For those of you who don't know Shani Wallis was the actress who played Nancy in the 1968 film of "Oliver", and "I'd Do Anything" is the BBC's new show where they are searching for actors and actress's to play Nancy and Oliver in the new stage production by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
I was surprised to read on the Daily Mail's web site (post title is a link to more detailed article) that though she asked the BBC they declined her request to be judge. She also wants to come over here (she now lives in the US) and be coach for the contestants, but the BBC insist they aren't going to use her.
I think this is very stupid of them as she'd be a great asset to the show, I have no desire to watch it but hearing she was involved might have just tipped the balance into making me. It would have added another dimension to the show and shown the contrast between musicals as they are produced today and how they were then.
I can't believe how popular shows like pop Idol and X Factor are anyway, they exposed how fake and manufactured pop music had become and people lapped it up and have even bought the music of the artists created by them. Now it seems they are doing the same with musical theatre, they've done it to "Joseph" and "The Sound Of Music" now "Oliver" is getting the treatment. Hopefully they will expose how bitchy and competitive the world of musical theatre is, with millions of people fighting for only a few hundred jobs .
4 comments:
If I ruled the world, things would be different. LOL
Have a great week.
'tis a shame wallis isn't involved. globus watches x factor but decries how these shows fuel the cult of celebrity, making a lot of people just want to be famous for the sake of being famous. still, the auditions are always the best bits. nice blog by the way.
I feel really bad for Shani! She only wanted to help. I mean, after all she is the woman these woman are trying to live up to! Honestly I think BBC was being mean. Shani is 75 and who better to coach the woman than the original Nancy! I think it would have been funny if Shani had auditioned and won the part of Nancy. Then what would BBC have done?! Thank you for posting this article!!
There is only one Nancy and that is Shani Wallis
Post a Comment