The Wizard of Oz (1987 musical)

The Wizard of Oz (1987 musical)
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Name	The Wizard of Oz
Music	Harold Arlen
Lyrics	E.Y. Harburg
Book	John Kane
Basis	The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum , 1939 MGM film
Productions	1987 West End

The Wizard of Oz (1987 musical). This stage musical adaptation, which premiered in London's West End, is a direct theatrical translation of the beloved 1939 MGM film. With a book by John Kane, it faithfully incorporates the iconic score by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, while utilizing the film's screenplay by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf. The production was renowned for its ambitious staging and special effects, aiming to recreate the cinematic magic of Victor Fleming's classic for the live stage.

Background and development

The musical was developed by the Royal Shakespeare Company as a major Christmas production for the Barbican Centre, the company's London home at the time. Director Ian Judge helmed the project, with choreography by David Toguri and musical supervision by Michael Lankester. The primary creative challenge was translating the film's extensive use of Technicolor and visual effects, such as the famous Kansas-to-Munchkin Country transition and the Wicked Witch of the West's appearances, into viable theatrical spectacle. The design team, including set designer Tim Goodchild and costume designer Sue Blane, worked to evoke the visual world of the film while adapting it for the proscenium stage, a process that involved significant technical innovation for its time.

Plot

The plot meticulously follows the narrative of the MGM film. Young Dorothy Gale, living on a farm in Kansas with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, is swept away by a cyclone to the magical land of Oz. Upon arrival, her house accidentally kills the Wicked Witch of the East, freeing the Munchkins. The Good Witch Glinda advises Dorothy to follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City to seek help from the powerful Wizard. Along the way, she befriends a Scarecrow in need of a brain, a Tin Woodman desiring a heart, and a Cowardly Lion seeking courage. After facing the wrath of the Wicked Witch of the West and her flying monkeys, the group reaches the Wizard, who demands they bring him the Witch's broomstick. After succeeding, the Wizard is revealed to be a humbug from Omaha, but he provides symbolic tokens to Dorothy's friends. Dorothy then discovers the power to return home using the magic slippers, repeating the lesson that "there's no place like home."

Musical numbers

The score consists almost entirely of the classic songs from the Arlen and Harburg film score, with some additions. Act One includes "Over the Rainbow", "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead", the Munchkinland sequence ("Follow the Yellow Brick Road"/"You're Off to See the Wizard"), and "We're Off to See the Wizard". The journey through the Haunted Forest features "The Jitterbug", a number cut from the final film but restored for this stage version. Act Two opens with "The Merry Old Land of Oz" in the Emerald City, followed by the Wizard's audience ("Bring Me the Broomstick"). The climactic sequence at the Witch's Castle incorporates "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead (reprise)", leading to the finale and reprise of "Over the Rainbow". Orchestrations were based on the original Herbert Stothart film arrangements, adapted for theatre orchestra.

Cast and characters

The original production starred Lizzy Gardiner in the central role of Dorothy Gale. The trio of companions was played by Gary Wilmot as the Scarecrow, Timothy Richards as the Tin Man, and Mickey Rooney Jr. as the Cowardly Lion. The formidable Wicked Witch of the West was portrayed by Patsy Rowlands, with Molly Sugden appearing as the benevolent Glinda the Good Witch. The dual role of Professor Marvel and the Wizard of Oz was performed by George Claydon. The ensemble included a large cast of actors, singers, and dancers to populate the worlds of Kansas, Munchkinland, the Emerald City, and the Witch's castle, with many playing multiple roles.

Production and reception

The production opened at the Barbican Theatre on December 15, 1987. It was a significant commercial undertaking for the Royal Shakespeare Company, noted for its elaborate sets, pyrotechnics, and the complex staging of effects like the tornado and the Witch's melting. Critical reception was mixed; while the fidelity to the source material and the performances were often praised, some reviewers felt the production struggled to escape the long shadow of the film and questioned the spectacle-over-substance approach. Despite this, it proved popular with family audiences during its holiday run. The adaptation later became a licensed property through Tams-Witmark, leading to numerous subsequent productions by schools and amateur theatre groups worldwide, cementing its place as a standard stage version of the story.