Is 4th historically in this competition the best place to finish for starring parts, diversity and longevitiy on the west end stage?

Aoife - Went on to Chicago, Maria, Legally blonde
Daniel - That puppet show whose name escapes me (lol) what else has he done?
Rachel - Wicked, We Will Rock You

I am sure i have missed out other things they have done (and i may be totally wrong with my thoughts.. but 4th seems like a charm placing)

No.... There is no best place to come, especialy in this show, becuase they are all about the same in talent, just in different ways....

Except first if they want the part. Aoife, was an extremely acomplished actress anyway... It was the singing ALW was worried about. But then he let her do two shows a week anyway. LOL

Avenue Q Is the name of the show you are looking for. And he was fabulous.

i agree 4th is the best place to finish ..... I think it will be lauren that finishes there (given the history the professional polished or true strong contender finishes at this point)

Daniel didn't finish 4th on ADWD. He finished 6th. Ben finished 4th.

Real talent sells itself.

Who had a high profile role in hairspray - so the 4th rule could still apply!

I saw Aoife in Legally Blonde, she was recognisable and AMAZING!

I hope to catch Wicked with Rachel. Since Glee did Defying Gravity and Kristin and Idina have starred in it and I have watched them on YouTube, I am up for seeing wicked!

aoife was also in chess at the royal albert hall (which also starred idina) and was amazing - i know she didnt have a very big part but she sounded really great LOVED her so glad she's done well

Aoife was incred in Legally Blonde, as was Daniel in Avenue Q and as is Rachel in Wicked!

But agreed with above ... The talent sells itself .. Whoever left tonight will be fine

Ben was 4th. He landed in the west end before Daniel, playing Link in Hairspray.

Am I right in thinking all 4th places have been 1st in the west end out of the runners up? I know Ben and Rachel were.

Well..... I still don't see how fourth place is special... They make it based on their individual talents, not becuase they came 4rth in a reality tv show.

But they are doing better than most, and in every case better than the person who came third and second.

Doesn't mean it matters in this show, which has been so up and down since the start.

That said, I think Steph is amazing, but limited. She needs a role in something like chicago where she can belt it out and be as out there as possible. IMO She doesn't do simple well. imo of course.

I personally think 4th is a better place to end up than 2nd or 3rd as the end of the semi-final is all about the person who goes on that night whereas the final is concentrated on 1st place and not on 2nd or 3rd.

It was even sillier . Aoife's done 8 shows in every musical she's done and 6 as Maria in her weeks on, she's done the singing whilst dancing roles, in Roxie she had the biggest belters around to duet with and she is now doing the only belting whilst skipping role. Meanwhile Connie was the one who needed an alternate...........

There may be advantages in coming fourth because you are not such an obvious fit for the one role and it may be where people end up if ALW thinks they could produce something series winning in the final and he wants someone else?

The third and fifth girls are doing well at the moment though too.

OTR may be different again. There's a lot of talented people already gone who may better fit some roles available than those left, but there's also a question if there's enough roles for the young and untrained to use whats there so far.

That and ALW is rubbish at picking talent and the more talented one always goes out in the semi.

Steph would be far too short for Chicago but I think she has a great future in the West End. She has already been in Lloyd-Webber's Whistle Down The Wind in the West End.

Aoife got Roxie in Chicago near the end of 2006, Siobhan got Patty in Grease in mid 2007 - so its true for the first series too.

I haven't seen Chicago, why would her height make a difference. Bonnie Langford and Suzanne Shaw were both in it and they must be around the same height as Steph.

Rachel opened before Jodie, actually didn't Jessie as well? I wonder who'll be in the west end before the winner?

Actually I was thinking of the ensemble when I wrote that as I think you have to be about 5' 7" to audition; but Chicago is one of the shows that usally have a celebrity in the lead role and I wasn't thinking about that.

Aoife played Roxie for a long run so wouldn't be surprised if one of several Dorothys ended up there.

I'd prefer to see Steph in something other than Chicago. Well let's put it like this if she's in Chicago I won't see her but anything else in the West End I would.

Roxie can be short. Velma tends to be taller or very tall and she has a lot of tall dancers to lead. It looks a bit asymetrical with a tall Velma and a tiny Roxie but Bonnie manages at about 5 foot.

The killers for Chicago are dancing ability, vocal power and age. Velma has massive belts and kicks and has to look tough enough to lead the prisoners. Roxie has to stay with Velma in the duets and has to match her in the last dancing routine and do the cartwheel......Roxie is meant to have been married to Amos for 8 years and she's become disillusioned with life, Some people (Ruthie Henshall) claim you have to be late 30s upwards to play the disillusionment. I think the younger ones work because they have to be even more disillusioned earlier or disturbed which is good - but even then Aoife was 28 and 30 when she played her, Ruthie Henshall was 43 this year and the current Roxie, Emma Barton, started at about 32 .

They can give her heals . I meant someting like chicago.