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Follow-up to 'Maria': Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat and Simon Cowell is doing a Grease contest.

Last Updated: Wednesday, 20 December 2006, 18:00 GMT

Cowell unveils Grease talent show

TV talent show supremo Simon Cowell is to make a series searching for the leads for a new production of Grease.

The show follows the success of BBC One's How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria which saw Connie Fisher starring in the Sound of Music.

It will go against the BBC's own follow-up which will uncover a lead for Joseph and his Techincolour Dreamcoat.

Cowell beat the BBC to the rights to the Grease show after the corporation set up the American version.

Auditions to find two unknowns to fill the roles of Sandy and Danny will begin in the near future with a view to a new stage production opening next summer.

BBC Worldwide is already co-producing a US version for NBC, hosted by Denise Van Outen and titled Grease: You're The One That I Want!

Cowell denied stealing the UK show from the BBC.....

Full article - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6198043.stm