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The Any Dream Will Do Story Reviews and information from each of the episodes from the successful BBC Programme that saw Lee Mead being launched into the public eyes!
Originally from Southend-on-Sea, 25 year old Lee Mead is very much an Essex boy at heart! Now living in Brockley in London, he makes his living as a professional singer and actor. But he is most well known for being a contestant in the BBC’s 'Any Dream Will Do', where his smouldering good looks and trademark dark curly hair have graced our TV screens on a weekly basis for the past few months. Initially it seemed that the public thought a professional shouldn’t be allowed to be part of the show. However after fighting his way through to each successive round of the competition, it soon became clear that Lee deserved to be there and had rightfully earned his place in the live shows alongside the other contestants. Lee says: "I feel I should be Joseph as this is something I truly want. I am passionate about this character and believe I can give the public and the show the Joseph they know and love but with a new, fresh, individual stamp.", adding that "As amazing as being an understudy is, you can't really beat having your own lead role - I'm always the guy waiting for somebody to go sick, and waiting to go on stage. I 100% believe that I can be Joseph, and what I am hoping is people aren't going to judge me just because I'm a professional. I've worked hard to get to where I am, and I want to be given the same opportunity as anybody else because I want this as much as anybody else, if not more, and that is why I am here. Opportunities like this don't come along very often, and that is why I am here, and that is why I want the part of Joseph - it is my dream." ‘Any Dream Will Do’ judge Denise Van Outen said that "It is so hard to get lead roles in the West End, if this is the only way he can do it, then good luck to him.” We couldn't agree more Denise! From what we've been seeing on our TV screens for the past few weeks, Lee deserves to win the show. Although there are other talented singers and actors in the competition, it is Lee who performs consistently well week after week and whose performances own the stage. He is talented, young and so right for the role of Joseph. We can’t blame Mrs Potiphar for trying to seduce him! Reasons for Lee to be ‘Joseph': · He is the most accomplished performer on the show and has shown he can sing songs of all genres exceptionally well · He can act. When performing his numbers he interprets the lyrics like none of the other contestants, who all seem to try too hard · He is neither too old nor too young to be Joseph – the perfect age! · He has the ability to sustain his performances and has a proven track record of being able to pull it off night after night · Last but not least, from a female point of view Lee is utterly gorgeous and has the perfect loincloth body!
So it has to be Lee for the lead role of Joseph - make sure you vote for Lee every week! ‘Any Dream Will Do’ 14 April 2007: In the first of the BBC’s ‘Any Dream Will Do’ live knock-out shows, Lee Mead was the second Joseph hopeful to sing, with 'Mack the Knife'. Afterwards John Barrowman said: "That was not an understudy performance - that was a leading man performance! You took to the stage, you made it your own, and you worked the audience, well done." Denise Van Outen told Lee "I think you are an absolute star, fantastic! Great light and shade in your performance from the beginning, right through to the end. And let me tell you something, I watched Robbie Williams sing that song at the Albert Hall, and you gave Mr Williams a run for his money!" Next Bill Kenwright, who has employed Lee in the past, but never as a leading man said: "When I first saw Lee audition I didn't know he was going to be there, and he walked on and I said: 'That's Lee!". I have to say that I've employed him twice and I've never seen that extra something that makes star... until now. Lee - you are a star! You deserve to come way up from the understudy role, you're a star!" Lastly Zoe Tyler said: "Lee, I've been in classes with these guys 24/7 just about, and sometimes just because you're the most experienced vocally doesn't necessarily mean you're the best, which I've seen a few times in our classes this week. But you know what, that was a very, very sophisticated performance, vocally excellent." Finally, once all the public votes where counted, it was announced that Lee had received enough votes to go straight through to next week's programme. And quite rightly too - just watch and lust freely if you like, smooth and sexy from the first note to the last. It has to be Lee all the way!
21 April 2007: The second of the BBC’s ‘Any Dream Will Do’ live shows saw Lee Mead sing the Daniel Powter song 'Bad Day'. Afterwards Graham Norton asked the judging panel what they thought of Lee's performance. Denise said: "Lee, it is a very hard song to sing, but what I really like about you is you take the challenge and you go with it - and you proved tonight that you can act. The boys watch and learn, that is how it should be done when it comes to acting. I thought you where great." Theatre producer Bill added "I totally agree with Denise, you showed tonight what acting is all about - it's being still, it is being inward, it is being focused, it is not being over the top, it's making them come to you. Not the easiest song in the world to sing, a very difficult song - forget worries tonight, you're in, I'm telling you." John said "When you are on stage, you are a leading man. You make us feel comfortable, you're controlled, you're focused, and you deliver the song and you act it well. Superb job, well done." Zoe commented "You give yourself problems, you make problems up in your mind, in our classes, you don't need to do that, you've got to believe in yourself, we all believe in you. You were fantastic, you were hot tonight, it was an emotional performance, fantastic, great." Finally Andrew concluded by saying "I think you did fantastically with the song we worked with a lot on Wednesday, it is a very difficult song to sing and we changed it around a wee bit as well, so I think it really worked very much better tonight - I think you did really very well with an extremely difficult song, you really did." When all the public votes where added up, it was revealed that Lee had secured enough votes to go straight through to the show next week. The other contestants need to watch and learn - this is what you are here to do, so do it and enjoy! And how many of us wish we could have been the girl at the end who ended up kissing the gorgeous one..... swoon indeed!
28 April 2007: The third of the BBC’s ‘Any Dream Will Do’ live knock-out shows. This week not one but two Joseph hopefuls were voted off the show. Lee Mead sung the Rod Stewart track 'I Don't Want To Talk About It', after which Bill Kenwright said: "There is nothing more thrilling than to see a song beautifully performed ... you kept that wonderful truth you have." Lee managed to secure enough public votes to get through both of the evening's knock-outs without having to go through either of the dreaded sing offs. Interestingly, just before the first vote was announced, Graham Norton asked the judges who they thought, based on tonight performance, should be Joseph and Bill Kenwright said Lee should be Joseph! After Lee’s excellent understated performance, this was no surprise. He sang the lyrics with such feeling and as an added bonus, looked stunning too! With this appearance he may well have won the hearts and minds of many female viewers who would happily part with their hard earned cash to see him in a loincloth! Just watch and enjoy! 5 May 2007: For the fourth BBC ‘Any Dream Will Do’ show Lee Mead sang Free’s 'All Right Now'. Afterwards Denise Van Outen said: "You shouted through that song," and Zoe Tyler commented "I just thought that was a bit rubbish". Andrew Lloyd Webber said "It shows you are not that experienced – you didn't sing as well tonight." In the days leading up to this live show Lee had been suffering from a virus and had been under doctor’s orders to rest. When host Graham Norton asked the judges to decide who, based on tonight's performance, was not their choice for Joseph, Zoe Tyler picked Lee. Thankfully when all the public votes where added up, it was revealed that the public didn’t agree with Zoe and Lee had secured enough votes to go straight through to the next show. Watch the video here and judge for yourself. This wasn’t Lee’s best performance as he let his nerves get the better of him. Under the strain of illness, he wanted to prove to the public that he deserved to be in the final 12. Don't worry Lee, you proved this in the face of adversity, but instead of deliberately straining to impress the audience, stick to being yourself instead of trying to be someone you're not! Your personality and passion naturally shines through and the public will be impressed anyway - better luck next week! 12 May 2007: The fifth show of the BBC’s ‘Any Dream Will Do’ saw Lee Mead sing the Will Young track 'Leave Right Now'. This is a fantastic song when Will Young sings it but Lee put him to shame with his unique interpretation, full of feeling and passion - as close to perfection as it gets. Afterwards Bill Kenwright said: "You are everything I look for in a performer," vocal coach Zoe Tyler said "Tonight, that was phenomenal" and Andrew Lloyd Webber described it as "Awesome". Once again, Lee managed to secure enough public votes to get through to the following week's programme. The video of Lee’s appearance this week can be found here.
19 May 2007: This week saw the sixth installment of the BBC’s ‘Any Dream Will Do’ live shows. The programme opened with a spectacular group performance of ‘Go Go Go Joseph’ from ‘Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’, after which the contestants sang individually. Lee Mead was last to sing and in a stunning display of dark and mysterious emotion, sang the classic Rolling Stones song 'Paint It Black'. After his performance, ‘Torchwood’ star John Barrowman said "Lee, it pains me to say this but I would gladly give my leading man's shoes to you to wear in the West End.". Bill Kenwright said "Lee, that was in a totally different league to anything we've seen tonight.", both well deserved compliments from the judges this week. Lee also sang the Barbra Streisand number 'Don't Rain on My Parade' from the musical ‘Funny Girl’, as part of a trio along with fellow contestants Craig and Daniel. At the end of the show, Graham Norton read out the results of the public telephone vote, when it was revealed that Lee had secured enough votes to go straight through to next week's programme. You can judge Lee’s performances for yourself on the BBC’s website, where you can view all his songs including the brooding 'Paint it Black' and 'Don’t Rain on My Parade' sung with Craig and Daniel. 26 May 2007: Show seven started well with the final five contestants singing the Prologue from Joseph. It was then up to Lee to sing first. Lee had to portray himself as Joseph the dreamer something that as yet, Lee had apparently failed to do. In the VT prior to his performance he spoke favourably of his nan who had introduced him to musicals as a child and of whom he clearly had fond memories. In order to be a dreamer, Lee knew that he needed to think of her during tonight's performance of The Monkees classic 'Daydream Believer'. After an energetic performance it was over to the judges to pass comment on Lee's performance. First, Zoe, the vocal coach explained that she wanted to see the fun side of Lee. She said 'the reasons he looks intense is he sets his jaw a 'bit Brucie' and this makes his face look harsh, we worked on that loosening the jaw and opening the mouth' she went on to say 'I feel safe vocally with you Lee, that was great!' It was then onto John who said the performance was like 'a nice glass of lemonade on a cool refreshing summer's day. That was brill, perfect, professional, polished. The West End is in need of Lee Mead' Praise indeed! It was then the turn of Andrew to comment. 'Last week, Lee gave the performance of the series 'Paint it Black' This week he had to be the dreamer. Lee displayed the perfect early Joseph qualities , he got my MOJO working, really, really terrific!' Well you can't say much more than that, methinks Sir Andrew is a fan! The Joseph boys went on to perform a lively rendition of 'Do you love me?' from Dirty Dancing before which we got a rather nice but brief snippet of the lovely Lee in just his pants!!!! Worth watching for that alone! The start of the second programme of the evening saw the boys dressed in black jeans and tight black t-shirts to perform 'Born to be wild' as a group. Lee true to form looked incredibly sexy and proved yet again that he has the 'perfect' loincloth physique! As a surprise to the lads, Andrew had lined up a session in a recording studio during which time they were unknowingly being watched by Josh Groban who would be choosing one of the boys to duet with during the show. Lee was lucky enough to be chosen and performed the song beautifully alongside the icon. Sir Andrew thought he 'held his own, very, very well.' Then it was the turn to hear the votes from the audience, Lewis went through first, then Lee and finally Keith. This left Ben and Craig in the sing off. Craig was sent home by Andrew leaving the final four contestants!
2nd June: This week saw the luscious Lee in the semi-finals with Lewis, Lee and Ben. The start of the show was amazing with the four boys singing ‘Joseph’s Coat’. Lee looked fantastic as usual in his red ‘Joseph’ coat and watching him perform made me think that perhaps the lyric ‘I look handsome, I look smart, I am a walking work of art’ had been written especially for him!!!! And Tim Rice could see into the future when he wrote the words! Lee was the last to perform and I couldn’t help think that he looked a little nervous tonight. During the preamble VT we got to see Lee’s vulnerable side as he only just managed to keep a lid on his emotions and appeared close to tears as he tried to explain just how overwhelming the whole Joseph experience had been. I really felt for him at this point as I think a lot of people assume he is ‘strong’ as he has been on the West End stage before, but it showed him to be a real person with real feelings and for that I am grateful to the BBC. Lee sang Bon Jovi’s ‘Living on a Prayer’ Andrew wanted to see a real rock and roll performance and Lee tried hard to deliver but it was clear to his fans that he was perhaps a bit out of him comfort zone. The boy did well though and despite a ‘cock up’ at the end that no one is really sure if it was down to Lee or the band, he came through and he looked noticeably more relaxed. After the performance, Zoe commented first, a little aggressively, I thought? She asked Lee what had happened at the end, ‘were you scared?’ Lee looked a little uncomfortable and at a loss as to what to say so she followed it up with ‘it’s OK to be scared, you went wrong and you covered your tracks well’ ‘BRILLIANTLY’ quipped John Barrowman and Zoe relented a little. Though she did go on to say that it ‘was not 100% accurate performance’ Lee stood there biting him lip looking a little forlorn. It was then the turn of Bill who put things into context a bit by talking about the immense pressure the boys were under and recalled a television interview that last weeks losing finalist Craig had given to BBC Breakfast news. Craig was asked if it was fair that Lee’s journey has been different to everyone else because he has already been working professionally. Craig apparently replied with ‘Lee’s journey is exactly the same as everyone else, he has come a long way on the show.’ This comment from Craig proved what I already thought of him, that he is a lovely person, thank you Craig. Bill continued to say that he saw Lee as ‘someone with insecurities’ and encouraged Lee not to hide them. He also said that standing in front of him was one of the greatest interpretators of a song he has ever seen in 30 years as a producer. ‘In Lee, I don’t just see a West End star, I see an international Super Star! I think you’re fantastic!’ Wow praise does not get much better than that! Lee’s face lit up with this comment and his eyes twinkled!
Andrew then spoke to Lee about the performance and the slight slip that he believed was done to the band and not Lee as Zoe had thought. He said that Lee ‘covered it brilliantly’ and that he was ‘completely on the mark, you did it, brilliant!’ So it looks like whatever the mistake was, the fact that Lee had not gone to pieces had showed he could cope with the 8 shows a week demand that something like Joseph puts on a person. Go, Lee, Go!!!! As part of the show this evening, the boys had to perform a duet with another contestant. Tonight Lee had been paired with Lewis to sing ‘Oh What a Circus’ from Evita. It was a case of Lee’s mature sexiness against Lewis’ young naivety. Not much of a competition really, Lee’s acting ability and ability to feel the song shone through as did his superior vocal talent. An impressive performance. In the second show of the evening the boys began with the aptly titled Queen song ‘Under Pressure’ which they did well. Must say I was a little distracted by the quality of Lee’s physique in his tight fitting lilac t-shirt, but can you blame a girl! It was a strong performance from all and it showed the camaraderie between the boys. This was continued into the VT where the boys visited the set of ‘Lord of Rings’ and Lewis was ‘wigged’ up into a long grey wig and said that he was ‘going all grey like Lee.’ This cause much hilarity amongst the lads and it was good to see that Lee was able to laugh at himself!
Now it was vote off time. Tensions were clear in all the faces of the boys, none more so than in Lee's who looked petrified and I think he thought that he had blown it! But Graham Norton called him through first. Lee’s reaction was one of total shock, he placed his head in his hands as the colour drained away from him face. He was clearly astounded and looked quite ill for a few seconds before regaining him composure to congratulate Keith the second contestant to get voted in. This left Lewis and Ben in the sing off. Andrew saved Lewis which I think was shock to some and Ben gave back his Joseph coat. So that’s it, the final three. Lee, Keith and Lewis into next week’s live final where the public get to decide who is JOSEPH……… Let’s hope they see sense and choose the man who has the maturity, talent, strength of character and acting ability to be able to lead the cast in Joseph, Lee. The fact that he is a total sex god can only help…..! 9th June - The Final......... Well, Saturday night arrived and we found ourselves down the final three, Keith Jack, Lewis Bradley and our favourite, the illustrious Lee Mead! The show started with a ‘Joseph Family’ reunion as we saw all 12 boys leaping effortlessly around the floor singing ‘Go Joseph’ leaving us at home hollering at our TV screens, ‘Go Lee’ more like!
Tonight we saw the three finalists being treated to a short break at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rather sumptuous villa in Majorca. The perfect opportunity to see the lads dressed in their dinner jackets, cue the James Bond music and a rather sexy and smooth looking Lee, who looking like that could have probably secured the lead in James Bond too had he auditioned!! The boys are interviewed and Lee rather humbly explains that he does not want fame, he wants to be Joseph. Trouble is Lee, when you look and sound like you do, and the following you’re building up, fame will inevitably follow! But you appear to be grounded and rather appealing nervous, so I don’t think it is going to change you as a person. The VT prior to Lee’s first performance of the evening took us through Lee’s personal journey on his quest to be a West End leading man. He spoke of the time in the competition when he was taking things far too seriously and cried lots after Zoe had criticised him for being ‘a bit rubbish’. This according to Lee was a turning point and he decided ‘to embrace the whole thing more’ and when we as the audience began to see the lighter side of Lee that we have all fallen in love with!
It was then Lee’s turn to perform and what a tall order, Elvis Presley’s ‘Devil in Disguise’ in which we saw Lee turn in a confident performance with plenty of flirting it seemed with Denise and Zoe! The audience loved it and there was much screaming, shouting and stamping of feet! The panel then commented, John said he would feel confidence with Lee as a leading man and ‘rather than Devil in Disguise Lee was a Lead in Disguise’ and who could argue? He went on to say ‘There was some tuning issues, but I'll leave that up to Zoë, but I forgive you. Like you can see from the audience here they love watching you. You're definitely the quintessential leading man.’ Zoe forgave Lee any tuning issues and commented on how hard the boys had worked this week. She said that she had in the past been tough on Lee because ‘I know what your capabilities are. You look like an angel; you sing like an angel, you are stunning!’ Couldn’t agree more Zoe! Bill then told us again about Lee’s incredible ability to interpret a song and ‘make it his own’. At this point Denise shouted ‘and he’s sexy!’ As if we didn’t know, but it raised a lovely smile from Lee and applause from the audience. Andrew agreed that it ‘was terrific, great performance.’ So it was round one down and Lee looked happy and relaxed.
Next the boys performed some big band numbers. Joseph is expected to look handsome and smart and Lee certainly pulled this off again as he strutted his stuff in his DJ once again singing the Sinatra classic ‘New York, New York’. This was a powerful and confident performance from Lee, appreciated by the studio audience who spontaneously stood up as he entered the room. Maybe the viewing public were looking at their leading man, it certainly appeared that the audience were making no secret of their favourite. It was a top performance and totally compelling to watch. The praise from the panel was awesome; I’ll let you read them yourselves:
Bill Kenwright: "This is my moment of truth. I know what you've given up to take on this competition. I know what a gamble it is for you. You've worked for me. You've understudied for me. I should have seen back then what everybody has seen for the last eight weeks. You are not an understudy. You're a leading man. You're a star. It's taught me a lot this series. You're gonna wake up tomorrow morning a West End leading man." Zoë Tyler: "That was an amazing performance Lee. You know I've been working for three months now with all your voices, quite frankly what am I going to do with all my days. That was an amazing song for you; there could not have been a finer song to show your fine, fine voice." Andrew Lloyd Webber: "You're a fantastic performer. I always think when I hear New York, New York, 'why is it those songs never work with English place names?' You know something, if the song was called Torquay, Torquay - you would have made a great performance out of that. You're phenomenal. You're a great showman. You've got everything there." And I couldn’t agree more with those comments! All three finalists gave a shorten version of ‘Maria’ from Westside Story or as Graham Norton mistakenly said. West End story which was probably more appropriate! In this I can only say I watched Lee, the others sang well too, but it is Lee you watch, he draws you into his spell and it is difficult to keep your eyes off him. He looked totally gorgeous, there was almost an angelic quality about him, he looked pretty much close to perfection and sang perfectly too.
It was then time to vote off the Joseph in third place. Tensions were clear in all the faces of the boys as they stood there in the spotlights. Graham said that voting was over for now and ‘Lee, you’ve come so far, does the public believe in you? They do!’ This comment sees Lee jumping off the stairs in delight. Hurrah he is through to the final two. Lewis is placed third and Keith and Lee see him through his emotional send off. Programme two begins with a recap of the first show. Keith and Lee sing their favourite songs from the whole series and we see Lee’s passion as he begins the dark and moving classic ‘Paint It Black.’ This sets Lee into a class of his own, he is fantastic and absolutely marvellous in this role, vulnerable yet angst ridden. It was as it was the first time he performed it totally amazing.
We then saw the last duet of the series, ‘Jesus Christ’ both Lee and Keith performed their socks off their feet. I cannot criticise either it was electric and it made me realise that even if Keith did not win, we would most definitely be seeing him again in the future. Lee’s acting won through as we watch him tell the story in a strong and confident manner. That was it, job done, neither Lee nor Keith could do anything more, the lines were closed, £500,000 had been raised for charity and the public had decided on their Joseph. The wait for the result was painful as the camera panned from Keith to Lee and back again. Lee looked close to tears as he fought to regain his composure. Graham Norton then announced the winner ‘LEE!!!!!’ He hugged Keith, sobbed and smiled that gorgeous smile of his as the audience cheered their new leading man.
Lee was then sent to get his multicoloured coat. He strode onto the stage, with the broadest grin ever and he began singing the classic ‘Any Dream Will Do’ from Joseph. It was an accomplished performance. At the end fireworks rained down and the other 11 finalists ran onto the stage and held Lee aloft whilst chanting ‘Lee, Lee, Lee.’ A lovely selfless send off from the boys and one in which I can only say befitted the victor, the talented and sexy, Lee Mead, 25 from Essex!!!!!
The text below is from the BBC’s press office and gives us feedback on Lee’s victory from the man himself and the panel. Tonight's grand final of Any Dream Will Do live on BBC One saw understudy Lee Mead triumph in the public vote and win the right to wear the coveted Technicolor Dreamcoat in a new West End production of Joseph. Immediately after landing one of the best loved roles in musical theatre, Lee Mead said:"I'm shocked, I was obviously hoping that I'd do well, but it hasn't sunk in at all. I feel incredible - it's the best feeling in the world." Legendary composer and producer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who had absolutely no say in the choosing of his new leading man as viewers voted to select their Joseph, was thrilled with the public's choice, saying: "I'm absolutely delighted. Lee may have been an understudy, but he's never sung in front of me, or sung in front of milions of people before. He did a fantastic job." Host Graham Norton said:"Lee is a consummate professional, he commands the stage. As an audience member, you are so relaxed with him in charge. You have total confidence that he is able to do the job. He can do it all." Doctor Who star and West End leading man John Barrowman commented:"Lee won because he is polished, professional and close to perfection in what he does. He goes on stage and commands it, and one of the best qualities about him is that he doesn't analyse the song too much. He just gets out there and does it. I'm happy to give over my West End leading man's shoes for a while, to allow him to fill them." West End leading lady Denise Van Outen said:"Lee from the very beginning right through to the very end has been the most consistent out of all the contestants. He has the ability to make even really popular songs his own and he has his own unique style of performing. The next time he lands a role as a leading man, can he put me forward to be the leading lady?" Theatre impressario and Everton Chairman Bill Kenwright commented:"Lee won because he totally, but totally, deserves to step out of the shadows of the chorus and become a leading man. Time and time again he took standards by such luminaries as Presley, Darin and Jagger and made me forget the originals. There's no greater tribute I can pay to any artist than that. This is it Lee, this is what you've wanted, this is what you've waited for and this is what, more than anything, you have deserved it, since you first saw Joseph in Southend as a kid. Enjoy every second of it." Vocal coach Zoe Tyler, who has worked constantly with the boys throughout the run of the show, said:"As soon as Lee sets foot on the stage he lights the whole stage up, he knows how to perform and he knows how to bring the audience in 100 per cent. His vocals are in a class of their own. His strengths are his incredible ability to give a leading man performance and that his vocals and range are phenomenal. I'd advise him to pace himself, enjoy every single moment and that he now has to believe he is a star." 12th June - Lee's charity single 'Any Dream Will Do' is available to download from today in support of Children of Need - go ahead and support both Lee and the charity!
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