the full article click here.

The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical-fantasy film mainly directed by Victor Fleming and based on the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. The film stars Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, and Frank Morgan, with Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin, Clara Blandick, and the Singer Midgets as the Munchkins. The source material also features in current worldwide hit WICKED.

Andrew Lloyd Webber is The composer of The Likes of Us, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, By Jeeves, Evita, Variations and Tell Me on a Sunday combined as Song & Dance, Cats, Starlight Express, The Phantom of The Opera, Aspects of Love, Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down The Wind, The Beautiful Game and The Woman in White. He composed The film scores of Gumshoe and The Odessa File, and Requiem, a setting of The Latin Requiem Mass, for which he won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Composition. He has also produced in The West End and on Broadway, not only his own work, but The Olivier Award-winning plays La Bête and Daisy Pulls It Off. In 2004 he produced The film version of The Phantom of The Opera. In 2006 he oversaw a new London production of Evita, Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular and pioneered television casting for musical Theater with The hit BBC series "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?" which won an International Emmy. He followed this with The equally successful series "Any Dream Will Do." His awards include seven Tonys®, three Grammys, six Oliviers, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, an International Emmy, The Praemium Imperiale and The Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre. He was knighted in 1992 and created an honorary life peer in 1997. He's a 2006 Kennedy Center Honoree. He is currently working on the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, 'LOVE NEVER DIES', which is set for release in 2010.

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