The Wizard of Oz is a musical based on the 1939 film of the same name in turn based on L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with a book adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The musical uses the Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg songs from the film and includes some new songs and additional music by Lloyd Webber and additional lyrics by Tim Rice. It is the third stage musical adaptation of the film following the 1942 version for the St. Louis Municipal Opera (The Muny) and the 1987 version for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
After previews in the West End from 7 February, the musical opened on 1 March 2011, directed by Jeremy Sams, and closed on 2 September 2012. The roles and original cast included Danielle Hope as Dorothy Gale, and Sophie Evans as alternative Dorothy, Michael Crawford as the Wizard, Paul Keating as the Scarecrow, Edward Baker-Duly as the Tin Man, David Ganly as the Cowardly Lion, Helen Walsh as Aunt Em, Stephen Scott as Uncle Henry, Emily Tierney was Glinda the Good Witch of the North, Hannah Waddingham as the Wicked Witch of the West, and four different West Highland Terriers alternated in the role of Toto. The role of Dorothy was cast through the 2010 reality television show Over the Rainbow, in which Hope won and Evans was the runner-up. After a similar Canadian reality TV search show, a Toronto production (starring Danielle Wade as Dorothy) began in December 2012 and closed in August 2013, and was followed by a North American tour. In April 2017 an Australian tour was announced including a season at the Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, and at the Adelaide Festival Theatre. The cast includes Anthony Warlow as the Wizard, with Lucy Durack as Glinda the Good Witch and Jemma Rix as Wicked Witch of the West. In 2023, the musical was revived at the London Palladium for a limited season, following a run at Curve, Leicester.
Background The Wizard of Oz is a 2011 musical based on 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, as well as L. Frank Baum's novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The Wizard of Oz was first turned into a musical extravaganza by Baum himself. A loose adaptation based on his 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (there is no Wicked Witch or Toto, and there are some new characters) first played in Chicago in 1902, and was a success on Broadway the following year. It then toured for nine years.Swartz, p. 146 The 1939 film adaptation bore a closer resemblance to the storyline of Baum's original novel than most previous versions. It was a strong success, winning the Academy Awards for Best Original Song and Original Score, and continues to be broadcast perennially.
The Wizard of Oz, 2011 musical, is the third stage musical adaptation of the film, following the 1945 version for the St. Louis Municipal Opera (The Muny) and the 1987 version for the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1945, the St. Louis Municipal Opera (MUNY) created a version with a script adapted by Frank Gabrielson from the novel, but it is influenced in some respects by the motion picture screenplay. It uses most of the songs from the film. This was followed, in 1987, by a Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) adaptation designed to more closely recreate the film version. The book by John Kane closely follows the film's screenplay, and it uses nearly all of the film's music.Swartz, p. 257 Both the MUNY and RSC adaptations were successes and have been revived numerous times in the US and UK.
The Wizard of Oz is Andrew Lloyd Webber's 18th musical.Underhill, William. "The Wizard of the West End". Newsweek, 30 January 2011 Tim Rice first collaborated with Lloyd Webber in 1965, together writing The Likes of Us. Their next piece was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, followed by two more concept albums that became hit musicals, Jesus Christ Superstar (1971) and Evita (1978). Except for a special collaboration for Queen Elizabeth's 60th birthday celebration, the musical Cricket in 1986, after Evita, each man turned to other collaborators to produce further well-known musical theatre works.
To create the new musical, Lloyd Webber and director Jeremy Sams adapted the 1939 film's screenplay, and Rice and Lloyd Webber added several new songs to the film's score."The Show". www.wizardofozthemusical.com. Retrieved 10 February 2011
Production history
West End (2011–12) After previews beginning 7 February,"The London Palladium, 'The Wizard of Oz' ". London Theatreland. Retrieved 19 December 2010 the musical opened in the West End, at the London Palladium, on 1 March 2011. The role of Dorothy was originated by Danielle Hope, who was selected through the reality television show Over the Rainbow, and the title role of the Wizard was created by Michael Crawford. Over the Rainbow runner-up Sophie Evans performed the role of Dorothy on Tuesday evenings and when Hope was ill or on holiday. Hannah Waddingham originated the role of the Wicked Witch of the WestShenton, Mark. "Hannah Waddingham, Paul Keating and More Cast in London Palladium's New Wizard of Oz" . Playbill.com, 25 November 2010 and was replaced in September 2011 by her understudy, Marianne Benedict.Ffrench, Andrew. "Marianne's magic at Palladium" . Oxfordmail.co.uk, 22 October 2011 Hope and Crawford left the production on 5 February 2012.Michael Crawford & Danielle Hope to Depart UK Wizard of Oz Feb. 5, BroadwayWorld.com, 12 January 2012 Evans replaced Hope in the role of Dorothy full-time in February 2012,"Sophie Evans to Take Over as Dorothy in West End's The Wizard of Oz", accessed 20 January 2012 and Russell Grant took over soon afterwards as The Wizard, for 14 weeks."Russell Grant to Replace Michael Crawford in Title Role of London's The Wizard of Oz" , accessed 23 January 2012 Des O'Connor portrayed The Wizard from May 2012 until the production closed."Confirmed: Des O'Connor to Star as The Wizard in THE WIZARD OF OZ from May 22; Show to Close in September", BroadwayWorld, 22 May 2012, accessed 14 September 2013
The musical was produced by Lloyd Webber and Bill Kenwright,Dalglish, Darren. "The Wizard of Oz cast updates at London Palladium". LondonTheatre, 25 November 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2010 with direction by Jeremy Sams, choreography by Arlene Phillips and sets and costumes by Robert Jones. It took in pre-opening sales of £10 million.Stott, Hannah. "'The Wizard of Oz' Prepares to Open to the Public With £10m of Tickets Already Sold". Sky News online, 2 March 2011 The production celebrated its 500th performance on 9 May 2012"Photo Flash: Wizard of Oz Celebrates 500th Performance!", BroadwayWorld.com, 10 May 2012 and closed on 2 September 2012.
Toronto (2012–13) and North American tours (2013–14; 2015–16) An autumn 2012 reality TV show, Over the Rainbow, hosted by Daryn Jones, searched for a Canadian girl to play the role of Dorothy in a Toronto staging by Mirvish Productions."CBC fall season reflects reduced budget", CBC News, 10 May 2012"Canada to Launch Over the Rainbow Reality Show to Cast 'Dorothy' in ALW's THE WIZARD OF OZ", Broadway World, 23 May 2012 On 5 November 2012, viewers of the show chose Danielle Wade, a 20-year-old University of Windsor acting major, to play the role, with Stephanie La Rochelle as first runner up."Over the Rainbow viewers pick Danielle to play Dorothy", CBCnews, 6 November 2012Ahearn, Victoria. , The Province, Canada.com, 7 November 2012 The production premiered on 20 December 2012 at the Ed Mirvish Theatre with an official opening on 13 January 2013. Besides Wade, the all-Canadian cast also included Cedric Smith as Professor Marvel/the Wizard, Lisa Horner as Miss Gulch/The Wicked Witch of the West, Mike Jackson as the Tin Man, Lee MacDougall as the Cowardly Lion, Jamie McKnight as the Scarecrow and Robin Evan Willis as Glinda."All-Canadian Cast to Lead Toronto's The Wizard of Oz", BroadwayWorld, accessed 13 November 2012 The production concluded its run on 18 August 2013, having been seen by over 500,000 people."Wizard of Oz Ends Toronto Run Today, North American Tour to Launch in Vegas, 9/10", Broadway World, 18 August 2013
The musical received a North American tour beginning on 10 September 2013 at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the original Canadian cast, except that Jacquelyn Piro Donovan played Miss Gulch/The Wicked Witch of the West."Jacquelyn Piro Donovan, Mike Jackson, Lee MacDougall and More Join Danielle Wade in North American Wizard of Oz Tour", Playbill, 7 August 2013 It concluded on 29 June 2014 at the Detroit Opera House. The musical received a second North American tour beginning on 1 December 2015 at the Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio, the all-American cast included Sarah Lasko as Dorothy, Mark A. Harmon as Professor Marvel/The Wizard, Shani Hadjian as Miss Gulch/The Wicked Witch of the West, Aaron Fried as Zeke/The Cowardly Lion, Jay McGill as Hickory/The Tin Man, Morgan Reynolds as Hunk/The Scarecrow, Rachel Womble as Glinda, Randy Charleville as Uncle Henry, and Emmanuelle Zeesman as Auntie Em. It concluded on 17 July 2016 at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Florida.
Australian tour (2017–18) The musical began touring Australia beginning 4 November 2017 at the Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane, Queensland, followed by a season at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney in Sydney from 30 December 2017. The cast included Anthony Warlow as the Wizard, Lucy Durack as Glinda the Good Witch, Jemma Rix as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Samantha Dodemaide as Dorothy. Durack and Rix previously portrayed Glinda and Elphaba respectively in the Australian production of Wicked.
Leicester (2022–23) The musical was scheduled to make its UK regional premiere in a new production directed by Nikolai Foster at the Curve, Leicester over the Christmas 2020 season. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the production was postponed to the Christmas 2021 season before being postponed again to the Christmas 2022 season. The cast includes Georgina Onuorah as Dorothy with Jonny Fines as the Scarecrow, Paul French as the Tin Man, Giovanni Spanó as The Lion, Ben Thompson controlling the puppet of Toto, Christina Bianco as Glinda the Good Witch, Mark Peachey as the Wizard, and Charlotte Jaconelli as the Wicked Witch of The West.
West End revival (2023) On 1 December 2022, it was announced that the Leicester production would transfer to London's West End at the London Palladium (where the original 2011 production also ran) for a limited season from 23 June to 3 September 2023, with an official opening night on 6 July. It is produced by Michael Harrison, starring Jason Manford as the Cowardly Lion, Ashley Banjo as the Tin Man, and Gary Wilmot as the Wizard and Professor Marvel, who previously played the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion in the 1987 version. Also featured in the cast are Louis Gaunt as the Scarecrow, Dianne Pilkington as the Wicked Witch, and Bianco and Onuorah reprising their roles of Glinda and Dorothy, respectively, from the Leicester production.The Wizard of Oz West End cast revealed with Jason Manford, Ashley Banjo & more The set design was by Colin Richmond, with projections by Douglas O'Connell, costumes and puppetry by Rachel Canning and lighting by Ben Cracknell.
UK and Ireland tour (2023–24) and West End revival (2024) It was also announced that the Leicester/London production toured the UK and Ireland beginning at the Liverpool Empire Theatre from 13 December 2023 until August 2024 with further dates to be announced, starring Aston Merrygold as the Tin Man and The Vivienne and Craig Revel Horwood as the Wicked Witch, with Wilmot returning as the Wizard.