Over the Rainbow is a Canadian reality talent competition, which premiered on CBC Television on September 16, 2012. Based on the 2010 series Over the Rainbow in the United Kingdom, the series auditioned aspiring musical theatre performers for the role of Dorothy for a Toronto production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. The series was hosted by Daryn Jones. Arlene Phillips, Thom Allison, and Louise Pitre served as judges alongside Webber.
The competition began with a Dorothy "boot camp" run by Lloyd Webber, which trained contestants and eliminated all but 10 finalists. Following a public telephone vote on 4 November 2012, 20-year-old Danielle Wade was chosen as Dorothy to perform the role for Mirvish Productions in Toronto, which started on 20 December 2012. Wade has played several leading roles in student and community theatre and is an acting major at the University of Windsor. The judges praised her as "a consistently solid performer with a big voice and girl-next-door likeability and charm".
The show also auditioned Canadian dogs for the part of Toto. CBC and Weber did not restrict the breed of Toto to Cairn Terrier (as used in the 1939 film), but instead searched for a dog that embodies the spirit of Toto: One that is a "bright fun loving companion full of energy and charisma". The winner was a small mixed breed dog named Linzy, that looks similar to the film's Toto, owned by Reta Thompson. However, Linzy did not appear in the stage production.
Ten contestants made it through the audition rounds and performed during the live shows.
* at the start of the series
Danielle Wade
Week 1 - I'll Never Fall in Love Again
Week 2 - There You'll Be
Week 3 - Big Spender
Week 4 - Moon River
Week 5 - Valerie
Week 6 - At Last
Week 7 - I Dreamed a Dream
First Final Song - As If We Never Said Goodbye
Second Final Song - Repeat of Big Spender
Stephanie La Rochelle
Week 1 - The Climb
Week 2 - Titanium
Week 3 - Flashdance... What a Feeling
Week 4 - Buenos Aires
Week 5 - Smile
Week 6 - Someone Like You
Week 7 - Cabaret
First Final Song - I Believe My Heart
Second Final Song - Repeat of Buenos Aires
AJ Bridel
Week 1 - Mambo Italiano
Week 2 - Angel
Week 3 - One Night Only
Week 4 - True Colors
Week 5 - Feeling Good
Week 6 - Nobody Does It Better
Week 7 - All That Jazz
Final - Memory
Colleen Furlan
Week 1 - Fallin'
Week 2 - Call Me Maybe
Week 3 - Legally Blonde
Week 4 - If My Friends Could See Me Now
Week 5 - Could It Be Magic
Week 6 - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Week 7 - Somewhere
Cassandra Hodgins
Week 1 - Fever
Week 2 - Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)
Week 3 - Maybe This Time
Week 4 - Mercy
Week 5 - Out Here on My Own
Week 6 - Your Song
Jessie Munro
Week 1 - Take That Look Off Your Face
Week 2 - Firework
Week 3 - The Rose
Week 4 - Rolling in the Deep
Week 5 - No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)
Jennifer Gillis
Week 1 - Whistle Down the Wind
Week 2 - I'll Stand by You
Week 3 - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Week 4 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Julia Gartha
Week 1 - Make You Feel My Love
Week 2 - Give Your Heart a Break
Week 3 - The Man That Got Away
Michelle Bouey
Week 1 - Love Song
Week 2 - When You Believe
Kelsey Verzotti
Week 1 - Good Morning Baltimore
Opening Songs
Week 1 - Follow the Yellow Brick Road
Week 2 - Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead
Week 3 - The Merry Old Land of Oz
Week 4 - If I Only Had a Part
Week 5 - Don't Rain on My Parade
Week 6 - Together (Wherever We Go)
Week 7 - Don't Stop Believin'
Final - medley of The Wizard of Oz
Group Songs
Week 1 - One
Week 2 - Defying Gravity
Week 3 - Anything You Can Do
Week 4 - I Enjoy Being a Girl
Week 5 - medley of Mamma Mia! with Louise Pitre
First Week 6 Song - You Can't Stop the Beat
Second Week 6 Song - The Trolley Song with Thom Allison
First Week 7 Song - Seasons of Love
Second Week 7 Song - Something's Coming
First Final Song (Danielle, Stephanie & AJ) - Already Home
Second Final Song (All Dorothys) - medley of The Wizard of Oz
Third Final Song (Danielle, Stephanie & AJ) - Sing
Sing-offs The Bottom 2 voted by the public each week had to sing with one or two other Dorothys a contrasting song from a musical, then Andrew Lloyd Webber (week 1) and Arlene Phillips (weeks 2-7) would choose one of them to carry on in the competition. Danielle Wade was the only one not to have done a sing-off.
What I Did for Love - A Chorus Line - sung by Kelsey and Julia
Another Suitcase in Another Hall - Evita - sung by Michelle and Jessie
As Long as He Needs Me - Oliver! - sung by Julia and Jessie
Tell Me on a Sunday - Tell Me on a Sunday and Song and Dance - sung by Jennifer and Stephanie
Tell Me It's Not True - Blood Brothers - sung by Jessie and Cassandra
On My Own - Les Misérables - sung by Cassandra and Stephanie
No Matter What - Whistle Down the Wind - sung by Colleen and AJ
