http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/s...name_page.html

Not quite sure how that is misleading as we all knew the boy was professional and while the "spin" for the show suggests it will be an unknown amateur, we all know the majority of the final 12 will be professionally trained at the very least. I think in last year's Maria nonsense we had 2 or 3 who hadn't been to drama school didn't we?

Sounds to me to be no different from some of the people auditioning for 'Grease'. One guy on there (Kavanagh?) had a record released some years ago, so he's hardly an amateur.
Fact is that although the 'plucked from the streets' scenario might work in dreams, in reality it would surely take someone quite extraordinary to walk in off the street without any singing, dancing, or acting experience whatsoever and win the role.

That's hardly news. The fact that he is an understudy with West End experience was mentioned last night and last week.

So what? Last year's Maria winner and several other contestants were hardly without experience either.

As for Robert being the favourite to win, what a joke if the least talented of the remaining contestants should win just because of his "ordinary" day job.

I didn't watch 'Grease is the Word'. The idea has never really interested me (though I love the film) but Sinitta's ridiculous comment at the end of her interview on GMTV on Friday finally put me off the idea of watching it.

It's interesting to hear that Kavanagh is in it though.

One of the guys in the last 12 of 'Any Dream Will Do', Craig, auditioned for PI2.
Last edited by Forever Awkward : 08-04-2007 at 11:39

I love the fact that it says viewers were told that he was a "west end understudy" but had played parts when people fell ill. Hahaha - what did they think a west end understudy was - a person who pretended to be a desk in an accountants office?

No news here.

The show has already stated that Lee has West End experience and Lee has also revealed this. Dont see any misleading of the public at all. In the end the audience will decide who they like best.

No one is "mislead" the show gives everyone an opportunity to take part regardless of background or professional experience and then when the top are selected for the studio the audience vote.
All the current occupations are stated by the BBC -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6536885.stm
I have watched bits of the show and it is often announced that some have professional training & experience while others have never been on a stage before.

I think this falls more into willful non-disclosure rather than misleading - if the mirror piece is true and this guy has not only played in a national tour directed by judge bill Kenwright but once 'stood in' in the London production then I think that is kinda relevant and should have been mentioned. Nobody is saying applicants should be rejected if they have some professional experience, but profesional experience in the actual production they are going for, especially if they have a professional connection with one of the judges, does smell slightly 'off'.
Last edited by DICKENS99 : 08-04-2007 at 15:40

Brilliant

I love Lee anyway! i'm sure a lot of them have some experience too!

don't agree with that brick layer being favourite to win though!!

Neither do I. Nothing to write home about and others much better than him weren't put through. Stunt casting at it's worst.

I love the way they are all saying that Joseph has always been their dream role, much like all the Marias last year claimed to have grown up desperate to play the part. You can bet that if this show was casting Les Mis they would all have had a lifelong desire to be in that.

And seriously, with all the choices around these days with new and exciting composers, why do so many of them claim that Lloyd Webber shows are their absolute favourites?

Muppets!

On every music reality tv show there are often people that are already in the business. Look at Ray Quinn from X Factor as an example. He was in Emmerdale and his parents are both in the entertainment business. I'm sure he had enough contacts to make it without appearing on the XFactor. Or I should really say his contacts probably got him on the XFactor in the first place. But that's just me being cynical.

He was in Brookside.

I have seen on another link, (sorry, can't remember where), that they all have some experience and qualifications. Even Rob - the simple brickie - has a college qualification in Drama.

I could well believe that although he is raw compared to the others he isn't so raw that he looks like an amateur.

And I do not believe for one minute that Keith is just a supermarket check out lad

....... this seems nothing more than sour grapes to me

He's at or has been to Drama School, probably works at Tesco to top up his grant. Thought it was also common knowledge that Lee had done tours and played the lead in stuff. I've certainly seen him in a production but for the life of me can't remember what (I'll have to look out some old programmes)!

That could be true if the liked you, OTOH if they hadn't liked you it could be a disadvantage. Kenwright was quite open about the connection in week 3, and also open about the fact that 'til then he'd not though Lee was good enough to play the lead.

Since only ALW has the power to save anyone IMO a connection with the judges doesn't make that much difference in the end.

I don't know if this is what you're referring to, but this link gives profiles on all the Josephs, and if you read the profiles you'll see they all either have experience, qualifications, or are working towards a qualification:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pre...08/dream.shtml

In that respect I do think Joseph is somewhat misleading. It is mentioned that some of the contestants (Lee, Daniel, Seamus) have experience, but by no means all of them. They gave the impression that Rob, Keith and Johndeep had no experience whatsoever, which isn't the case. Not an out-an-out lie but, as DICKEN99 said, a lie by non-disclosure.

This was posted on a number of boards recently. Most of the boys have some kind of experience. I've heard that Johndeep is recording an album as well.

Antony Hansen, 17
Currently studying Performing Arts Theatre Studies and Music Technology at college.

Ben Ellis, 18
Currently studying Musical Theatre at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts

Chris Barton, 19
Currently studying for a National Diploma in Musical Theatre at Liverpool Theatre College.

Chris Crosby, 18
Attended Sylvia Young Theatre School from the age of 13.

Daniel Boys, 27 - Describes as a data inputer for a cement firm.
A graduate of the Guildford School of Acting. Daniel understudied Adam Rickett in Rent, has also appeared in Grease.

Johndeep More, 23
Studied for a year at the Royal Academy of Music. BA in English and Drama from Brunel University.

Keith Jack, 19 - Described as a shelf-staker
Currently studying for an HNC in Musical Theatre at a college in Edinburgh.

Lee Mead, 25
A professional singer and actor for five years, with professional performances in The Phantom of the Opera, Tommy and Miss Saigon

Lewis Bradley, 17
Studied at the Italia Conti Theatre Arts School from the age of 13.

Robert McVeigh, 23
BTEC in drama.

Seamus Cullen, 35
Currently training to become a vocal coach.

Craig Chalmers, 25
A former contestant on the second series of Pop Idol, Craig has sung in a boyband supporting groups including Blue, the Sugababes and Girls Aloud. Currently sings with a male strip troupe.

I don't know what the big deal is? It's not a karaoke night. If we're all going to watch the show I presume we want to see someone who can, you know, sing and act. That takes training.

They have to have some experience IMO.

To play the lead in a West End show takes reliability, stamina and some experience as well as natural talent. Although it would perhaps make good television, I think it unrealistic to expect that a "simple builder/shelf stacker/whatever" who has quite a nice voice could genuinely cope with the role, and the producers would never take that risk.

I don't mind the experience any of them have, I prefer to look on the competition as an opportunity for someone who hasn't yet had their big break.

(They shouldn't have to lie about their experience for the sake of good tv though.)

Even in Musicality, the C4 programme for "amateurs" a couple of the winners were professionally trained. From what I remember the lass who played Mama Morton was a fantastically talented amateur who has gone professional as a result of the show but apart from her you've got to be kidding yourself if you think somebody is going to be plucked from their local am dram group and put on the stage.

That said, there are at least 2 guys in my local group who could wipe the floor with all of the Joseph finalists. One of them is training professionally at the moment, one of them is 100% amateur but light years ahead of this mob.