Any Dream Will Do (TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Any Dream Will Do
Format	Talent show
Created by	Andrew Lloyd Webber
Presented by	Graham Norton
Judges	Andrew Lloyd Webber John Barrowman Denise Van Outen Bill Kenwright Zoe Tyler
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	11
Production
Producer(s)	BBC Entertainment
Running time	30–90mins
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC One, BBC HD
Picture format	16:9, HDTV 1080i
Original run	31 March 2007 – 9 June 2007
Chronology
Preceded by	How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?
Followed by	I'd Do Anything
External links
Official website
IMDb profile

Any Dream Will Do, often known as 'Joseph', was a 2007 talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom. It searched for a new, unknown lead to play Joseph in a West End revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

The show was hosted by Graham Norton, who announced Lee Mead as the winner of the final public telephone vote on 9 June 2007.

It was the second West-End talent show to be produced by the BBC/Andrew Lloyd Webber, after How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?. A third talent show, this time called I'd Do Anything has since aired in full.

[edit] Format

Commissioned after the success of the similar BBC series How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?,^[1] the series followed the same format to find a new, unknown lead for a revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The series was named after the song from the musical, "Any Dream Will Do".

[edit] Expert panel

An expert panel provided advice to the contestants throughout the series, and provided comments during the live shows. As they appeared on screen from right to left, the panel was made up of:

• Zoe Tyler, vocal coach to the contestants (vocal coach, singer and performer)
• Bill Kenwright (theatre producer and co-producer of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Adelphi Theatre)
• Denise Van Outen (musical theatre actress and television presenter)
• John Barrowman (musical theatre and television actor)
• Andrew Lloyd Webber, head judge and composer of Joseph. (Presenter Graham Norton referred to him differently each week, mostly using variations of "Lord" phrases. When he was announced as part of the expert panel, the chandeliers behind him flashed and a few bars from The Phantom of the Opera rang out. Usually, Lloyd Webber showed mock embarrassment or surprise, while John and Denise feigned either fright or worship of him.)

[edit] Auditions

The first week of the show documented the initial auditions where one hundred hopefuls, from thousands, were called back to London. This was further whittled-down by the panel of judges to fifty contestants who would enter Andrew Lloyd-Webber's "Joseph School". However, two additional entrants were selected over this fifty contestant limit after they went to Lloyd Webber's personal studio for a second audition.

In the second week, the fifty individuals selected attended "Joseph School" where the coaches worked on singing, acting and choreography with the contestants. Former Joseph actor Jason Donovan, amongst others, visited to lend his advice and support for them. On the second day, one contestant left the competition, twenty-three were eliminated and only twenty eight remained. On the third day, another eight men were eliminated, leaving only twenty contestants in the competition. These men were taken to Lloyd Webber's castle in Ireland, where they performed live in front of a packed house of locals and industry professionals including Louis Walsh. The best twelve were then taken through to the live studio finals.

[edit] Studio finals

The twelve finalists, the "Josephs", were announced on 7 April 2007, with the live studio finals starting a week later. Each week the "Josephs" were set various singing and performing tasks each week. They were introduced with clips summarizing their past week before performing a solo song and hearing comments from the panel. Each week they also performed two group songs, one from Joseph at the start of each show and one after the solo performances. All the performances were live in front of a studio audience, with a live band headed by Nigel Wright and backing singers.

Every week, a Joseph was eliminated from the competition. The public got a chance to vote for their favourite Joseph by calling in after all the finalists' solo performances. The two Josephs with the least votes in a given week performed a sing-off in front of Lloyd-Webber, who then decided which contestant to keep, based upon how well he felt that contender would fill the Joseph role. The eliminated Joseph then performed "Close Every Door" together with the remaining Josephs as his grand exit song, symbolically handing back his dreamcoat.

There were some variations from this format:

• Week three: In a double elimination, two Josephs were voted off the series.

• Week six: With only six finalists remaining, the Josephs were announced in sets of three and performed in a trio as well as their individual performances.

• Week seven: One of the finalists was chosen by Josh Groban to perform "You Raise Me Up" with him live in front of the audience. Lee Mead was the lucky one while the remaining four acted as back-up singers.

• Week eight: The semi-final was held on 2 June 2007, in which the remaining four Josephs competed for the three remaining spots in the final. Again announced in sets of two, the contestants performed duets of Andrew Lloyd Webber songs with another Joseph in addition to their solo performance. At the end of the show, the three finalists were announced: Lee Mead, Keith Jack and Lewis Bradley.

• Week nine: The final, held on 9 June 2007, featured three songs from each of the Josephs: in addition to their regular performance, each performed a big band number and the final two repeated their favourite song from the series. The opening song was performed by all 12 Josephs, supported by the winner of a national Joseph Choir search – the choir of East Ham's Brampton Primary School in east London.^[2]

The success of the programme prompted the BBC to extend the series by an extra week (week nine),^[3] removing the need for a double eviction prior to the final. The new date for the final, 9 June 2007, ensured it would air directly opposite the final of ITV's competing show, Grease is the Word. This move paid off as the final of Any Dream Will Do managed to secure the upper hand over Grease is the Word in viewing figures with a peak of 8.5 million viewers and an audience share of 39.6%, compared with ITV's high of 4.9 million viewers (an audience share of 23.5%).^[4]

In the final, over three million votes were cast with Lee Mead being announced as the winner.^[5] He sang "Any Dream Will Do" to close the series and his prize was six months in the lead role of a revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in London's West End.

[edit] Finalists

[edit] Performances

Graham Norton and the twelve contestants each wearing their 'dreamcoat', symbolically handed back once they were eliminated. Those pictured are (clockwise from top left) Chris B, Antony, Chris C, host Graham Norton, Keith, Lewis, Ben, Johndeep, Daniel, Seamus, Craig, Lee and Rob.

The following is in reverse chronological order by elimination date.

• Lee Mead

1. "Mack the Knife" (from The Threepenny Opera)
2. "Bad Day" (originally performed by Daniel Powter)
3. "I Don't Want to Talk About It" (Rod Stewart)
4. "All Right Now" (Free)
5. "Leave Right Now" (Will Young)
6. "Paint It, Black" (The Rolling Stones)
7. "Daydream Believer" (The Monkees)
8. "Livin' on a Prayer" (Bon Jovi)
9. "(You're The) Devil In Disguise" (Elvis Presley)

Big Band: "New York, New York" (Frank Sinatra)

Favourite from the series: "Paint It, Black" (The Rolling Stones)

• Keith Jack

1. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (Queen)
2. "Who Am I" (Will Young)
3. "Crocodile Rock" (Elton John)
4. "Love Is All Around" (Wet Wet Wet)
5. "Always on My Mind" (Elvis Presley)
6. "Brown Eyed Girl" (Van Morrison)
7. "Let Me Entertain You" (Robbie Williams)
8. "Could It Be Magic" (Barry Manilow)
9. "For Once in My Life" (Stevie Wonder)

Big Band: "Moondance" (Van Morrison)

Favourite from the series: "Always on My Mind" (Elvis Presley)

• Lewis Bradley

1. "Faith" (George Michael)
2. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (Elton John)
3. "I Saw Her Standing There" (The Beatles)
4. "Dancing in the Moonlight" (Toploader)
5. "I'm a Believer" (The Monkees)
6. "The Rose" (Bette Midler)
7. "Hero" (Enrique Iglesias)
8. "Sweet Caroline" (Neil Diamond)
9. "Kiss" (Prince)

Big Band: "Beyond the Sea" (Bobby Darin)

• Ben Ellis

1. "Johnny B. Goode" (Chuck Berry)
2. "All by Myself" (Eric Carmen)
3. "Life Is a Rollercoaster" (Ronan Keating)
4. "Addicted to Love" (Robert Palmer)
5. "Help Yourself" (Tom Jones)
6. "Blue Suede Shoes" (Elvis Presley)
7. "Crying" (Roy Orbison)
8. "Ease on Down the Road" (from The Wiz)

• Craig Chalmers

1. "Try a Little Tenderness" (Bing Crosby)
2. "Home" (Michael Bublé)
3. "Signed Sealed Delivered" (Stevie Wonder)
4. "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" (Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons)
5. "This Is The Moment" (from Jekyll & Hyde)
6. "Black Or White" (Michael Jackson)
7. "Suspicious Minds" (Elvis Presley)

• Daniel Boys

1. "You Give Me Something" (James Morrison)
2. "Since U Been Gone" (Kelly Clarkson)
3. "The Lady Is a Tramp" (Frank Sinatra)
4. "All About You" (McFly)
5. "Maggie May" (Rod Stewart)
6. "Evergreen" (Will Young)

• Rob McVeigh

1. "Summer of '69" (Bryan Adams)
2. "Piano Man" (Billy Joel)
3. "Oh, Pretty Woman" (Roy Orbison)
4. "Back for Good" (Take That)
5. "Born to Run" (Bruce Springsteen)

• Chris Barton

1. "Walking in Memphis" (Marc Cohn)
2. "I'll Be There" (The Jackson 5)
3. "Tell Her About It" (Billy Joel)
4. "All Night Long" (Lionel Richie)

• Seamus Cullen

1. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (U2)
2. "Being Alive" (from Company)
3. "Start Me Up" (The Rolling Stones)

• Antony Hansen

1. "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (Aerosmith)
2. "Light My Fire" (The Doors)
3. "Patience" (Take That)

• Johndeep More

1. "If There's Any Justice" (Lemar)
2. "Something's Coming" (from West Side Story)

• Chris Crosby

1. "This Love" (Maroon 5)

[edit] Group performances

Each week the show was opened by a group performance of a song from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, with a second group song being performed after all the solo performances.

Week One

1. "Any Dream Will Do"
2. "Luck Be a Lady" (from Guys and Dolls)

Week Two

1. "Jacob & Sons/Joseph's Coat"
2. "Pinball Wizard" (The Who)

Week Three

1. "Go, Go, Go Joseph"
2. "One Vision" (Queen)

Week Four

1. "Song of the King"
2. "Dead Ringer For Love" (Meat Loaf)

Week Five

1. "One More Angel in Heaven"
2. "You Really Got Me" (The Kinks)

Week Six

1. "Go, Go, Go Joseph"
2. Keith, Lewis and Ben: "That's Life" (Frank Sinatra)
3. Craig, Daniel and Lee: "Don't Rain on My Parade" (Barbra Streisand)
4. "She Loves You" (The Beatles)

Week Seven

1. "A Pharaoh Story"
2. "Do You Love Me" (The Contours)
3. "Born to Be Wild" (Steppenwolf)
4. Lee & the Josephs with Josh Groban: "You Raise Me Up"

Week Eight

1. "Jacob & Sons/Joseph's Coat"
2. Keith and Ben: "Only You" (from Starlight Express)
3. Lewis and Lee: "Oh What a Circus" (from Evita)
4. "Under Pressure" (Queen & David Bowie)

Week Nine

1. All Josephs with the Brampton Primary School Choir: "Go, Go, Go Joseph"
2. Lee, Keith and Lewis: "Maria" (from West Side Story)
3. The Former Josephs: "The Boys Are Back in Town" (Thin Lizzy)
4. Keith and Lee: "Superstar" (from Jesus Christ Superstar)

[edit] Eliminations

Week One (14 April 2007)
The bottom two were Ben Ellis and Chris Crosby, with Chris receiving the lowest number of votes from the public. In the sing-off, they had to sing the Simon and Garfunkel song "Bridge over Troubled Water". Andrew Lloyd Webber chose to save Ben and send Chris home.

Week Two (21 April 2007)
The bottom two were Chris Barton and Johndeep More, with Chris receiving the lowest number of votes from the public. In the sing-off, they had to sing The Beatles song "Let It Be". Lloyd Webber chose to save Chris and send Johndeep home.

Week Three (28 April 2007)
In the first show, the bottom two were Antony Hansen and Craig Chalmers, with Craig receiving the lowest number of votes from the public. In the sing-off, they had to sing the song "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" by Bryan Adams. Lloyd Webber chose to save Craig and send Antony home.

In the second show, the bottom two were Seamus Cullen and Ben Ellis, with Seamus receiving the lowest number of votes from the public. In the sing-off, they had to sing "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" by The Hollies. Ben was saved by Lloyd Webber due to his emotional performance and Seamus was sent home. Upon hearing that he was being sent home, a clearly surprised Seamus said: "The words 'conspiracy theory' spring to mind." Then, during his farewell song, he changed the line "I have been promised a land of my own" to "I have been promised a show of my own."

Week Four (5 May 2007)
The bottom two were Chris Barton and Craig Chalmers, with Chris receiving the lowest number of votes from the public. In the sing-off, they had to sing The Beatles song "The Long and Winding Road". Lloyd Webber chose to save Craig and send Chris home. Chris successfully sang the farewell song but later said he was disappointed that Lloyd Webber chose Craig over him. Lloyd Webber said that the public may not wish to pay the price to watch Joseph if Chris had won the part.

Week Five (12 May 2007)
The bottom two were Rob McVeigh and Lewis Bradley, with Rob receiving the lowest number of votes from the public. In the sing-off, they had to sing "Tell Me It's Not True" from the musical Blood Brothers. Lloyd Webber chose to save Lewis and send Rob home.

Week Six (19 May 2007)
The bottom two were Daniel Boys and Lewis Bradley, with Daniel receiving the lowest number of votes from the public. In the sing-off, they had to sing "Bring Him Home" from the musical Les Misérables. Lloyd Webber chose to save Lewis and send Daniel home.

Week Seven (26 May 2007)
The bottom two were Ben Ellis and Craig Chalmers, with Ben receiving the lowest number of votes from the public. In the sing-off, they had to sing Barry Manilow's "I Made It Through The Rain". Lloyd Webber chose to save Ben and send Craig home.

Week Eight (2 June 2007)
The bottom two were Ben Ellis and Lewis Bradley, with Ben receiving the lowest number of votes from the public. In the sing-off, they had to sing "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical Les Misérables. Lloyd Webber chose to save Lewis and send Ben home.

Week Nine (9 June 2007)
First to go out and finishing in third place was Lewis Bradley. Keith Jack was the second to be voted out of the final, confirming Lee Mead as the winner of the competition.

[edit] After the series

[edit] Winner

Before the opening night of Joseph at London's Adelphi Theatre, publicity from the TV show had brought in £10 million in advance ticket sales,^[6], leading to a five-month extension to the shows run and an extension of Mead's contract until June 2008.^[7]

Mead's version of "Any Dream Will Do", along with "Close Every Door" performed by the three finalists, was released as a single to raise money for BBC Children in Need. It reached number two in the UK Singles Chart.

His first public performance after the win was on 1 July 2007 at the Concert for Diana at London's Wembley Stadium, where he sang "Any Dream Will Do" with former Joseph actors Donny Osmond and Jason Donovan.

Mead, along with the winner of the previous Lloyd-Webber reality show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, Connie Fisher, were the stars of a one-off Christmas Eve special to air on BBC One, entitled When Joseph Met Maria.^[8]

[edit] Other finalists

Fifth-placed Craig Chalmers was cast by Bill Kenwright as Joseph in a touring version of Joseph^[9] from 20 August 2007, when the tour was due to have its first night in Bromley, London, less than 24 km (about 15 miles) from the Adelphi, where Kenwright was co-producer. In Chalmers' last week before viewers voted him off the search-for-a-star, Kenwright had told him: "You wowed the audience and please God you are here next week for the semi-final."^[10] Chris Barton will also play Benjamin on the tour and Joseph / the narrator at some matinees during the run. Kenwright has also employed Chris Crosby on his new national tour of Half a Sixpence, opening on 28 August 2007 at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley.

Keith Jack has now joined the cast of the touring Joseph production with Craig and Chris Barton. He is playing the Narrator, a part usually played by a woman, though it was originally written for a male voice. His first official performance was to be 1st October in Plymouth, although he has performed a couple of the final shows in High Wycombe on 28th and 29th September. He is recording an album to be released in early 2008, with a single from it issued in time for Christmas.

Lewis Bradley has since been contracted by Lloyd Webber to play Joseph at the Adelphi Theatre during Mead's holiday absence, and possibly an additional performance a week to commence soon. Meanwhile Ben James-Ellis (new stage name for Equity purposes) has landed the role of Link Larkin in the UK premiere of Hairspray: The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre from 11 October 2007. Daniel Boys has gone on to land many roles including performing in the Royal Festival Hall's concert production of Sweeney Todd, Landor Theatre's I Love You Because and Avenue Q at the Noel Coward Theatre. He also took part in the cabaret If You've Got It Flaunt It at the West End's Trafalgar Studios in September 2007.

[edit] Criticism

In an interview with The Stage, the then-recently eliminated Daniel Boys questioned Andrew Lloyd Webber's stated aim of casting a Joseph outside the stereotype, "who's a bit of a Justin Timberlake, tiny touch of the Michael Jacksons and a bit of the Jude Laws,"^[11] by pointing out that so far all the Josephs that were a bit outside of the traditional mould have been eliminated for exactly that reason.^[12]

In a brief interview with The Guardian, theatrical actress Elaine Paige named Any Dream Will Do as the greatest threat to theatre today, saying that "actors already striving in the theatre wouldn't dream of putting themselves on these shows".^[13] But the winner of Any Dream Will Do and the part of Joseph, Lee Mead, who had quit his role in the ensemble at The Phantom of the Opera and understudying the part of Raoul, had told The Stage: "Those chances don’t come up very often – so I thought I would go along and see what happened. When I got to last 12, I had to make the decision to stay with Phantom or go with the programme. I am a strong believer that you need to take risks in your career and that is what has brought me this far...Friends in the industry were surprised because I may have got my first lead from Phantom. But I never knew if that would come and when that would be."^[14]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Any Dream Will Do at bbc.co.uk
• The Stage on Any Dream Will Do
• Unreality TV on Any Dream Will Do
• Any Dream Will Do at What's on TV
• Any Dream Will Do at the Internet Movie Database
• Any Dream Will Do at TV.com