The Wizard of Oz (MUNY Version)

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The Wizard of Oz (MUNY Version)

Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy  /  4w, 4m plus ensemble

By L. Frank Baum
Adapted by Frank Gabrielson
With Music and Lyrics of the MGM motion picture score by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg
Background Music by Herbert Stothart

This playful stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum's celebrated novel features characters and events not seen in the MGM film.

Image: 1939 Film Version (THE WIZARD OF OZ and all related characters and elements © & TM Turner Entertainment Co.)

The Wizard of Oz (MUNY Version)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 4m plus ensemble
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Fantasy, Adventure, Adaptation (Stage & Screen), Theatre for Young Audiences, Fable/Folktale
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 1940 Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song ("Over the Rainbow")
    Winner! 1940 Academy Award for Best Music, Original Score

Details

Summary

This original stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz premiered at the Municipal Theatre of St. Louis (MUNY) in 1942.

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There are two full-length versions of The Wizard of Oz: MUNY and RSC. Both include the songs “Over the Rainbow,” “Munchkinland (Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead),” “If I Only Had a Brain/A Heart/The Nerve,” “We’re Off to See the Wizard (Follow the Yellow Brick Road),” “Jitterbug,” and “The Merry Old Land of Oz.” The MUNY version also has “Evening Star.” The RSC version also includes “Poppies (Optimistic Voices)” and “If I Were King of the Forest.”

This MUNY version is the more theatrically conservative, and employs its stage, actors, singers, dancers and musicians in traditional ways. Using L. Frank Baum’s book – and not the MGM film – as its inspiration, this version employs story and songs as elements of a classic stage musical. This version does not include Toto, but instead adds new characters, including Farmhand Joe, Gloria of Oz, Lord Growlie, Tibia (the witch’s skeletal assistant), two comical neighboring witches, and the Royal Army of Oz.

The RSC Version is a more faithful adaptation of the film. A more technically complex production, it recreates the dialogue and structure of the MGM classic nearly scene for scene, though it is adapted for live stage performance. The RSC version’s musical material also provides more work for the SATB chorus and small vocal ensembles.

History
Created for the Municipal Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri (the Muny) in 1942 and revived there several times, this stage adaptation was the first to use the songs from MGM's 1939 film release The Wizard of Oz. The first Muny production featured Evelyn Wycoff as Dorothy and Al Downing as the Munchkin Mayor.
  • Time Period 1930s
  • Setting The Gale farmhouse in Kansas and various locations in the Land of Oz
  • Features Fantasy Costumes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“This is, to come out with it immediately, the most marvellous show.” – Jeremy Kingston, The Times

“‘Iconic’ is an overused word these days, but when you’re talking about The Wizard of Oz, there’s really no other – whether you mean the 1939 film with Judy Garland, L. Frank Baum’s book (it came first, you know), or a stage version... this Oz, brimming with color, seduces and delights.” – Collin Kelley, Atlanta In Town

“Since this classic movie first delighted children and grownups back in 1939, L. Frank Baum’s glorious fantasy has been a continual favorite. Whether on film, in print or live on stage, as it is at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, this fanciful story, with its inspiring lesson about friendship, is one of the most beloved in children’s literature... Did Yip Harburg and Harold Arlen have any idea of the enduring musical magic they’d created when they composed all those wonderful, infectious songs?” – Colin Douglas, Chicago Theatre Review

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

A Guide to The Wizard of Oz
13 December 2022

Videos

  • Highlights - Walnut Street Theatre youtube thumbnail

    Highlights - Walnut Street Theatre

  • Over The Rainbow youtube thumbnail

    Over The Rainbow

  • Alliance Theatre - Wizard of Oz youtube thumbnail

    Alliance Theatre - Wizard of Oz

  • Chicago Shakes - Wizard of Oz youtube thumbnail

    Chicago Shakes - Wizard of Oz

Photos

  • The Wizard of Oz (MUNY Version)

    Image: 1939 Film Version (© & TM Turner Entertainment Co.)

  • The Wizard of Oz (MUNY Version)

    Image: 1939 Film Version (© & TM Turner Entertainment Co.)

  • The Wizard of Oz (MUNY Version)

    Image: 1939 Film Version (© & TM Turner Entertainment Co.)

  • The Wizard of Oz (MUNY Version)

    Image: 1939 Film Version (© & TM Turner Entertainment Co.)

Music

  • Musical Style Classic Broadway
  • Dance Requirements Easy
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Orchestra Size X-Large
  • Chorus Size Large

Licensing & Materials

  • PLEASE BE ADVISED: There are multiple versions of this title. Before you proceed, please double-check to ensure that you are applying for the version you want. We will not be able to refund rental or shipping fees if you pay for the wrong version.

    If you’re not sure which version best suits your needs, you may purchase a perusal for each available version.

    THE WIZARD OF OZ (RSC VERSION)

    THE WIZARD OF OZ (MUNY)

    THE WIZARD OF OZ (YOUTH EDITION)

Music Rentals

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Authors

L. Frank Baum

L. Frank Baum

Lyman Frank Baum (May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900. One of the most successful novels in American literature, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz sold out instantly, became a cu ...

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Author

Frank Gabrielson

Harold Arlen

Harold Arlen

Harold Arlen (1905-1986) wrote some of the greatest hits from the 30's and 40's, including the entire score to the classic movie The Wizard of Oz. Songs such as “Over the Rainbow,” “Get Happy,” “Stormy Weather,” “It's Only a Paper Moon,” “I've Got the World on a String” and “ ...

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E. Y. Harburg

E. Y. Harburg

One of America’s greatest lyricists for stage and screen, Yip Harburg (1896-1981) was the son of poor Russian-Jewish immigrants and attended CCNY. Also a book writer (usually with Fred Saidy), director, and poet, Harburg wrote lyrics for more than 550 songs, including “It’s O ...

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Herbert Stothart

Herbert Stothart

Herbert Stothart (1885-1949) was nominated for nine Oscars and won for Best Original Score for his work on the 1939 film of The Wizard of Oz. As a young man, he studied music in Europe and at the University of Wisconsin, where he also taught. He worked as a musical director f ...

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