CBC Revenue Group

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW THERE'S A DOROTHY. COULD IT BE YOU?

May 22, 2012

CBC launches nationwide search for Dorothy on June 1, to appear on CBC Television's OVER THE RAINBOW and star in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Canadian production of The Wizard of Oz

"The dreams that you dare to dream really do come true". So says the timeless classic song "Over the Rainbow", and that's exactly what will happen for one aspiring performer who will be selected the winner of OVER THE RAINBOW, the exciting new live competition series coming to CBC Television this fall, produced by Temple Street Productions. The winning Dorothy will star in Andrew Lloyd Webber's new production of The Wizard of Oz, opening at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto this December.

"We're looking for a fresh new star in the making, and Canadians will play a key role in helping us to find our "Dorothy," said David Mirvish, Mirvish Productions. "The new Dorothy must be able to not only sing, act and dance at a high level, but also have the charisma and presence to carry a marquee production on one of the country's largest stages night after night."

The nationwide search opens with live auditions starting Friday, June 1 in Vancouver, followed by stops in Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal, Halifax and Toronto. Those auditioning are asked to prepare "Over the Rainbow" and another song of their choice.  For further details, visit cbc.ca/overtherainbow.

Live Audition Schedule:

Friday June 1st             Vancouver       The Westin Grand Vancouver            9:30am to 6:00pm

Saturday June 2nd          Vancouver       The Westin Grand Vancouver            9:30am to 1:30pm

Sunday, June 3rd          Calgary            Sheraton Suites Calgary                      9:30am - 6:00pm

Monday, June 4th         Winnipeg         Fairmont                                              9:30am to 6:00pm

Saturday, June 9th       Montreal          The Sheraton Centre                           9:30am to 6:00pm

Sunday, June 10th        Halifax            Westin Nova Scotian                          9:30am to 6:00pm

Monday, June 18th       Toronto           Glenn Gould Studios, CBC                9:30am to 6:00pm

For those unable to attend the live auditions, there's also a unique opportunity to submit your performance online at cbc.ca/overtherainbow with the Ticket to Oz contest, which will offer one talented individual a place in the Top 100.

In addition, there will also be a secondary search for the role of Toto, which will be featured on weekly Monday night results episodes of OVER THE RAINBOW.  The winning Toto will appear in the finale episode of OVER THE RAINBOW. 

Starting in September, host Daryn Jones will introduce the 10 finalists who will compete live on OVER THE RAINBOW Sunday nights on CBC Television, singing a mixture of Broadway and pop songs each week.  Then, in half-hour results episodes on Monday nights, the bottom two Dorothys (as determined by an online public vote) will face-off and one participant will be saved from elimination by the judges.  The competition will culminate in a showdown between the final three, with Lord Lloyd Webber himself in attendance, and Canada choosing the winner.

Twitter: @cbcrainbow, Hashtag: #overtherainbow

Facebook: facebook.com/CBCOverTheRainbow

CBC.ca: cbc.ca/overtherainbow

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages, plus seven languages for international audiences. In 2011, CBC/Radio-Canada celebrated 75 years of serving Canadians and being at the centre of the democratic, social and cultural life of Canada. 

About Temple Street Productions

Temple Street Productions Inc. is a leading producer of television, film and digital media content based in Toronto, Canada. A selection of Temple Street's past and present projects includes: Being Erica (CBC, SOAPnet), Wingin'It (Family Channel), Cover Me Canada (CBC), Recipe to Riches (Food Network, Global), Billable Hours (Global, Showcase), Canada's Next Top Model (CTV), How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? (CBC), Queer as Folk (Showtime, Showcase) and Darcy's Wild Life (NBC, Discovery Kids, Family Channel). For more company information www.templestreetproductions.com, twitter @TempleStreet or connect with us on Facebook.

For more information, please contact:
Erin Richards, Veritas Communications
richards@veritascanada.com
(416) 955-4592 (office)
(416) 627-5728 (cell)