The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True

The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True
Written by L. Frank Baum
Starring Jewel
Jackson Browne
Roger Daltrey
Nathan Lane
Joel Grey
Lucie Arnaz
Debra Winger
Natalie Cole
Narrated by Joel Grey (Kansas scenes)
Debra Winger ("Cyclone" scene)
Music by Herbert Stothart
Songs:
Harold Arlen
E. Y. Harburg
Distributed by TBS/TNT
Release dates
 November 22, 1995
Country United States
Language English

The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True was a 1995 television musical performance based on the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz (starring Judy Garland).[1] The book and score of the film were performed on stage at Lincoln Center to benefit the Children's Defense Fund. The concert featured guest performers including Jackson Browne as the Scarecrow, Roger Daltrey as the Tin Man, Natalie Cole as Glinda, Joel Grey as the Wizard (a role he reprised in Wicked), Jewel as Dorothy, Nathan Lane as the Cowardly Lion, Debra Winger as the Wicked Witch, and Lucie Arnaz as Aunt Em. The Boys Choir of Harlem appeared as the Munchkins, and Ry Cooder and David Sanborn performed as musicians.

Production

The production consists of an abbreviated script and highlights most songs and musical numbers from the movie. The most notable difference is Uncle Henry and the three farmhands do not appear in this production, but Joel Grey who narrates the Kansas scenes in his role of Professor Marvel and Debra Winger's "Cyclone" narration both mention Miss Gulch. The concert begins with Jewel as Dorothy Gale singing the complete version of "Over the Rainbow". The concert also includes the song "The Jitterbug", which was cut from the original film.

Throughout the entire concert, the conductor and orchestra are featured on-stage with the performers. The performers are predominantly positioned at music stands reading the script and music (similar to reader's theatre). The choreography is different from the 1939 movie: noticeable differences include the Munchkins not dancing and at no point do the four principals (Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion) dance together. Throughout the production, various photos of “Wizard of Oz” artwork such as a tornado striking the Kansas farm, the Yellow Brick Road, and Emerald City are projected on a screen in the back of the stage.

Various songs were changed to better feature specific talents of individual singers, including "If I Only Had a Brain", which had a folk music tempo to highlight Jackson Browne and "If I Only Had a Heart", which had a rock and roll tempo to highlight Roger Daltrey (Daltrey even swings his microphone, mimicking his Who persona). This stage adaptation omits the Wicked Witch's scene of threatening Dorothy, Scarecrow and Tin Man while being on top of the Tin Man's wooden cottage following this musical number.

The line about suggesting to the Cowardly Lion to count sheep prior to the musical number "If I Only Had the Nerve" is spoken by Dorothy rather than the Tin Man.

Phoebe Snow added a stirring "If I Only Had..." medley set to a solo piano, combining all three of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion's desires.

Nathan Lane's portrayal of the Lion included a version of "If I Were King of the Forest", in which he adds to the lyrics: "not, queen, not duke, not prince...or the Artist Formerly Known as Prince".

This production shortens the Wicked Witch's Castle scenes due to time limit. The Winkies perform their chant, but appear without being dressed as guards and holding pikes. In the scene where Dorothy (Jewel) suffers her imprisonment after Aunt Em's image fades away in the crystal ball, Winger says the line "What a little whiner! I'll give you something to cry about" which was not spoken by Margaret Hamilton. The Wicked Witch's meltdown scene is followed by is followed by the musical number "Hail! Hail! The Witch is Dead" which was also cut from the original film.

Unlike Jack Haley, Daltrey as the Tin Man hugged the Wizard (Joel Grey) toward the end with a pleasant "Thank you from the bottom of my heart!". The Wizard did not depart from the Emerald City inside a hot-air balloon due to being in the same scene as Glinda the Good Witch.

The performance was originally broadcast November 22 on both TNT and TBS, and issued on CD and VHS video in 1996. The video has not yet been released on DVD. Both the CD and video are currently out-of-print.

Cast

See also

References

  1. ↑ Slewinski, Christy (November 22, 2012). "TNT Presents "The Wizard of Oz in Concert"". This Day in TV History. TVWorthWatching.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
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