Somewhere Over The Rainbow... lies a Dorothy: The final 20 contestants unveiledA glamour model, a mother of twins and an Irish dancing champion are among the final 20 potential Dorothys selected for TV talent show Over The Rainbow.
The 20 were selected by judges Sheila Hancock, Charlotte Church and John Partridge to compete for the chance to play Judy Garland's iconic character in a new West End production of The Wizard Of Oz.
Over 9,000 wannabe stars auditioned in Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff, Manchester and London in January, before they were whittled down again to 54 to become the first to audition at 'Dorothy Farm'.
On the hunt for a new West End star: Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber at the Glasgow auditions at Hampden Park in January 
Dreams: The contestants hope to become the next DorothyOn Saturday's show, 20 will become ten as all contestants participate in a studio-based 'sing off' judged by the panel and Andrew Lloyd Webber - who will be giving his opinion on the women for the first time.
The final ten will then be whittled down further over the coming weeks during live studio shows, with viewers being given the chance to vote for their favourite.
Lord Webber said: 'I would like to bring something new to The Wizard Of Oz. I'm searching for a modern Dorothy, who can take the role much further, and continue to appeal to a wide audience.
'The film worked fantastically but we need some new songs for the stage show in addition to the much-loved originals from the movie. Over The Rainbow is of course one of the greatest songs ever written.'
While most of the 20 are unrecognisable to the public just now, bubbly blonde Amy Diamond is well known to young males due to her glamour model background.
Aware of this, EastEnders star Partridge admitted he had some concerns she may be too 'commercial' given her modelling career.
Another recognisable face to reality TV fans will be Welsh bank worker Claire Hillier from Bridgend, Wales.
Hillier was a finalist in the 2005 series of Britain's Next Top Model and also reached the final 50 of X Factor predecessor Popstars in 2000.
Follow the yellow brick road: The judging panel Shield Hancock, Charlotte Church and John PartridgeThe final 20 Dorothys are...
BRONTE BARBEAge: 18Home Town: Cheshire
Bronte volunteers as an Assistant Drama Teacher at her old drama school and last summer landed the lead role in the Youth Music Theatre’s UK production of A Winter's Tale.
The small-town girl, who lives with her mum and sister, describes herself as 'small, over-excited, wacky, a perfectionist, determined, hardworking, loyal, honest and friendly'.
She can speak fluent Welsh and has a Grade 8 Group Musical Theatre with Distinction.
TASHEKA COEAge: 28Home Town: West Midlands
Mother of 21-month-old twins, Tasheka lives with her husband, parents and three siblings.
She inherited her singing voice from her father, whose reggae band used to tour Europe.
At 19, she sang in girl band Mosaic, which came close to signing a record deal with RCA Records.
STEPHANIE DAVISAge: 17Home Town: Merseyside
Stephanie auditioned along with her cousin Gemma and both girls went through to the final 54. It was bittersweet for Stephanie when she was chosen for the final 20, but Gemma wasn't.
Stephanie started singing at the tender age of six and has already played several lead roles in productions of Annie, as Gretel in The Sound Of Music, Anna in Santa Claus The Musical, and Little Nell in Her Benny, all at the Liverpool Empire Theatre.
She has appeared on several TV shows
AMY DIAMONDAge: 22Home Town: Cheshire
Glamour girl Amy is well known to male fans, having posed in The Sun and Nuts magazine, among other publications.
She has been dating former Hollyoaks actor Chris Fountain for two years, who is supporting her Dorothy crusade on his Twitter page.
As well as a small role in TV drama Hustle, Amy has sung on tour in China, America and Canada.
JENNY DOUGLAS Age: 18Home Town: Scotland
Student Jenny is halfway through her first year of acting classes and her first year of vocal training at college, following the Estill Voice Training Programme.
She has always proved her stage credentials in the travelling Keith Jack Tour, and also attended the Scottish Theatre and Music School.
Singing is in her blood - her father once sang on stage with Stevie Wonder.
TEGAN EDWARDSAge: 17Home Town: Norfolk
Tegan started her stage career at an early age when she joined the school choir at the age of six.
She played an orphan in the Norfolk Youth Music Theatre production of Annie when she was eight and her roles have gone on to be bigger and better.
Tegan has managed to reach grade 8 in Musical Theatre singing.
SOPHIE EVANSAge: 17Home Town: Wales
The only redhead in the group, Sophie isn't a stage school student.
After a few singing lessons at school, she acquired some more techniques at the Joshua Foundation Show at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
Sophie made it through to the boot camp stage of The X Factor in 2008.
STEPH FEARONAge: 21Home Town: London
Fearon's talent was guaranteed with her famous parents. Her mother was the frontwoman of Nineties dance band Baby D - famous for their classic anthem Let Me Be Your Fantasy.
Her father was also in Eighties band Galaxy.
Fearon has also starred on the small screen in Channel 4's teen drama As If, CITV's My Parent's Are Aliens, and Casualty.
EMILIE FLEMINGAge: 19Home Town: Tyne & Wear
Geordie teen Emilie has already performed for the Queen when she sang at the Official Opening of The Sage at Gateshead.
When she was 14, she got a small taste of the West End when she sang in the chorus of the 20th anniversary production of Les Miserables.
Emilie has successfully taken Grade 5 Music Theory, Grade 8 Musical Theatre and Grade 8 Classical Singing, and most recently received a Music Theatre Diploma ALCM
CLAIRE HARBOURNEAge: 18Home Town: Lancashire
Claire started singing at a young age and started lessons at 11.
She's been classically trained and has passed both LCM Musical Theatre Grade 8 and ABRSM Singing Grade 7 with distinction.
She is currently studying her A2 levels in Latin, English Literature and History.
CLAIRE HILLIERAge: 25Home Town: Wales
At 25, Claire is one of the oldest in the competition and fears if she doesn't make it soon, she never will.
Hailing from Wales, Claire currently works in a bank and lives with her husband Phil in London.
She's already tried her hand at fame in Britain's Next Top Model in 2005 and reached the final 50 stage of Popstars in 2000.
She also auditioned for The X Factor in 2006.
Clearly something a bit different from the long-haired Dorothys with her platinum blonde crop, Claire hopes her 'quirkiness' and being 'a little bit strange' sets her apart from the other Dorothys.
KATIE HONANAge: 19Home Town: Republic of Ireland
Katie started singing at 12 and landed a role in Bugsy Malone a year later.
Theatre is a huge part of her family's life - her parents and one of her siblings all work with the stage as directors, stage managers and production managers.
Katie believes she can bring a 'truthful innocence' to the role of Dorothy, as she feels she shares both her strong sense of home and her curiosity of life out in the big wide world.
DANIELLE HOPEAge: 17 (18 in April)Home Town: Greater Manchester
A full-time student, Danielle recently quit her part-time job as a waitress to focus on her studies.
She's already performed in front of large audiences - having danced at local dance festivals, including BBC African Dance Project at Bridgewater Hall, and the Dance House Annual Cheshire Platform.
An avid dancer, she takes classes at least six times a week
CAMILLE MESNARDAge: 21Home town: Marseille (now in Merseyside)
French Camille moved to England three years ago to enrol at a musical theatre college in Liverpool.
Not scared of knuckling down, she has worked in McDonald's and as a French tutor to fund her studies.
She hopes her Dorothy would be 'bubbly, adventurous but also focused and serious. She would also be clever… full of energy and joy'.
SARAH MIDDLETONAge: 21Home Town: East Midlands
Another Dorothy from a musical family - her mum teaches the recorder and teaches singing at their local theatre school, her brother plays the violin at weddings and parties as part of a string quartet, her aunt has performed as a concert pianist and her grandma was a member of their local church choir.
She is currently in her 2nd year of acting training at BSA, and she has also trained with Youth Music Theatre and the National Youth Theatre.
Her biggest role to date is playing Perdita in A Winters Tale with a Shakespeare company based in Derby.
PHILIPPA O'HARAAge: 23Home Town: Belfast
Philippa auditioned with her sister Jolene, who didn't get through the first round.
After receiving a drama degree following a two year Performing Arts course at BIFHE and a year at Queen's University in Belfast, she is now taking Musical Theatre lessons with Ashley Fulton.
She participated in two talent contests in her native Belfast - The F Factor and The U Factor for the Sunday World and Michael Magill Entertainment.
DANI RAYNERAge: 16Home Town: Cheshire
The youngest Dorothy, Dani has already performed to 2,000 at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester when she sang On My Own from Les Miserables.
She has already played Dorothy on stage before in a professional local production in Chester, as well as Eponine in Les Miserables, Penny in Hairspray and Anne in the Diary of Anne Frank.
In 2007, she won a local radio competition and was named Cheshire's Next Singing Sensation.
JESSICA ROBINSONAge: 18Home Town: Middlesbrough
Jessica started early and has been having singing lessons since the age of six.
She was part of the Middlesbrough Youth Theatre company from a young age, and they put on many musical productions which gave Jessica an interest in performing.
In 2008 she was a finalist at the 'Miss Dance' competition at Blackpool Winter Gardens.
LAUREN SAMUELSAge: 22Home Town: London
Lauren is somewhat of a medical miracle after being born with a condition meaning she had to wear two hearing aids. She stunned doctors at the age of 18, however, when her hearing came back to a normal capacity.
She started ballet classes at the age of two and singing lessons at 13.
EMMA WARRENAge: 20Home Town: Dublin
Emma is an Irish Dancing Queen, having started at the tender age of three.
The brunette is the Dublin Champion in Ireland, and is ranked 6th in the world.
She is currently studying music at the Dublin Institute of Technology.
• To find out which Dorothys make it to the next 10, watch Over The Rainbow on BBC1 at 18:30 on Saturday 27 March.
source: dailymail
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