Russell Grant as The Wizard

This week is your very LAST CHANCE to see the one and only Russell Grant as The Wizard…

Having captured the public’s heart on the 2011 BBC series of Strictly Come Dancing, Britain’s best-loved astrologer joined the cast of The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium in February.

After a limited 12-week season, this weekend sees Russell wave goodbye to the yellow brick road, after playing his final performance as The Wizard on Sunday 20th May.

Join Russell and the rest of the Oz cast at the London Palladium this week – click here to get your tickets.

Please note, Russell will not be appearing on the following dates: Wednesday 16th May (evening performance), Thursday 17th May, Friday 18th May.

Des O’Connor will play the role of The Wizard from 22nd May 2012.

The Wizard of Oz opened at the London Palladium in February 2011. Get your tickets to see the show here.

Photo credit: Richard Jones.

DES O’CONNOR IS…..THE WIZARD!

Des O'Connor as The Wizard

Following a staggering 1,200+ solo appearances at the London Palladium, DES O’CONNOR is set to star at the world renowned venue for the very first time in a stage musical.

Star of stage, screen, and music, Des was awarded the CBE in 2008 for his services to entertainment and broadcasting and is widely regarded as one of the UK’s best loved and most respected stars.

FROM TUESDAY 22 MAY FOR THE SHOW’S FINAL SEASON…

He will take over the iconic role of THE WIZARD in ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’s reimagining of THE WIZARD OF OZ, presented by Bill Kenwright and The Really Useful Group, from TUESDAY 22 MAY and play the show’s final season.

Since Des’ first TV appearance in 1963 he has starred in his own shows for over 45 years – longer than anyone else anywhere in the world. His most recent titles include the Des O’Connor Tonight Specials, the award-winning ITV talk show Today with Des and Mel and his interview last year on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, which was the highest-rated of the series. He has just enjoyed a special 80th birthday TV show on ITV, a celebration enjoyed by millions.

He is also a hugely successful music and recording artist, having produced no less than 36 albums, selling over 16 million copies to date, and spending a staggering 117 weeks in the top ten of the charts. On stage, Des has appeared at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, The Sydney Opera House and over 1,000 times at the London Palladium, with his starring role in Oz returning him to a theatre with which he is synonymous.

Des will star alongside SOPHIE EVANS, runner up in BBC’s ‘Over the Rainbow’, who despite just missing out on the top spot, charmed the millions who tuned in to watch her, ensuring they would never forget the red-headed girl from Wales. And in addition to the eponymous role, Des will also play the character of Professor Marvel, for whom a new song has been specially written, ‘The Wonders of the World’. This is one of several brand new songs by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER and TIM RICE.

Alongside Des and Sophie are EDWARD BAKER-DULY (Tin Man), MARTIN CALLAGHAN (Lion), PAUL KEATING (Scarecrow), EMILY TIERNEY (Glinda) and MARIANNE BENEDICT (The Wicked Witch of the West).

The Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum is directed by Jeremy Sams, choreographed by Arlene Phillips, music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E Y Harburg, with additional music and lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, set and costumes designs by Robert Jones, and produced by Bill Kenwright and The Really Useful Group.

Tickets are available from The London Palladium Box Office on 0844 412 2957 or online here.

Just two weeks ago, The Wizard of Oz won two awards in the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoer’s Choice Awards,  including a win in the Best Musical Revival category.

The Laurence Olivier Awards are the most prestigious awards in London’s Theatreland, having been a mark of theatrical greatness since they were inaugurated in 1976 as the Society of West End Theatre Awards (now called the Laurence Olivier Awards in honour of the theatrical legend.)

Today’s nominations were revealed by 2011 Olivier winners Nancy Carroll and Roger Allam in an event that was streamed live via the Olivier Awards website. The winners will be announced at the official Awards ceremony, held at the Royal Opera House on 15th April. Theatregoers can also watch the ceremony live on the BBC Red Button, listen to coverage of the Awards on BBC Radio 2, or attend the Covent Garden Piazza event where the public can enjoy performances from some of London favourite shows and watch all the action unfold live on a big screen relay.

Visit the Olivier Awards website for more, including the full list of 2012 nominees and the latest information on how you can watch the awards ceremony on 15th April.

To get your tickets to see Sophie and Russell in action, click here.

Our three teams of children play the munchkins on rotation throughout the week – and here they all are!

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Bill Kenwright accepts the Best Musical Revival Award. Photo: Dan Wooller.

Last night, Sunday 19th February, at a glittering awards ceremony in London’s West End, The Wizard of Oz was voted Best Musical Revival in the Whatsonstage.com 2012 Awards.

Our former Wicked Witch Hannah Waddingham also scooped the Best Supporting Actress in a Musical prize before performing ‘Red Shoes Blues’ onstage at the Awards concert, held at The Prince of Wales Theatre.

The Whatsonstage.com Awards – hosted this year by former winner Sheridan Smith and comedians Alan Davies and Jenny Eclair – are the only major prize-giving event for the theatre industry voted for purely by the ticket-buying public and this year a record 70,000 people took part in the voting process.

Click here for the full list of winners.

In our latest video blog Martin fills us in on his background and how rehearsals are going…

Click here to get your tickets to see Martin and the rest of the new Wizard of Oz cast in action.

The new cast members take to the stage next week, joining our continuing Oz cast from Tuesday 7th February. Get your tickets to see them in action by clicking here – and watch out for more video clips featuring our wonderful Wizard of Oz cast!