Check out the first look at the animated characters in Summertime Entertainment’s Dorothy of Oz!

Dorothy (Lea Michele), Toto, Marshal Mallow (Hugh Dancy), and Wiser the Owl (Oliver Platt) are pictured going on their adventure! From September 16-18, Oz fans all over the world will flock to Chesterton, Indiana for the annual Wizard of Oz festival.

At the festival, Summertime Entertainment will be holding a voice over contest! Festival attendees will be able to actually audition for judges in 30 seconds, by explaining why they would make a great character voice.

Don’t fret! If you can’t make it to Indiana, you can enter the contest via Facebook! Go ahead and “like” Summertime Entertainment’s Dorothy of Oz, and then make a 30 second or less video explaining why you’d make a great character voice.

Links:
- Source
- Dorothy of Oz > Stills +3

‘Glee’ actress Lea Michele is rumoured to have been lined up for the part of Jennifer Grey in the remake of 1987 film ‘Dirty Dancing’.

Lea Michele is reportedly being lined up for the remake of ‘Dirty Dancing’.

The ‘Glee’ star – who is set to leave the E4 show at the end of next season – has been rumoured for the role of Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman, which was originally played by Jennifer Grey, while Derek Hough could be set to star as Patrick Swayze’s character Johnny Castle, according to MovieWeb.

But the 24-year-old beauty could face competition from pop acts Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez – who is currently dating teen heartthrob Justin Bieber – because they have also been linked with the role of Baby.

Kenny Ortega – who directed Michael Jackson’s ‘This is It’ and choreographed the original ‘Dirty Dancing’ in 1987 – is set to helm the forthcoming movie, which has seen ‘Glee’ actor Matthew Morrison and ‘Gossip Girl’ hunk Chace Crawford considered for the part of Johnny.

The movie is set to arrive in 2013, with official casting announcements expected soon.

Source

The revival of “Funny Girl” is on its way to Broadway, but without “Glee” star Lea Michele. There was talk that Lea was going to star as Fanny Brice, the part made famous by Barbra Streisand in 1964. But color Lea Michele booked: she is under contract to “Glee,” and, according to sources, she’s staying on that show or connected to it despite recent reports. “Funny Girl” is slated for a mid January run in Los Angeles before heading to New York in the spring to make Tony Awards deadlines. Bartlett Sher is directing, and Chris Gatelli is choreographer. Bob Boyett is the producer.

“Funny Girl” is now searching for its Fanny and Nicky Arnstein. But rehearsals are set for November in New York. Lea Michele will still be filming the current season of “Glee.” A source quipped: “By the time she’s out of Glee, they’ll be ready for a revival of this revival.” Funny. How the story of three “Glee” principals being axed from the show got so out of hand is another story altogether. But it seems clear that Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Montieth will wind up in a spin off show next fall, or graduated to adult status. “They’re not going anywhere,” says a source.

So who should play Fanny and Nicky in the Broadway revival? Any ideas? Anne Hathaway, call your agents!

Source

Lea Michele knows there’s no place like home. The 24-year-old “Glee” star is lending her signature pipes to the 3D animated musical “Dorothy of Oz,” and we have an EXCLUSIVE look at her adorably drawn alter ego!

Based on the novel by Roger Stanton Baum—the great-grandson of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” author L. Frank Baum—”Dorothy of Oz” picks up right where the classic tale ends, with Dorothy returning to a deeply damaged Kansas (thanks to that darn tornado!). But she isn’t home for long before she’s magically transported back to Oz, where things aren’t so great either. Her friends the Scarecrow, Tin Man and (formerly Cowardly) Lion have all disappeared, and she must find them.
Lea is joined by an all-star cast, including Patrick Stewart (as Tugg), Hugh Dancy (as Marshall Mallow), Martin Short (as The Jester), Dan Aykroyd (as Scarecrow), Kelsey Grammer (as Tinman) and Jim Belushi (as Lion).

 Links:
- Gallery > Dorothy of Oz

Last night didn’t just bring us the HP TouchPad on Leno and Fallon (are Conan and Letterman up next?), it also brought us a new real advertisement for the HP TouchPad, this time from Glee’s Lea Michele. The commercial is in the style of HP’s previous Veer and TouchPad commercials, this time emphasizing the TouchPad’s multimedia capabilities and Beats Audio. Yeah, HP, we see what you did there – getting the star of a popular show that’s about music to make a commercial around your tablet’s media prowess – and good on you for capitalizing on the association. 

Source

Next, year, Sony will release the soundtrack to the 3D animated musical “Dorothy of Oz,” but the film’s songs will be unveiled this Saturday (July 23) at Comic-Con in San Diego. The film, which features “Glee” star Lea Michele in the title role, is penciled in for an early spring release.

Bryan Adams has written several original songs for the film with his co-writer Jim Vallance, as has Tift Merritt. Mike Himelstein is providing lyrics, with additional songs and lyrics from Jim Dooley. Composer, orchestrator and arranger Deborah Lurie (“Prom,” “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never”) and engineer/producer Gustavo Borner are also part of the creative team.

Besides Michele, the album will feature performances by Megan Hilty (star of NBC’s midseason musical “Smash”), Hugh Dancy and Martin Short. Adams also contributes vocals and will voice/sing the role of Beaver Foreman in the film. Vicki Hiatt is the music supervisor.

The film also stars Jim Belushi as the Lion, Dan Aykroyd as the Scarecrow and Kelsey Grammer as the Tin Man.

Patrick Stewart, who plays Tugg in the film, will join Lurie, Hilty and other cast members and producers to discuss the film and show clips at Comic-Con on Saturday. Details about the soundtrack are expected to be announced at the “Further Over the Rainbow: A First Look at Dorothy of Oz” session at the San Diego Convention Center.

International versions of the soundtrack will feature local music talent not yet cast. The film will be done several different languages. Summertime Entertainment and Bonne Radford, Ryan Carroll and Roland Carroll are producing the film, which has reported budget of $60 million.

Produced with computer graphics and 3-D stereoscopic techniques for animation, “Dorothy of Oz” begins with Dorothy returning to Kansas to find it devastated by a tornado. She is quickly transported back to Oz, where her help is needed to find her former traveling companions. She meets new friends — a man made of marshmallows who can’t think for himself, for example – and winds up pitted against a wicked Jester.

It’s all about GLEE at STARFURY: G1! The world’s first scheduled unofficial three day convention for fans of GLEE! It’s 100% Unofficial and it’s 100% Glee! Featuring:
• guest talks
• photo and autograph sessions
• competitions
• parties
• and much more

29-31 July 2011 at the Birmingham Hilton Metrople Hotel.

TICKET PRICES
• £150:00 Gold Tickets
• £90:00 Regular Tickets
• £35:00 for Children aged 14 and under
• Free Children aged 7 and under
• Ticket prices do not include meals or accomodations. Any children aged 14 or under MUST be accompanied by a responsible adult.   

TO REGISTER
You can purchase tickets using a credit / debit card either online or over the phone.

To purchase tickets online Please Click Here.

To order tickets call our order line at 07930 319 119
(Mon-Fri 10am-5pm ONLY please) .

Read more HERE!

I just found the trailer for Glee 3D Live, the concert which was turned into a 3D movie. Check it out below.

According to NYTimes: In the wake of the news of an online search for the next “Funny Girl” Fanny Brice in the upcoming revival of the show, The New York Times reveals today that director Bartlett Sher was in talks with GLEE diva Lea Michele for the role, though her participation is unlikely due to her Glee commitments next season when Funny Girl begins production.

According to the Times, Sher “did say that he had talks with the “Glee” star Lea Michele (“Spring Awakening”) about the role, but that his understanding was that she was committed to the television series during the 2011-12 theater season.”

“Funny Girl” ran on Broadway from 1964 to 1967 and earned eight Tony nominations but won none — whipped that year by “Hello, Dolly!” Ms. Streisand won an Academy Award for best actress for the 1968 movie version of “Funny Girl,” but the musical itself has never been revived on Broadway — a measure of the difficulty of casting Fanny.

A rigorous schedule of singing, dancing and acting doesn’t leave Lea a lot of time to work out. A Nike professional trainer created the Triple Threat workout specifically for Lea, to make the most out of every minute. It’s a fully packed 15 minutes of functional training and yoga flow that challenges the whole body – arms, legs, abs, everything. And now it’s available only to Nike Training Club members who reach 1000 minutes of training.

Here is the sneak peak of Lea’s Nike Training Club drills!

As BroadwayWorld.com has previously reported, Broadway producer Bob Boyett is endeavoring to revive Funny Girl on Broadway with famed director Bartlett Sher (South Pacific, Awake and Sing, The Light in the Piazza) at the helm. The pair are currently planning a six week out-of-town tryout in late 2011 in preparation for a swift Broadway transfer later that season, according to the report. This would be the first revival of the show on Broadway. Boyett currently secures the rights.

The Hollywood reporter talked to fellow Barbra Streisand MusiCares performers, Kristin Chenoweth and Darren Criss about whether they felt Lea Michele could handle the part. Their answers?

Darren Criss said: “Maybe one day, Lea has many years ahead of her. She’s very young and has all the time in the world.”

Kristin Chenoweth said: “I think that girl can do anything she wants to do, not only is Lea a delightful person, but she’s a good singer and that’s what’s required. Anything she wants in life she should have because she deserves it.”

Back in January, it was reported that no additional details are in place yet for the project, however, the pair can count on one Lea Michele to be in line for a ‘Fanny Brice’ audition, in the hopes of recreating the role made famous by Barbra Streisand in the 1964 original production.

Michele has made little secret of her admiration for all things Streisand and her hope to one day fill the shoes of Ms. Brice.

At a recent Television Critics Association Panel, Michele reiterated this passion when asked if she had been offered the role: “No – where are the calls? Where are these calls? I mean if you don’t know my obsession with Funny Girl… of course, Fanny Brice is me. I feel very connected to that story.”

( source ) Lea Michele will be making her big screen debut in “New York’s Eve”, and has shared earlier that her storyline will involve some kissing. While the actress famed for her portrayal of Rachel Berry on “Glee” kept a tight lid on the matter, E! Online recently revealed that she will swap spits with Ashton Kutcher.

Back in January, the 24-year-old beauty told E! that she will be playing a singer in the romantic comedy. She has also uncovered that there will be lip-locks between her and her love interest as she teased, “If I would’ve told my teenager self [who], I would’ve have freaked out. I’m just gonna block it out and pretend like he’s not who he is.”

Contrary to the initial intention, “New Year’s Eve” is not sequel to 2010′s “Valentine’s Day”. Directed by Garry Marshall, it follows a group of New Yorkers, couples and singles, as they navigate their way through romance over the course of New Year’s Eve.

Also making up the cast ensemble are Zac Efron, Michelle Pfeiffer, Abigail Breslin, Jessica Biel, Robert De Niro, Jon Bon Jovi, Josh Duhamel and Sarah Jessica Parker among others. Filming has begun last week with the aim for it to be released in the U.S. on December 9. Honestly, I’m not sure this would be a hit… But, we’ll see :)