ALW writes 6 new songs for WIZARD OF OZ...- Page 3

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 3:55pm

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this some sort of life-long dream of Webber's?

I vaguely remember an interview with Tim Rice about Jesus Christ, Superstar, where he said that the title song from that show was one of the first things they ever wrote together, called "Kansas Bound" (or something like that). It was for an original musical version of The Wizard of Oz. But when they tabled the idea and began working on Joseph and Superstar instead, they ended up using the same melody from "Kansas Bound" for their title tune "Jesus Christ, Superstar."

It's all coming back to me now ... like a nightmare.

Updated On: 9/21/09 at 03:55 PM

[Pgenre]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 4:30pm

Best12, "Kansas Mornin'" (with the ' as far as I know) is the melody that would later appear as "I Don't Know How To Love Him". Perhaps you are confusing this with their Eurovision song contest (winning?) song that became "King Herod's Song"? Either way, both those songs appear on the last disc of the ALW Boxset.

The melody for "Jesus Christ Superstar" appears in the "Bring Me My Coloured Coat" sequence at the end of JOSEPH (before the godforsaken megamix), and always has. It is GLARINGLY obvious, at least in the orchestration for the licensed version of the show, but ALW may have toned it down or removed it completely as it is in the accompaniment and not the melody line that the motif appears. It sticks out like a sore thumb, it really does.

My biggest question is: does ALW intend on using a 30s big band style sound or is he going to completely re-orchestrate everything (with Cullen or whoever) to accomidate the more modern sounding material he is adding?

For some reason I think "The Jitterbug", which was excised from the film for fear that it would date it too quickly, will look positively cutting-edge compared to whatever ALW comes up with now to those who look back on it in seventy years. I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see ALW being able to shed all pop/rock influence - he certainly couldn't and didn't in ASPECTS, despite the overly adorned and perfumed orchestrations's best efforts, and the less said about POTO and its disco title song the better, but SUNSET's score gives me a tiny glimmer of hope for this.

P

Updated On: 9/21/09 at 04:30 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 5:28pm

LOL You can tell how much I was paying attention! Thanks, Pgenre.

So it was "Kansas Mornin'" from a shelved Wizard of Oz musical that was used in Superstar?

I had the wrong songs, but the right story. Either way, Webber and Rice WERE working on an Oz adaptation at the beginning of their careers.

[MlleDaae]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 5:59pm

Help us all...

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 7:23pm

Best12, I don't think "Kansas Mornin'" was ever for any intended Oz project. ALW used to sing it on the talk show circuit in the early 90s, and the lyrics were something like: "I Long for Kansas Morning, Kansas winds come to greet me, Kansas winds - they shift and sigh, I can see your voice smiling there. Kansas on my brain - trapped in Maine."

He made it sounds like it was a straight 'would-be' pop song. If it were from an aborted OZ musical, I'm sure that would have been a compelling enough tidbit that he would have mentioned it.

[darquegk]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 7:36pm

Even if the songs were:

1. "It's Such Fun (Sucking Donkey Bollocks)"
2. "Colors In My Poop"
3. "I'm A Lion (And I'm A Poofter Too)"
4. "(Why Is Everyone White) In The Emerald City"
5. "Sex Magic"
6. "Hot For Toto"

Even with THOSE, this version would still be better than the MUNY version.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 8:03pm

Holland-Dozier-Holland are working on an adaptation to follow up the smash-hit FWC and are said to be planning a late 2010 opening in the West End:

Songs include:
"Ready For Oz"
"Toto The Line"
"Yellow Bricks and Rainbows"
"What's Worse Than A Witch?"
"No Place Like Oz"
"Wizard of 'Oohs' and Oz"
and, of course,
"Ready For Oz (Reprise) / Ready for Home"

EDIT: Just got word that they have cast Karen Ziemba, Barbara Walsh and Sheryl Lee Ralph as The Scarecrow, The Tin Man and The Lion, respectively. The producers are in final negotiations with Sam Harris for the role of the Wicked Witch. But who for Dorothy?

A Good Nightmare Comes So Rarely,
P

Updated On: 9/21/09 at 08:03 PM