It would appear that Andrew Lloyd Webber IS going to press ahead with his Wizard Of Oz show, despite initially changing his mind (a few times) due to commitments with ‘Love Never Dies’.

Very bad decision in my opinion and, despite my enormous adulation for musical theatre, I really think this will be a turkey. We already have Wicked in the West End, so why would we need The Wizard of Oz?!

The talent search doesn’t even have an imaginative show name FFS!

Additionally, isn’t it about time we looked for more male leads as we’ve already done ladies twice before now?

No doubt the show will be even more packed with gay innuendo (and not just from Graham Norton!)… they’ve clearly just gone, oooh ‘Nancy’ got a few laughs, let’s go the whole hog.

He should stick to what he knows best, his OWN musicals – many of which I’d love to see come back, not least Jesus Christ Superstar (especially with one of the more well known Jesus’ –  Glenn Carter – currently in Jersey Boys, the West End would really benefit), Aspects of Love or a proper production of  Sunset Boulevard (casting for Norma Desmond or Joe Gillis would be awesome!).

Boo.

Lord Lloyd-Webber to find Dorothy

Lord Lloyd-Webber’s latest Saturday night talent show will search for a girl to play Dorothy and a dog to play Toto in The Wizard Of Oz, the BBC says.

Winners of the programme will star in a West End production of the musical.

It follows BBC One’s I’d Do Anything, Any Dream Will Do and How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? which also found musical stars.

The new programme, also called The Wizard Of Oz, will again be presented by Graham Norton.

Lord Lloyd-Webber, 61, said the previous talent shows he had made with the BBC had “provided an incredible shot in the arm for musical theatre in Britain”.

I can’t wait to work with the BBC again in the hunt for Dorothy – an iconic role of course made famous by a young Judy Garland in the film in 1939,” he added.

“But, as a cat man myself, however, I approach casting Toto with considerable trepidation.”

The search for Dorothy will begin with auditions across the UK in early 2010 with the programme airing later in the year.

Lord Lloyd-Webber’s fellow judges have yet to be announced.