As mentioned in the
BBC Entertainment April highlights, the new reality series Any Dream Will Do premieres on the channel this Sunday, 19 April 2009 at 19h30.
Here's more about what we can expect, including news about the format and fast fact trivia ...
The formatHost Graham Norton and musical composer and producer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber go on a nationwide talent search (lasting 10 episodes) to find a male lead for a production of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
The winner will perform as the lead on London’s West End.
Joining Andrew Lloyd Webber on the judging panel are TV presenter and West End leading lady Denise Van Outen, Torchwood star John Barrowman, theatre producer Bill Kenwright, and voice coach Zoe Tyler.
The premiere episodes
The first two episodes of the show cover: the auditions across the UK, the callbacks, Joseph School and a special Live Performance - which ends with the selection of the Final 12.
A teaser of the first two episodes:
The auditionsHopefuls audition across the UK and the judges whittle down the best in a series of call backs.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's point of view on what he's looking for: completely raw talent that he can turn into a superstar.
In his words: "There have been some great Josephs, but there hasn't been an 'iconic' Joseph. The audience have their favourites but I'm looking for someone with star quality, real charisma, to hold the show in what is a really complex character.
"There hasn't been a male rock superstar cast in a role for some time and that's what I'm looking for - somebody like Justin Timberlake."
Doctors, builders, students, fathers, civil servants and farmers are among those who audition.
"The contest is very, very open," says Andrew. "I want as diverse a mix on stage as possible. Because so many people have sung Joseph at school, everybody will have an opinion on who they think makes a great Joseph, which makes the competition, very, very exciting."
At the auditions, the boys are asked to perform two contrasting songs in front of a leading casting agent to show off their vocal range.
The London call backs 100 boys go through to the London call backs and have to prove themselves in front of the judges who test the boys on both their musical theatre and pop ability before choosing a final 50.
Joseph SchoolThe 50 enter Joseph School, where a team of coaches teach them vocals, acting and choreography.
The school's workshops also include celebrity mentors such as Jason Donovan who give their support and advice on what it takes to make it as a Joseph. The panel also give the boys nightly progress reports and overnight homework tasks.
Andrew Lloyd Webber is on hand to drop a few bombshells as he realises that turning a completely untrained voice into one that can handle eight shows a week is again going to be harder than he thought.
"The character of Joseph is very difficult to cast," says Andrew. "He has to be nauseatingly gorgeous so you understand why the brothers throw him in the pit and we have to be convinced of the journey he goes on and the value of forgiveness."
The live performanceAndrew invites the 50 finalists to his castle in Ireland to perform for his friends, family and local people.
After this performance the judges choose a final 12 and hand over to the UK audience who vote for their favourite over eight shows.
Joseph fast facts
- It's estimated that Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has been performed in nearly 20,000 schools or local theatres, involving over 700,000 performers of all ages, with audiences in excess of nine million people.
- Any Dream Will Do was voted the Broadway Song of the Year in 1981 and awarded an Ivor Novello Award in 1991.
- The show has been the subject of at least 12 different cast albums in its history.
- It's been performed in 13 different countries - over 80 cities in the US.
- The 1991 production at the London Palladium ran for a total of two and a half years, attracting a total audience of over two million people.
- There are nearly 500 school or amateur productions in the UK each year.
- There was a film version of the London Palladium production, starring Donny Osmond, Joan Collins and Richard Attenborough, in 1999.
- A "singalonga" version of the show was launched in 2001, using the 1999 film, which continues to tour the UK.
- The show was first performed at the Colette Court School in 1968.
- Past Josephs have included Jason Donovan (June 1991-May 1992 & October 1993-January 1994), Philip Schofield (December 1993-June 1996, January-February 1992 & May 1992-October 1993), Darren Day (1993, 2003 in the West End and on tour in 2004) and Stephen Gately (December 2002-September 2003).
- The reality show was the inspiration for the South African show High School Musical.