Review of BBC Reality Show - Any Dream Will Do
Cast Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat West End Revival
Apr 15, 2009
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was an early hit musical of the collaboration between Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
In spring 2007, the British television channel BBC One presented a talent competition series Any Dream Will Do intended as a means for casting the lead character of Joseph in a revival of the musical. On Sunday evenings, BBC America is currently airing the series in syndication.
Although in the original run the audience was asked to assist in the casting through telephone voting, this is obviously now impossible, so the repeats have been altered slightly from the original show format. However, since the show largely consists of the competitors each singing a popular song, Any Dream Will Do may still be found to be entertaining.
Any Dream Will Do Show Format
Twelve male hopefuls compete to win the role of Joseph by each weekly performing a song selected by the judges. Audiences cast their votes and the two competitors with the fewest audience votes perform a sing off, after which Andrew Lloyd Webber is permitted to save one contestant, while the other must return home.
The first episode spent somewhat too much time showing how the twelve final contenders were selected, but from the second episode the show settles into its more entertaining “talent-show” format.
As well as each competitor performing his own song, the full company performs an opening number each week. This number is usually a selection from the score of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Other group numbers and challenges are added as the series progresses. Also, as the series progresses, each potential leading man is interviewed and profiled for audience understanding of their past experience and personality.
Graham Norton, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Denise Van Outen, John Barrowman, Zoe Tyler, and Bill Kenwright
The show is hosted and the individual performers are introduced by presenter and comedian Graham Norton.
Composer of the musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber acts as head judge. He normally makes the fewest comments about the performances, but his critiques are often the most constructive and practically based. Webber is the only “judge” to have a weekly vote in who stays and goes since he saves one of the two contestants to receive the fewest audience votes.
The panel of experts consists of theater producer Bill Kenwright, vocal coach Zoe Tyler, and actors John Barrowman and Denise Van Outen. These “experts” guide and teach the contestants during their preparation each week. After each performance the experts offer their opinions, but do now score or rank the individual performances.
It is clear the experts probably do guide the competitors off camera, but on screen, most of the comments of the “experts” are obviously given more for entertainment value than professional assistance. Sadly, the offered opinions sometimes tend to slow the show’s natural pace, becoming either tedious or boring.
Repeating Any Dream Will Do On BBC America
When the series originally aired in Britain, it had the mystery of being a competition. Since the series was made almost two years ago, viewers of BBC America can easily discover the end results by searching on the internet. However, it may be more entertaining to watch the program as a variety show rather than as a talent competition.
The necessary addition of commercials is not beneficial to the pace of the show which aired without commercial interruption in Britain. However, it is preferable that in America the results are aired at the end of the program rather than the audience have to tune in again later the same night for a second “half” program.
Chris Barton, Daniel Boys, Lewis Bradley, Craig Chalmers, Chris Crosby, Seamus Cullen, Ben James Ellis, Anthony Hansen, Keith Jack, Rob McVeigh, Lee Mead, Johndeep More
The twelve finalists vary in background and professional experience, but they each have individual strengths. Although it is a matter of taste, with only one exception, each expresses noticeable talent.
The eventual runner-up is often praised by the judges for his singing voice, but it is apparent that he has much less stage presence and ability than the other finalists, who also exhibit strong singing skills.
Audiences will become especially torn between which contestants to support, but the show remains largely enjoyable. Some song selections and performances are more entertaining than others, but which are classified as which is largely a matter dependant of the tastes of the individual viewer.
As the show progresses, each finalist is usually eliminated at an understandable point. The runner-up should have been eliminated earlier, and some contestants, such as first finalist to be eliminated Chris Crosby and Rob McVeigh whose elimination proved to be the midway point in the series, should have had a longer opportunity. But the ultimate winner fulfills promise.
