Sheila Hancock News

Denise Van Outen, who was originally scheduled to be a part of the judging panel for Andrew Lloyd Webber's BBC show 'Over The Rainbow', but was reportedly dropped for being pregnant and replaced with Charlotte Church, sits down with Lydia Slater of The Daily Mail to discuss her disappointment of being let go of the project, and what her current plans entails.

As BBC One's series 'Over The Rainbow' begins its search for a 'Dorothy' to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End production of 'The Wizard of Oz', the Telegraph profiles the 20 contestants who are hoping they will be selected to fill the ruby slippers.

In the midst of filming his new BBC reality show, Over The Rainbow, in which he searches for the perfect 'Dorothy' for the upcoming West End production of The Wizard of Oz, Andrew Lloyd Webber reflects on the positive impact television reality specials have had on live theater, and how the small screen has helped him reach new fans.

This Friday BBC1 kicks off the search to find a Dorothy for Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Wizard Of Oz. Graham Norton is set to host the show titled 'Over The Rainbow', which is set to begin March 26th at 9pm and continues on March 27th at 6:30pm.

A memorial for Edward Woodward, who died aged 79, will be held in London at The Theatre Royal Haymarket, on Thursday, March 25th. He passed away on November 16, 2009.

Video highlights of the 2010 Olivier Awards!

All the news from the Grosvenor as UK theatre's most prestigious gongs are given out...Mark Rylance and Rachel Weisz win actor/actress, Iwan Rheon, Samantha Spiro and Aneurin Barnard win the musical awards, with Wicked picking up the brand-new audience award and Spring Awakening getting the nod for best new musical

The Olivier Awards take place on Sunday evening - and you can follow all the news here!

Following the success of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, Any Dream Will Do and I'd Do Anything, Over The Rainbow reunites host Graham Norton and Andrew Lloyd Webber, who, along with a brand new panel of experts (Sheila Hancock, Charlotte Church and John Partridge) and BBC One viewers, will choose a Dorothy to perform in the West End production of The Wizard Of Oz next year.

A memorial for Edward Woodward, who died aged 79, will be held in London at The Theatre Royal Haymarket, on Thursday, March 25th. He passed away on November 16, 2009.

Miriam Zendle takes a look at Jodie Prenger's busy diary, raps those who moan about ticket prices and worries about Hair

The 2010 Olivier Awards will take place on 21 March 2010 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, with Spring Awakening, Enron, Jerusalem and A Little Night Music among the standouts of the season with the most nominations. The Laurence Olivier Awards were established in 1976 as The Society of West End Theatre Awards, and Lord Olivier agreed to have his name associated with them in 1984. The Awards are run by The Society of London Theatre but are adjudicated by panels that are equally made up of members of the theatregoing public and experts chosen for their knowledge and professional experience. For more information and updates, visit www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/olivier_awards.

The upcoming reality television show, 'Over the Rainbow,' which will feature a competition to earn the role as of Dorothy in the upcoming West End production of The Wizard of Oz, will feature a judging panel consisting of Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Partridge, Charlotte Church, and Sheila Hancock. The show will be hosted by British star Graham Norton.

The next Olivier Awards will take place on 21 March 2010.

This week, we are taking a trip to the West End, analyzing the cast recordings of the two biggest new musical hits on the boards, both based on successful and very music-centric films, SISTER ACT and PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT, and both showcasing songs in a seriously 70s soul/funk/disco style. We will go from the soaring sonorous heights of Heaven to the dungeon-like depths of musical Hell with these two entries...

Whoopi Goldberg confirmed yesterday on the Joy Behar show that she will be brining Sister Act, now playing at The London Palladium in the West End, to Broadway in 2011.

SISTER ACT has broken the record for the highest-grossing single musical performance at The London Palladium. The show beat the previous record which was held by The Sound of Music.

At a star-studded nominations party held today (4th December) at London's Café de Paris, the shortlist reveals that popular British screen stars, including Jude Law, Lenny Henry, Helen Mirren, Rachel Weisz, Alison Steadman, Dominic West, Mackenzie Crook and Patrick Stewart, will all battle it out for acting gongs.

WhatsOnStage reports that the musical version of screen comedy SISTER ACT has extended its schedule by ten months.

London's Deloris and Reverend Mother will be at Dress Circle this Saturday signing copies of the new OCR