Three B.C. contestants make Over the Rainbow's top 20

While there are plenty of rainbows being flown about this month, there's one show underway that's searching for life beyond the rainbow.

The top 20 Dorothys for CBC TV's Over the Rainbow competition have been selected.

If you're just tuning in, the competition series is a national search for a performer to star as Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Canadian production of The Wizard of Oz, which will open at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto in December.

The series, hosted by Daryn Jones, will air on Sunday nights on CBC this fall. Ten finalists will compete by singing a mix of Broadway show tunes and pop songs each week. One contestant will be eliminated each week. The final three will compete in a showdown (with Lloyd Webber in attendance), and Canadian audiences will choose the winner.

Three of the contestants chosen for the top 20 are listed as hailing from British Columbia:

Jennifer Gillis, Coquitlam, BC

Fiona McIntyre, Port Moody, BC

Christie Stewart, Vernon, BC

The 20 semifinalists will attend a musical theatre training intensive this summer to hone their singing, dancing, and acting skills.

Here's the full list of the top 20 semifinalists:

Malindi Ayienga, Etobicoke, ON

Michelle Bouey, Charlottetown, PEI

AJ Bridel, Kitchener, ON

Alessandra Cannito, Toronto, ON

Rebecca Codas, Toronto, ON

Sarah Forestieri, Nobleton, ON

Colleen Furlan, Winnipeg, MB

Julia Gartha, Unionville, ON

Jennifer Gillis, Coquitlam, BC

Cassandra Hodgins, London, ON

Stephanie La Rochelle, Ottawa, ON

Lia Luz, Scarborough, ON

Fiona McIntyre, Port Moody, BC

Jessie Munro, Toronto, ON

Tevra Plamondon, Red Deer, AB

Emily Robertson, Milford Station, NS

Christie Stewart, Vernon, BC

Michelle Thibodeau, Moncton, NB

Kelsey Verzotti, Calgary, AB

Danielle Wade, La Salle, ON

Unfortunately, viewers will have to wait until September to find out which dogs are the finalists for the role of Toto.

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