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!

‘Strictly’ star takes to the stage of the London Palladium

RUSSELL GRANT is to star as The Wizard in ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’s new production of THE WIZARD OF OZ.

Russell made his name as Britain’s best-loved astrologer and is now adored by the nation after starring in the 2011 series of Strictly Come Dancing. He takes over the eponymous role from Michael Crawford from Tuesday 14 February for a limited 12-week season.

Having captured the public’s heart on the BBC hit Saturday night show, Russell will be working with Arlene Phillips, the show’s choreographer, to bring the new dance moves he’s learned to the stage of the London Palladium!

Russell 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.

Russell began his career as an actor, before gaining national recognition as Britain’s favourite TV astrologer, regularly appearing on UK television throughout the 1980′s and 90’s. But it was as dance partner to Flavia Cacace in last year’s BBC smash hit dance show Strictly Come Dancing that catapulted him back to national fame.

Russell said of his new role: “I am thrilled to be back where I’m at my happiest – in showbiz! I want to thank the great British public for their kindness in supporting me in Strictly: without them, I wouldn’t be back in the West End again”.

In addition to the eponymous role, Russell 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 Russell 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 by clicking here.

Take a look at our video clip below to see how Andrew, Bill and The Wizard of Oz cast and audience helped Michael celebrate.

Don’t forget, there’s not long left to see Michael as The Wizard, as he and Danielle Hope (Dorothy) leave the London Palladium in a couple of weeks – click here for more information.

Our wonderful Wizard of Oz stars take their final bow on Sunday 5th February, paving the way for Sophie Evans to take over as Dorothy.  We can’t tell you yet who our new Wizard will be as the announcement is STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL, but look out for news very soon…

So don’t miss your chance to wish them well before they move on to pastures new.  Book your tickets to see Danielle and Michael NOW by clicking here.

Last Christmas they gave it away; who will end up with the Tin Man’s heart this year?

Danielle Hope (Dorothy) was on holiday during the filming of this clip, but she sends seasonal greetings to you all!

Never Work With Animals or Children?

They say you should never work with animals or children. Well, here in the Land of Oz we have with both, though thankfully the chickens I heard early mention of for the opening scene in Kansas never did materialize!

Our four Totos are, for me, totally delightful, each in their own way and I have by now got to know them as individual little characters, each with their own distinct and definite personality. They even have suitably showbiz names. We have Razzle, Dazzle, Topper and Bobby.

Without wanting to show favouritism, I must say I have a soft spot for little Razzle. He is an alert and clever fellow, obedient and eager, with a tendency to gently nuzzle those who take a few minutes out of their day to pet his downy white head. I remember once watching him onstage before the show with his trainer. She quietly stood as he went through his entire repertoire of tricks until he realized that what was actually required of him to win his treat was to lie perfectly still. As I said, clever!

Dazzle, the only lady of the group, is suitably pretty on her paws, prances rather than walks, and loves to join in with the vocals. Being a busy soul, she likes to be included and has been known, mid-scene, to pop a little something into the mix, though she will do anything, even remain totally silent, for a small scrap of butchers best sausage!

Topper is a little less ‘busy’ but is by no means stupid; if he thinks you’re fooling him with the offer of a false treat, you’ve had your chips. He will carefully eye up Dorothy to see if she actually has the treat before committing to anything. He has a laid-back way about him, unfussy, which really does have its charm and he somehow manages to look ‘old-fashioned’. I think it’s the shape of his beard hair. He looks like an Edwardian gentleman with a long moustache.

And then there’s Bobby. The veteran of the group who is slightly less light on his feet than the others but is incredibly intelligent. He was the star of our rehearsal and tech period. Reliable and bomb proof, Bobby was in it with us, work-shopping all the niggles out of his part as we did the same with ours.

Then we have our wonderful children, our munchkin kids, each with their own rainbow bright personality and unique talent. Those who know the kids or work with them directly will know what an asset they are to our show and our working environment. After all, this is a family show; it seems right and fitting that we have children at the heart of one of the most famous and magical sequences. Their delight at being on stage every night is infectious and reminds us all what a joy it is to perform and just how very lucky we are to be doing something we love.  It’s nice to be reminded. It is easy to get bogged down in the day to day running of things and the children really do pull you out of yourself and keep you on your toes.

So perhaps rather than ‘never work with animals or children’ we should rather say, “Go out and work with animals and children!”  Their lack of complication is disarming and, totally true to who they are, with so few inhibitions, they can perhaps teach us a thing or two and bring out the best rather than the worst in us.

You can vote in the Whatsontage.com awards by clicking here. THANK YOU for your Wizard of Oz nominations!