UpdatedAspiring Dorothys audition for CBC's "Over the Rainbow" in Winnipeg

Seven lucky young women were chosen in Winnipeg to go on the next round
as CBC searches for the perfect Dorothy.

"I'm kind of in disbelief right now," exclaimed Julie Lumsden after emerging from her audition. "To me this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I'm in university for a performance degree and this is an unbelievable chance to go to Toronto with all these talented Dorothys. It's a dream come true."

As that timeless classic song Over the Rainbow  says, "The dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."

In addition to Lumsden, Winnipeg's best Dorothys are Tiera Watts, Savannah Boyko, Colleen Furlan, Jana Morrison, Shayna Pavlicelli, all of Winnipeg, and Chelsea Woodard of Weyburn, SK.

Auditions are being held across the country for CBC's reality show Over the Rainbow.

On June 21, 100 contestants will be wittled down to 10.

Those finalists will compete live on Over the Rainbow.

And the lucky winner of that will go on to perform Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Canadian production of The Wizard of Oz opening at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto this December.

CBC  launched a nationwide search for Dorothy and on June 4 nearly 40 Dorothy wanna-bees lined up to sing that iconic song at the Winnipeg auditions.

"It's the role of a lifetime," says T.J. Pepper at the audition. "It's a role that could continue on with a career in musical theatre across Canada."

Brianne Picken of Landmark, Manitoba feels she can identify with Dorothy. "She wonders what's out there besides living on the farm and in a small town," she says. "Landmark is a very small town so I can definitely identify with what else is out there in the great wide world."

"We're looking for a fresh new star in the making, and Canadians will play a key role in helping us to find our "Dorothy," said David Mirvish of Mirvish Productions. "The new Dorothy must be able to not only sing, act and dance at a high level, but also have the charisma and presence to carry a marquee production on one of the country's largest stages night after night."

After Winnipeg the nationwide search will move on to Montreal, Halifax and Toronto. Those auditioning are asked to prepare Over the Rainbow and another song of their choice.