Posts tagged West End

There have been a few more snippets from Danielle Hope interviews in the news recently, and some are mashed up together here on the Danielle Hope blog for you.

First a little factoid that’s hardy surprising: like so many others, Danielle first caught the acting bug when she starred in a school production of Grease

Catching up on the situation since coming first out of thousands of hopefuls on Over The Rainbow, Andrew Lord Webber told Danielle during last Saturday’s final, it’s now that the hard work begins, with months of training ahead of her ready for the show’s opening night at the London Palladium next year and the recording of an album of the show’s tunes. In anticipation of the album, Danielle had to immediately record “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” for the charity single, like the very next day.

About the prospect of leading “The Wizard of Oz” Danielle herself said:

This show has never been made as a stage musical before and Andrew has been writing a lot of new music

On her future and immediate plane, Danielle says she plans to undertake formal training in musical theatre following her stint in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of The Wizard of Oz. having been in the process of auditioning for drama schools prior to becoming a finalist in Over The Rainbow.

Danielle Hope interview

For me, there is nothing I want more than to get my degree in musical theatre – that is something that is important to me, and I think it’s important for the industry too. I don’t think you can ever have enough training and it makes you really employable. Also, with training, it means you have been through the same experience as all the performers in the West End

She had been forced to pull out of her A level in dance after not being available for group assessments, but would still be able to complete her theatre studies exams next month and had already secured a distinction for her BTEC in musical theatre – well done Danielle!

The former Highfield Primary schoolgirl will now head to London but insists she will return home to sit her final A-level in drama.

Before taking up the role of Dorothy, Danielle will be seeking classes in dance and vocal technique, in order to learn “how to use my voice properly”.

She also expressed a desire to take up a role in another show prior to starring in The Wizard of Oz next year, which will run at the London Palladium, in order to experience the lifestyle while working in the West End. When Jodie Prenger won the BBC’s search for a Nancy to star in Oliver! she was placed into the cast of Les Miserables first, in order to prepare her for the role she had won.

I don’t know what’s in store, but that would be really good, as obviously you get some idea, before becoming a leading lady, of what being in a show eight times a week is going to be like and the demands it has. I think Jodie really benefited from that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnwgetkyFmI

Danielle won the public vote to beat finalists Sophie Evans and Lauren Samuels after being whittled down from 9,000 girls who originally applied for the coveted role.

“It’s been a bit crazy. It’s like a whirlwind,” Danielle told the Guardian yesterday.

The experience has been completely life-changing. It doesn’t seem real. After every interview it sinks in a little bit more but it’s so bizarre.

The newly turned 18-year-old also admitted that she had previously been sceptical about shows on television being used to cast theatre productions, but said she hoped other performers now saw the BBC1 programmes as a legitimate casting process. She said Dorothy might not necessarily have been cast using someone out of drama school, because the role requires someone who is, “youthful and quite possibly inexperienced”, and added that the shows do the West End “a world of good”.

“It brings in a whole new audience and sells a lot of tickets,” she said.

Danielle Hope