Nought wrong with the girl from The Wild House.

It clearly is subjective, because in the group numbers I'm always watching Jenny. I've liked all her songs and don't see anything wrong with her voice.

Danielle sings well enough, but I do find her very forgettable.

Dorothy is a child?

Danielle's problem as the panel have been pointing out in her songs is that she does subtle acting thats so subtle it sometimes barely manages to register on the TV screen. You might argue thats because she hasn't had more emotional songs even if the panel are claiming its her staying on one level. You might argue the vocal coach is to blame and needs to think again. She sang her sing off song for most of the way through looking to me as if she was concentrating on a sum with hardly any emotion at all and looked in danger until she put some power on for the last 30 seconds . Her show 7 song looks the same to me and that may explain the vote - though dressing her in black so she got lost in her backing dancers didn't help. There's just not enough going on with the lyrics or the expressions to keep people awake between the bits where she turns it on. If it doesn't work on TV it won't in a 500 seat theatre let alone the vast expanses of the Palladium or Theatre Royal(s). Its ironic that the person who looks and acts most like the character isn't going to work I think until she becomes less introverted and less subtle.

Stage presence is important - the camera and the eye follow Jessica because she's always doing something interesting and she seems lively. Her problems are her vocals and people finding her distracting, but as they haven't let her show us how she would play Dorothy and I suspect she could add a lot of humour I wouldn't write her off. I would think a Dorothy who had a bit of Annie or Pippi Longstocking or tomboy about her would have a lot better chance of holding the audiences interest than someone nice and innocent. Its far from clear why Dorothy should look like a great dancer. I can't see either how Jenny could be seen as boring compared to Danielle. Jenny acts as well, she's demonstrated a wider range after being given the wider range to do, she's done serious and funny and the more dance heavy numbers and she could quite easily look younger or more like a traditional Dorothy. The vocals on Songbird we are told by ALW himself were spot on and that was one of the more striking songs sung so far this series. People might want something different but they won't go to sleep on either Jessica or Jenny .

Its going to depend on who gets what opportunity to show what their Dorothy looks like, whether Jenny and Jessica are sidetracked, and whether Danielle makes up ground by doing something more dynamic. Until then Stephanie probably now has the advantage - although you do wonder if the nearest thing there is to a pro - Steph - is looking more attractive to him as his top 5 throw up issues.

I thought Danielle's first two performances were very dynamic, and she is full of energy and always in character in the group numbers. She, Steph and Stephanie are the ones I usually notice most in the group numbers (and Jessica, but usually not in a good way). I will admit that Danielle's show 7 performance was lacking the dynamics of the first two. It was a weird routine, the arrangement wasn't right for her voice (the arrangement Keith sang on ADWD would have worked better, I think), and the dance routine was just a mess. Danielle tried her best, but I really don't think any of the other girls could have done anything great with it either. We'll have to see what she does next week to see for sure if that was just an off-week, but I think it was. I would really like to see her get a truly happy song sometime, though.

As for Jenny, she tries hard, but she just bores me. I can't really explain why, and she often looks out-of-place in the group numbers. Also, IMO she has one of the most annoying voices of all the girls (after Emilie and Jessica). And as to Jessica, stage presence is one thing. She does have that, but I don't think she has anything else that is West End level yet. Her voice is weak, her acting is over-the-top, and her dancing is clumsy. I like Jessica as a person and I do think she has potential, but I just don't think she's there yet.

Having attended the filming last weekend I would say that Jenny is VERY popular with ALW & the judges. Where other girl's performances were picked apart note by note, or their dancing or acting criticized, with Jenny they were all "who cares if it wasn't perfect, she was having FUN!" Not fair really, but they do seem to see something in her.

Nonsense! I am from London and can assure you that I am a very patriotic Scot.

Yeah but if they wanted a 'child' (as Dorothy is often played in amateur productions and of course, school shows) then they could have had made the show out of under 16's. So I don't think the fact that Jenny appears very childlike is that relevant really.

Put it another way, Jenny's voice would be great for the Munchkins (and I don't mean that in a nasty way at all, I literally mean..she'd make a great Munchkin in the show) but her voice does not have the range/colour/power/tone to be a leading lady, it's too immature.

Dorothy iS meant to be a child - thinking of Fairuza Balk in Return To Oz who was the right age to play the character, how different the role would seem in The Wizard Of Oz.

I think we are heavily influenced by Judy Garland's version. BUT thinking that the studio's original choice was Shirley Temple and how different her appearance, voice and dancing was (highly competent tap dancer but far more "childish" voice) how different our own perceptions would be of the role.

Jenny would seem far more appropriate then IMO.

I personally really like Jenny as well as Steph, Stephanie and Sophie. Networkbabe made a great point about some of the girls being insipid which I think does affect how we connect or not connect with some of the girls - and hence some of those who are very competent singers like Lauren nd Danielle ending up in the bottom 2.

But it is all subjective

On the other hand, we had John's "faking it" remark, which I thought hurtful without being in any way constructive or even having any discernable meaning. (I'm rapidly going off John as a judge)

That was an odd comment. What IS acting, if not "faking it"??!! I don't think anyone knew what he meant.

Oh I hope not! She grates on me.

I certainly didn't!

I don't think Jenny will win. I reckon it could be Stephanie but I'd prefer Lauren. For me she is, as the judges said, the complete package.

Actually I wouldn't write off Steph as a possible winner. I know she was in the bottom two that first week, but I think that was before we got to know her, and ALW had tarred her as being "not right for Dorothy". I don't agree with him; I see no reason why she's not right for Dorothy, and the public may well not do so either. And she's both one of the most talented and most likeable girls there.

She's totally unsuitable for Dorothy (too old, too modern, too pop) but at some point the fact that she has the experience and could actually turn out for 8 shows a week, act something decent, dance well enough, sound decent and keep the audience awake might make her attractive to ALW if everyone else fails somewhere?

what with that skin?

I like Jenny, but i don't think she'll win.

Whats with all the too old in every thread.
30 year olds play 16 year olds in the west end and I rarely come out the theatre saying wow they didnt look 16. It just dosent matter.

I know.. I don't think the age thing matters particularly in theatre, as you can't see them close up anyway! As long as they can convincingly act the part of a young girl, it doesn't really matter if they look a little older.

Yes, I think you can expect theatre audiences to suspend disbelief up to a point, but in the book Dorothy is twelve years old so, if, for example, the actress playing D is taller than those playing the adults, that isn't going to work.

I agree Steph comes over as a lovely girl and she has a great voice. For me, though, she's not a West End performer - more of a pop singer. She's not Dorothy at all for me though undoubtedly very talented.

I agree, I think height would be more of an issue, but that doesn't necessarily go with age... Dani is fairly tall at 16, and Steph at 21, is the smallest of the bunch.
In a theatre setting, I don't know that you'd be able to tell who was older.

I was annoyed by his comment, as was my sister who isn't even a 'Jenny-fan'. I had been hoping that Graham or one of the panel would query his remark so he could have clarified what he meant, but no such luck!

Interesting about Shirley. If they had gone that way Jessica and Jenny would be the only two in the running now. I can't see why you can't have a Dorothy thats anywhere from timid and coming out of it to a boistrous tomboy - she could be serious but lightening up or childlike and maturing fast or downright funny if that would keep the audience focused on her. People may want Judy Garland, but I think they are less likely to end up yawning if they get a bit of Pippi Longstocking or Annie on top. There's not many people on the show who can play one version of Dorothy let alone offer several - if you wanted options which way to go at the end Jenny's about the only one who has done funny and serious and could act it more than one way on what we have seen so far. Not sure what a serious Jessica or a comic Danielle or a childlike Lauren would look like either........

I had one of those Barrowman moments
when Captain Jack used to comment on other people's acting ability....

John P's major stage success was playing a cat, his TV roles seem to have predominantly been playing a gay man and in between , according to wiki , "He has appeared in television commercials for Fox's Biscuits, Colgate Toothpaste, Maltesers and Cadbury's Twirl" I would listen to Sheila and ALW about the acting if I was them.