The Wizard of Oz- Page 3

[ChicagoManic]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 5:12am

CATS - look at my icon. Dont mess with Judy.

[bogey_LIVE]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 5:25am

The only obstacle with doing a stage version on broadway of the Wizard of OZ would be getting a youngster to bring a new, fresh, and inovative character to Dorothy. Judy Garland left an unbreakable spirit in that movie and that character that would be hard for the general public to see past. The Wiz and WICKED did and are doing well (respectively) because they are breaking barriers and being innovative. It's the Dorothy thing...get past that, and it would do allright, I think. But then again...casting a nother Toto would be hard too.

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 8:20am

Haha, yeah, casting another Toto would be difficult lol. I heard something like 300 girls tried out for the role of Dorothy for the nat'l tour! That's a lot lol. Hopefully a broadway production would get the same, if not more response. And yes, Judy was amazing in that role. The best I've seen (Jessica was great too though)

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 11:06am

I saw the MSG staging/tour afew years back. that was my introduction to the wonder that is Jessica Grove. her Over The Rainbow was phenominal! the bad part was that the scenice design was not consistant and the script was butcheed to 90 minutes. It was an edited restaging of the 92 Paper Mill production that starred Kelli Rabke.
I BELIEVE 600 girls auditioned for the orignal MSG run... not 300.
A broadway staging would need a better physical production.

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 11:19am

Oh wow, 600! Thats a whole lotta girls. Yeah if it was done on Broadway I think the script should be left at its full length (2 hours 40 min) with one intermission. A few changes and updates would have to be made to it but all in all thats it. I think it's now the perfect length for your typical musical/musical comedy. When a show is only 90 min. it's usually not worth paying full bway price tix for it. I know a lot of people were unhappy paying that much for frog and toad (also 90 min.)

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 11:22am

It wasn't just the length.. it was the adaption.. it was awful.. and just plain cheesy at times.

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 11:28am

Yeah I heard it was reallllllly childish and adults were getting pretty bored watching it at points. I don't really remember it too well but on the recording there are times it just sounds so babyish. I know its the Oz story, but if its done on Broadway or on tour adults have to be entertained as well. Thats why I think a few jokes and such should be added at certain places, just to keep adults as entertained as their children. I know a lot of jokes were put into The Wizard of Oz in concert with Nathan Lane and Joel Grey a few years ago which was very well recieved by audiences (of all ages)

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 11:33am

most of those jokes were adlibs developed during rehearsals.


on the tour, the cast was VERY obviously directed to play it big and much like standard children's theatre fare. The show works MUCH better when the characters are played straight. the Wicked Witch BOMBS if you try to make her funny. ("It ain't easy being green", "Can I call ya Dot?" were afew of the Witch's jokes... the Lion broke out into an Elvis impersonation at one point.. there was mass mugging... thanks to the direction of the show.. everytime certain characters were mentioned, Mickey Rooney adlibbed and improvised a LOT and was out of character a bit.... the stes were lavish and some were VERY pretty... but others, I just did NOT get at all.......


the costumes were great, though some made me think "WTF?", the cast (for teh most part) very strong, and jessica Grove was sublime

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 11:36am

Yeah Jessica was great!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 11:39am

I saw Jessica NUMEROUS times.... once I saw her, I had to see her again. She TOTALLY Wowed me at every turn.. and I also saw her understudy, Carloine McMahon. The show, for some reson, seemed to lose something without Jess.

Jess comes closest to making you forget Judy of any Dorothy I have seen. many times, teh comparison seems to belittle the actress in the role, but Jess took Judy, and made it work FOR her, rather than against.

[JMVR]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 3:04pm

How dare anyone dish Judy's legendary role? I refuse to acknowledge any anti judy comments but just look at the expression in her eyes throughout the film and tell me it isn't magic. Derek2 I just hope you at least give us free tickets to your show, I'm sure it'll be sold out for the first two years!

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 3:08pm

Hahaha JMVR, I'll be sure to keep u in mind if I ever get it done...front row

Posted: 8/14/04 at 3:56pm

I don't think it'll do good with WICKED still on stage. I don't think many people remember how The Wizard of Oz started...and I think they'd expect for WICKED to smoothly go from that ending to the beginning of Wizard of Oz..

But that's just me.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 4:07pm

I think if you cast it well enough...
For your consideration...
I AM DOROTHY!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 4:16pm

The idea here is to revitalize the piece. If you notice by looking at the original London cast production photos they were trying to get as far away from the movie as possible. The costumes looked very much like costumes actors might wear in THE WIZ. The Wicked Witch was played by a man for crying out loud!

What one would need to do is seamlessly combine elements from the film and elements of classic stage techniques, with all the magic and technical wizardry that we are capable of now and turn it into a musical theatre piece that can be enjoyed by all. The only good things that the MSG production helped out with is that, one: it's possible for an actress to properly portray the character of Dorothy, and two: it's okay if the Witch sings a little something... i.e. "The Jitterbug".

What no one has even begun to comprehend at this point is that the score is so majestic and so marvelous it's as if it was written and intended be a stage production. If not purposely, subconsciously. The grandeur of these songs and how Arlen and Harberg were able to use these songs to forward the plot (which is something that is really not seen as much today... i.e. MAMMA MIA!) shows that they knew exactly what they were doing. They were writing for the musical theatre.

The book needs to be redone. That's a given. When it works, it's magic and when it doesn't it's practically unbearable. Example:

Crows: Bye Scarecrow! Bye Scarecrow! (etc.)

Crow 1: I'm really gonna miss that old hay bag.

Crow 2: You said he was a stuffed shirt!

Crow 3: But, now that he's down off that pole, he aint nearly so stuck up!

All Three: caw! caw! caw!

Someone needs to sit down a rewrite that shlop and since Peter Stone is gone, I have only one person on my list: Thomas Meehan. But who can afford him??? lol.

The potential is clear... it just needs to be done right. Updated On: 8/14/04 at 04:16 PM

Posted: 8/14/04 at 4:16pm

Another thing...the role of Dorothy is the dream role of many young girls.

This may have been mentioned, but in the monvie, only the chorus of "if i only had a brain", "king of the forest" and "if i only had a heart" were sung. The verses were cut out.

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/14/04 at 4:25pm

Yeah that crow thing does have to be rewritten. Its so cheesey. The music and lyrics of that movie do fit very nicely on the stage, probably just as nicely as they did in the movie. The show has so many possibilities-set, costume, lighting. Theres just so much going for it. As stated before, it would have to be done after Wicked and the Wiz are way out of the picture. If the book and score were reworked a little, done at the right time, casted annd designed well and directed well (man i hope thats gonna be me :)) Im sure it would be a hit!

Posted: 8/15/04 at 9:34am

Speaking of "The Wiz", is it coming to Broadway or did it get canceled

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 11:13am

From what I know, everything is still set. It's supposed to open sometime early next spring. I know the producers were looking at both the Winter Garden Theatre and the Broadway Theatre but that all depends on how much longer its current tenants are going to be there

[Roxie]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 10:32pm

I don't know why but I have an extreme aversion to The Wizard of Oz. Maybe I need to give it another chance now that I'm a Wicked FANatic but it creeps me out and overall really bothers me. My highschool wanted to do it and I was like noooo. Does anyone else share my unenthusiasm/fear of this show? Sorry anyone who loves it. It's just my thoughts

[musicalfandukie]

Posted: 8/15/04 at 10:42pm

i would love to see a really well put together broadway show of the wizard of oz based off the movie..if mary poppins and chitty chitty bang bang can do it..then i am sure one of the worlds most loved movies would do great.