The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)

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The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)

Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy  /  3w, 5m plus ensemble

By L. Frank Baum
With Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg
Background Music by Herbert Stothart

Dance and Vocal Arrangements by Peter Howard / Orchestration by Larry Wilcox
Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company
Based upon the Classic Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros.

We're off to see the wizard! This beloved tale, in which a Kansas farm girl travels over the rainbow to discover the magical power of home, has entertained audiences for generations.

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

The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 5m plus ensemble
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Fantasy, Adventure, Adaptation (Literature), Adaptation (Stage & Screen), Theatre for Young Audiences, Fable/Folktale
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences, Young Children (Age 2-5), Children (Age 6-10), Pre-Teen (Age 11-13)
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

Follow the yellow brick road in this delightful stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum's beloved tale, featuring the iconic musical score from the MGM film. The timeless tale, in which young Dorothy Gale travels from Kansas over the rainbow to the magical Land of Oz, continues to thrill audiences worldwide.

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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 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.

The MUNY Version is more theatrically conservative, employing 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, adding a bit more humor to the witch and her cronies. The MUNY 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.

History
The MGM film The Wizard of Oz, based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel, premiered Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on 15 August 1939. This stage adaptation, presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company, premiered at the Barbican Centre in London on 17 December 1987. The production starred Imelda Staunton as Dorothy and featured Bille Brown as the Wicked Witch of the West, Paul Greenwood as the Scarecrow and John Bowe as the Tin Man. Imelda Staunton's husband, Jim Carter (of Downton Abbey fame) played the Cowardly Lion.

Act I

Dorothy Gale, a young girl living on a Kansas farm with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, dreams of escaping her mundane life (“Over the Rainbow”). The family’s mean neighbor, Miss Gulch, threatens to impound Dorothy’s cherished dog, Toto, so Dorothy and Toto run away. They meet up with kindly Professor Marvel, who subtly convinces Dorothy to return home. Suddenly a cyclone hits, and Dorothy and Toto, seeking shelter in the house, are transported to the Land of Oz.

In Oz, Dorothy meets Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. Apparently, Dorothy’s house has landed upon – and fatally stricken – the Wicked Witch of the East. The Munchkins, now freed from the Wicked Witch of the East, celebrate and hail Dorothy as their new heroine (“Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead/Munchkin Musical Sequence”). Suddenly, the Wicked Witch of the West appears, interrupting the celebration and seeking vengeance. Unable to reclaim her sister’s shoes, which are now on Dorothy’s feet, the Witch vows to return and disappears in a cloud of smoke. Dorothy, seeking a way back home to Kansas, sets off to see the Wizard of Oz (“Follow the Yellow Brick Road”).

Along the way, Dorothy meets three new friends, each of whom lacks a crucial characteristic: The Scarecrow (“If I Only Had a Brain”) The Tinman (“If I Only Had a Heart”) and the Lion (“If I Only Had the Nerve”). Together, the four new companions make their way towards Oz (“We’re Off to See the Wizard”). The Witch attempts to sedate the travelers with a poisonous field of poppies, but Glinda reverses the spell with healing snowflakes (“Poppies/Optimistic Voices”).

Act II

The travelers, arriving at the Emerald City, are delayed by a stubborn Gatekeeper, but Dorothy’s tears convince him to relent and let them in (“Merry Old Land of Oz”). As the group awaits its audience with the Wizard, the Lion boasts he is “King of the Forest.” Finally, they meet the imposing and irritable Wizard, who demands the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West.

The four friends travel deep into the haunted forest. Suddenly, they encounter jitterbugs, who make them dance until they collapse from exhaustion (“Jitterbug”). The Wicked Witch’s flying monkeys swoop down, capturing Dorothy and Toto. At the castle, the Witch vows to take Dorothy’s life (“Over the Rainbow” Reprise). Meanwhile, the Lion, Scarecrow, and Tinman infiltrate the castle disguised as Winkie guards. The foursome and Toto are reunited, but the Wicked Witch interferes, threatening the Scarecrow with fire. Dorothy, dousing the flames with a bucket of water, accidentally strikes the Witch, who smolders and melts into nothing (“Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead” Reprise). The four friends, triumphant, take the Witch’s broom back to the Wizard.

The Wizard remains imperious and imposing, but Toto pulls aside a curtain to reveal a meek and ordinary man speaking into a microphone. The Wizard, revealed to be a “humbug,” nonetheless grants each traveler’s request, giving the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Lion each a token of his newly acquired ability. The Wizard offers to take Dorothy back to Kansas in his hot-air balloon, but the balloon accidentally takes off, and Dorothy is left alone and crestfallen. Glinda appears and explains that Dorothy has always had the power to return home. All she has to do is close her eyes, tap her heels together three times, and repeat to herself, “There’s no place like home.”

Back in Kansas, Dorothy awakens, confused, with a bump on her head. Reunited with all her loved ones, and relieved to learn the storm has left Miss Gulch incapacitated by a broken leg, Dorothy shares the tale of her miraculous journey, celebrating the joy and healing power of home.

Principals
(3 female; 5 male. Roles intended to be doubled are indicated with a slash.)

DOROTHY GALE – (Range: G3-C5 (opt. E5))
AUNT EM – Emily Gale / GLINDA – The Good Witch of the North (Range: G3-C5)
UNCLE HENRY – Henry Gale / EMERALD CITY GUARD (Range: Bb2-Eb4)
ZEKE – Farmhand / COWARDLY LION (Range: Bb2-F4)
HICKORY – Farmhand / TINMAN (Range: Bb2-G4)
HUNK – Farmhand / SCARECROW (Range: Bb2-F#4 (opt. Ab4))
MISS ALMIRA GULCH / THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST – non-singing role
PROFESSOR CHESTER MARVEL / THE WIZARD OF OZ – non-singing role



Ensemble/Chorus Roles
(Minimum of 16 ensemble performers required. The original RSC production featured 38 ensemble performers.)

CITIZENS OF MUNCHKINLAND
Mayor – (Range: Bb2-Eb3 or Bb3-Eb4)
Coroner – (Range: Bb2-A3 or Bb3-A4)
Barrister
Fiddler – (Range: C3-C4 or C4-C5)
Braggart
3 Tots – (Range: Bb2-D4 or Bb3-D5)
3 Tough Guys – (Range: Bb2-D4 or Bb3-D5)
3 City Fathers
2 School Teachers

Three Crows – male trio (Range: B2-E4/B4)
Three Trees – female trio (Range: B3-C5/E5)
Poppies – female chorus
Snowmen – male chorus

OZIANS
Beauticians – female chorus
Polishers – male chorus
Manicurists – female chorus
2 Oz Men
2 Oz Women

Winkies – male chorus
Winkie General – Leader of the Winkies (Range: B2-G3)
Flying Monkeys – dancers
Nikko – Commander of the Monkeys
Jitterbug – Lead Dancer
Jitterbugs & Ghosts – SATB chorus/dancers

  • Time Period 1930s
  • Setting The Gale farmhouse in Kansas and various locations in the Land of Oz
  • Features Fantasy Costumes
  • Additional Features Animal Spot, Special Effects
  • 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 (RSC Version)

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

  • The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)

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

  • The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)

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

  • The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)

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

  • The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)

    Image: 2008 Royal Festival Hall Production (Tristram Kenton)

  • The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)

    Image: 2002 West Yorkshire Playhouse Production (Tristram Kenton)

Show more +

Music

Music Samples

Act I

1. Opening – Orchestra with Girls’ Chorus
2. Trouble In School (Dorothy’s Entrance) – Orchestra
3. More Trouble (Scene Change) – Orchestra
4. “Over the Rainbow” – Dorothy
5. Miss Gulch (Scene Change) – Orchestra
- There is no cue #6 -
7. Incidental (Scene Change) – Orchestra
8. The Cyclone – Orchestra
9. Munchkinland (Incidental) – Orchestra with Girls’ Chorus
10. I Am Not a Witch (Incidental) – Orchestra
11. Munchkin Sequence (“Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead”) – Glinda, Dorothy & Munchkins
12. Incidental (Witch Appears) – Orchestra
12a. Incidental:  Orchestra
12b. Incidental (Slippers!) – Orchestra
12c. Incidental – Orchestra
12d. Incidental (Witch Disappears) – Orchestra
13. Leaving Munchkinland (Underscore) – Orchestra
14. “Yellow Brick Road” – Munchkins
15. Scarecrow Fall – Orchestra
16. “If I Only Had a Brain” – Scarecrow, Dorothy & Crows
17. “We’re Off to See the Wizard”(Duet) – Dorothy & Scarecrow
18. Apple Throwing – Orchestra
19. Tinman/Trees (“If I Only Had a Heart”) – Tinman, Dorothy & Trees
20. Witch On Roof – Orchestra
21. “We’re Off to See the Wizard” (Trio) – Dorothy, Tinman & Scarecrow
22. “Lions, Tigers and Bears” – Dorothy, Tinman & Scarecrow
23. “If I Only Had the Nerve” – Lion with Dorothy, Tinman & Scarecrow
23a. “We’re Off to See the Wizard” (Quartet) – Dorothy, Tinman, Scarecrow & Lion
24. “Poppies” – Glinda, Dorothy, Tinman, Scarecrow, Lion & Chorus
- There is no cue #25 -

Act II

26.1. Entr’acte (Part One) – Orchestra
26.2. Entr’acte (Part Two) & “Optimistic Voices” – Orchestra with Girls’ Chorus
27. Guard Entrance – Orchestra
28. “The Merry Old Land of Oz” – Dorothy, Tinman, Scarecrow, Lion, Guard & Ozians
29. Reprise: “The Merry Old Land of Oz” – Dorothy, Tinman, Scarecrow, Lion, Guard & Ozians
29a. Guard Exit – Orchestra
30. “If I Were King of the Forest” – Lion with Dorothy, Tinman & Scarecrow
30a. Guard Entrance – Orchestra
30b. Guard Exit – Orchestra
31. At the Great Door to the Wizard’s Chamber – Orchestra
31a. Magic Smoke Chords – Orchestra
32. Lion’s Running Exit – Orchestra
33. Guard Entrance – Orchestra
34. “March of the Winkies” – Winkies
34a. Winkies Exit – Winkies
34b. Monkeys Exit – Orchestra
35. The Haunted Forest – Orchestra
36. “Jitterbug” – Dorothy, Tinman, Scarecrow, Lion & Jitterbugs
37. Reprise: “Jitterbug” – Jitterbugs
38. The Witch’s Castle (Scene Change) – Orchestra
39. Incidental (Toto’s Escape) – Orchestra
40. Incidental (Hour Glass) – Orchestra
40a. Reprise: “Winkies March” – Winkies
41. “Winkies March" with Friends / Reprise: “Over the Rainbow” – Dorothy, Tinman, Scarecrow, Lion & Winkies
42. Incidental (Witch Returns) – Orchestra
42a. Witchmelt – Orchestra
43. Reprise: “Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead!” – Winkies
44. Magic Smoke Chords [Optional Number] – Orchestra
45. Graduation Exercise (Scarecrow) – Orchestra
45a. Graduation Exercise (Lion) – Orchestra
45b. Graduation Exercise (Tinman) – Orchestra
45c. Incidental (March) – Orchestra
45d. Balloon Descent – Orchestra
46. Balloon Ascension No. 1 – Orchestra
46a. Incidental (Scene Change) – Orchestra
46b. Balloon Ascension No. 2 – Orchestra
47. Incidental (Scene Change) – Orchestra
48. Incidental (Underscore)– Orchestra
49. Finale Act II – Orchestra
50. Bows & Playout Music – Orchestra

  • Musical Style Classic Broadway
  • Dance Requirements Easy
  • Vocal DemandsEasy
  • 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

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!
25   Vocal Books
1   Rehearsal Piano (rehearsal)
1   Piano-Conductor (stick conductor)

1   Flute – Doubles Piccolo & Recorder
1   Oboe – Doubles Cor Anglais
1   Reed 1 – Clarinet, Bass Clarinet & Alto Saxophone
1   Reed 2 – Flute, Clarinet & Tenor Saxophone
1   Reed 3 – Flute, Clarinet & Baritone Saxophone
2   Horn 1&2
2   Trumpet 1&2
1   Trombone – Doubles Tuba for #22 only
1   Harp
1   Keyboard – Piano, Celeste & Synthesizer (Honky-tonk Piano, Vibraphone, Strings, Celeste, Harpsichord, and Contrabass Clarinet)
2   Percussion 1&2 – Perc. 1: Timpani (2 Pedal Drums), Bells, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Chimes, Suspended Cymbal, Bass Drum/Cymbals Combo, Triangle, Tambourine, Ratchet, Spook Noises – ad lib. (or low Timp.), Siren, Temple Blocks (2 pitches), Mark Tree, Whistle, Anvil, Klaxon Horn, Gong, Steel SFX, Steel Drum (various pitches) and Metallic Objects (or Steel Drum ad lib.)
Perc. 2 (Trap Drum Set): Snare Drum (brushes & sticks), Bass Drum, Tom Tom (2 pitches), Wood Block (2 pitches), Cow Bell (3 pitches), Triangle, Tam Tam, Spook Noises-ad lib., Cymbals-Hi-Hat, suspended, crash & ride, Metallic Objects (opt: various Cow Bells), Hollow Cylinder (opt: low pitch Cow Bell) and Chimes (Bb, Eb, F)
4   Violin 1 (4 players)
2   Violin 2 (2 players)
2   Viola (2 players)
2   Cello (2 players)
1   Bass

1   String Synthesizer – Optional part that substitutes for Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola and Cello

A Full Score is available for this title for an additional fee. Please contact your licensing representative for additional information.
25   Vocal Books
1   Rehearsal Piano (rehearsal & performance)

Authors

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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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

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 (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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Peter Howard

Peter Howard (1927-2008) was an American musical theater arranger, conductor and pianist. Howard served as either music director or dance music arranger for 38 Broadway shows, including Chicago; Fosse; Carnival; The Sound of Music; Hello, Dolly!; 1776; Annie; Baby; My One and ...

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Larry Wilcox

Larry Wilcox (1935-1993) orchestrated over 25 Broadway shows and tours, including The Yearling, The Three Musketeers, Singin’ in the Rain and Aspects of Love. He arranged and conducted recordings for the Boston Pops, the Milwaukee Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Paul ...

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John Kane

John Kane is an accomplished British actor and writer. An associate actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Kane played Puck in Peter Brook's acclaimed production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, alongside Ben Kingsley, Alan Howard and Frances de la Tour, before turning to com ...

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