Well, that wraps up the performances for CBC TV's Over the Rainbow! The final three Dorothys battled it out for the chance to star inThe Wizard of Oz at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, beginning in December, and now I don't know who should win — the magnetic Danielle, the dynamic AJ, the ethereal Stephanie?
The judges weren't much help this week, with all of them just gushing endless praise all over each of the girls. The judges, as you probably know by now, are Canada's "first lady of musical theatre," Louise Pitre, dashingly handsome actor Thom Allison and director and choreographer Arlene Phillips. Also, Andrew Lloyd Webber, a.k.a. the Great and Powerful, was in the house to offer his two cents on the performances.
The show began with a group medley of classic Wizard of Oz songs and ended with one of the new numbers written for the upcoming production, "Home is A Place in Your Heart."
Let's take a look at the evening's highlights and see who blew them away and who (to put it bluntly) got shafted on song choice.
"Oh my" moments:
Over the Rainbow Performance: Though AJ has consistently been a lead contender, she hasn't always been my favourite, thanks to her over-the-topness (it's a very technical theatre term, OK?). But her performance of "Memory" from Cats was outstanding. Except for one thing: while her tendency in the past has been to overdo everything, this time her arms hung dead at her sides for almost the entire song. Weird. Maybe someone needed to sew pockets into the dress.
As Sir Andrew pointed out, the song is written for a very old, past-her-prime kitty looking at the end of her life. And he said AJ's performance was "fabulous."
Did I say Over the Rainbow performance? I meant Over the Rainbow performance: Apparently continuing on a theme, Danielle got a song written for a faded silent film star, "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard. Admittedly, she knocked it out of the park. I complain that the judges are always effusing all over her, but they do have reason. Her voice was like a bell and I have to concede that she's the most convincing performer. Still, I'm going to say one last time that she seems too old to play Dorothy. Someone should snatch her up and cast her in something else.
Sir Andrew said the song was the "toughest" a girl of her age could have been asked to do and that she was "extraordinary."
Someone doesn't want this girl to get a spot in the balloon: I've been Stephanie's biggest champion in recent weeks, but her final effort was disappointing. I think we can blame whoever chose the song "I Believe My Heart" from The Woman in White. It's repetitive and doesn't have any great builds or power notes, so, while Stephanie's voice was lovely as ever there was no opportunity to really shine. Also, maybe it's because she's now up against two such huge personalities but her presence seemed just a bit lacklustre in comparison.
Sir Andrew, who is much more familiar with the song, felt quite differently and said she sang with a "fidelity and a truth that actually made me cry."
And your little dog, too: This week saw the honourary Toto finally named. From the three dog finalists, Daniel, Riker and Linzy, Linzy emerged the winner. I can't help but feel there might have been a bit of breed bias here, since Linzy is a terrier, while Riker is a German shepherd and Daniel a poodle — but I don't want to accuse anyone of anything.
Who is Dorothy? Reading most of the Twitter comments leads me to believe Danielle will be the one to don the ruby slippers. But Canada can be unpredictable. It's been a great trip. Tune in to CBC TV tonight at 8 p.m. and find out how it ends!
Update: Aaaaaaaand the winner is Danielle! I bet absolutely nobody is shocked by this. Again, it's been a great trip down the Yellow Brick Road with you all!
Related:
Recap the Rainbow: Over the Rainbow episode 7
Recap the Rainbow: Over the Rainbow episode 6
Recap the Rainbow: Over the Rainbow episode 5
Recap the Rainbow: Over the Rainbow episode 4
Recap the Rainbow: Over the Rainbow episode 3
Recap the Rainbow: Over the Rainbow episode 2
Why is 'Over the Rainbow' great? Sam Roberts, Jill Barber, Susie Arioli and others weigh in
Rainbow Battle: CBC R2 Shift's 'Over the Rainbow' cover competition