Glee’s Lea Michele is Dorothy of Oz

I’m a huge fan of OZ, from the original Baum stories, through the films, and most recently the great work by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young have done bringing the stories alive via MARVEL Comics. OZ, even when presented by others, just keeps reintroducing itself, and here is another example, with a project landing Lea Michele, star of the very-now show, Glee. According to Variety, Summertime Entertainment has slotted Michele to be the voice of Dorothy Gale in an animated feature that returns the classic character to OZ. Lending a hand voice to other familiar characters are Jim Belushi as the Lion, Dan Aykroyd as the Scarecrow and Kelsey Grammer as the Tin Man.

There are also new characters in the form of Oliver Platt as Wiser the Owl, Megan Hilty as the China Princess, Hugh Dancy as Marshall Mallow and Martin Short as the Jester. The report indicates that the Jester would be set as Dorothy’s arch-nemesis. This is the planned first story using the source material of Roger S. Baum, the great-grandson of the aforementioned L. Frank Baum.

Check out the release below for more info, and the official website.

TALENTED STAR VOICES HELP LEAD “OZ” FURTHER DOWN

THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD AND INTO A BRAND NEW DIMENSION

Casting and Further Details Announced for

Upcoming 3D-Animated Musical Feature, “Dorothy of Oz”

Los Angeles, CA — Today production company Summertime Entertainment makes an official casting announcement for their anticipated animated musical feature film, “Dorothy of Oz”. This announcement also includes the decision to produce the film in Stereoscopic 3D, and the launch of a new interactive teaser website, www.dorothyofoz.com.

In the film, the title and beloved role of Dorothy Gale will be played by Golden-Globe nominated actress Lea Michele, star of television’s hit series “Glee”. Also known for her acclaimed Broadway roles in Spring Awakening and Les Misérables, Lea makes her feature film and animation voice-over debut with “Oz” and will also be providing vocals on several original musical numbers.

The new comedic book character roles of Wiser the Owl and the delicate China Princess will be respectively voiced by Oliver Platt (2012, Frost/Nixon, Nip/Tuck, Huff, West Wing), and Broadway veteran Megan Hilty (star of the musical ‘9 to 5′). “Dorothy of Oz” also marks Hilty’s second venture into Oz after a successful run as Glinda in the national tour of Wicked. British Actor Hugh Dancy (Ella Enchanted, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Black Hawk Down) will play the soft-hearted and candy-coated Marshall Mallow, and Patrick Stewart (X-Men, Star Trek) will voice the humorous old soul and adventure-seeking Tugg. Set to be a musical with its main singing talents now in place, legendary singer/songwriter, Oscar nominee and 15-time Grammy winner Bryan Adams is currently moving forward on the first songs and lyrics for the film along with writing partner Jim Vallance.

Emmy and Tony award-winning Martin Short will play the Jester, the new arch-nemesis of Dorothy and all of Oz. The Jester is “a performer without his coveted audience” and the role is rife with comedy, song, and lighthearted wickedness. Comedian/actor Jim Belushi will portray the Lion, who is reveling in his new role as guardian and protector of Oz. Continuously attempting to remove the word “Cowardly” from his moniker with little success, he is forced to overcompensate with acts of exaggerated bravado. Academy award-nominated Dan Aykroyd will be voicing the Scarecrow, who famously once sang “If I only had a brain,” but has learned one should be careful what they wish for as now he finds himself in a position of authority that is entirely unfamiliar. Emmy award-winning and current Tony-nominee Kelsey Grammer rounds out the cast as the Tin Man, who with his new found heart is literally wearing his emotions on his sleeve and now needs to carry an extra oil can due to all his weeping.

An interactive teaser website has been launched at www.dorothyofoz.com, and the film’s marketing campaign being run by CW3PR intends to use corresponding social networking sites to launch several online apps and activities over the coming months including a grassroots “gift a yellow brick to help re-pave the Emerald City road” viral game. A release date for the film has yet to be set, but production is scheduled to finish in late 2011.