91Èȱ¬

Following the success of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, Any Dream Will Do and I'd Do Anything, Over The Rainbow reunites host Graham Norton and Andrew Lloyd Webber, who, along with a brand-new panel of experts (Sheila Hancock, Charlotte Church and John Partridge) and 91Èȱ¬ One viewers, will choose a Dorothy to perform in the West End production of The Wizard Of Oz next year.

The second show of the new series puts the 20 Dorothy hopefuls through their paces. As one of their tasks (to be seen in tonight's – Saturday 27 March – show) the girls get to work through a performance with five of the West End's most well-respected leading ladies – Kerry Ellis (soon to replace Jodie Prenger as Nancy in Oliver!), Ruthie Henshall (currently appearing in Chicago), Sheridan Smith (Legally Blonde), Tamzin Outhwaite (Sweet Charity) and Melanie C (Blood Brothers) – to gain a valuable insight into the life and profession that awaits them when they reach the end of the yellow brick road.

First up were Emma, Stephanie, Jenny and Tegan, who were thrilled to be working with Kerry Ellis, one of the most highly regarded performers in the West End. Ellis originated the role of Meat in We Will Rock You (2002-4) and has starred in numerous productions in the West End and on Broadway.

Ellis welcomed the girls to the Dominion Theatre, where she workshopped their group performance of Somebody To Love from We Will Rock You. Jenny had never been in a West End theatre before and was overcome with the sheer size of it. Once the workshop got under way, Kerry said that the girls were "fantastic" and would "make the other girls jealous ... because you've got the rock song!"

When the next group – Camille, Jessica, Stephanie Davis and Sophie – arrived at the Cambridge Theatre to meet star of stage and screen Ruthie Henshall, their excitement was overwhelming ... and loud! Jessica immediately started screaming when she saw the picture of Ruthie and realised she was going to get to meet one of her idols. "She's my hero – one of my absolute heroes ... I've never been so excited in my life!" and when they entered the auditorium where Ruthie was waiting for them, there were tears from both Jessica and Camille.

Having portrayed both Roxie and Velma in Chicago, there is nobody better placed to mentor the girls through their performance of All That Jazz – and when Ruthie introduced herself to the girls, Stephanie was so overcome with excitement she got a fit of the giggles!

When Sophie said her biggest fear was messing up in a performance, Ruthie calmed her nerves: "I've messed up in every show I've ever done ... I have forgotten lyrics, had to put props back and start again, had to stop the orchestra, missed whole verses of songs. This is live theatre, it's just how it works. You are going to mess up many times in your career. It's nothing to be afraid of."

There were more tears when Katie, Bronte, Lauren and Claire arrived at the Savoy Theatre for their workshop with Sheridan Smith – star of 91Èȱ¬ TV's Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps, Gavin & Stacey and Jonathan Creek, and making her acclaimed West End stage debut in Legally Blonde – and they weren't just from the girls!

Sheridan, carrying one of the Chihuahua dogs from the show, was moved to tears following the girls' first rendition of Over The Rainbow, the ballad from which the 91Èȱ¬ programme takes its title. "This is such an honour for me, I'm the world's biggest Wizard Of Oz fan ... that was just brilliant girls, that's how it should be done. I should take tips from you!"

The remaining girls – Amy, Danielle, Emilie, Claire, and Tasheka, Dani Rayner, Phillipa and Sarah – met up with Tamzin Outhwaite and Spice Girl Melanie C respectively, to perfect their renditions of If They Could See Me Now from Sweet Charity and Tell Me It's Not True from Blood Brothers.

Outhwaite – who is about to open in the West End at the Haymarket Theatre following a successful run in Southwark – was very excited to be working with the girls, and Melanie C, appearing in the long-running production of Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre, saw a lot of talent and quality in her group, singling out Tasheka for having "a beautiful air and tone to your voice".

CS