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Home , Alex Rathgeber, Anthony Warlow, Ed Mirvish, Jemma Rix, Jeremy Sams, Lucy Durack

LUCY JEMMA DURACK RIX AND SAMANTHA DODEMAIDE

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S NEW PRODUCTION OF

ALL THE CLASSICS PLUS NEW SONGS BY & Photography by Brian Geach by Photography and Jeff Busby

EDUCATION KIT USING THIS STUDY GUIDE

The lessons contained in this pack have been designed to complement students’ viewing of The Wizard of so that they gain a deeper understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the production. Although they have been arranged in subject order, the ideas contained in each can be used in other subjects. Teachers can use the lessons in any order or modify them to their own needs. In order to provide flexibility, some of the lessons have been designed as ready-made class activities, while others are information sheets that teachers can use to stimulate class questions or discussion. These are indicated in the contents below. Students can undertake activities before or after seeing the show. A few of the activities are available as stand alone worksheets ready to download and print from https://www.wizardofozthemusical.com/education

CONTENTS

Background to The MUSIC The Wizard of Oz: A Timeline Melodies – class activity Biography of L. Frank Baum Cadences and Work Songs – Curriculum materials – information information sheet sheets and class activities What’s that Tune? – class activity

VISUAL ARTS DANCE Meet the Characters – class activity The Wonderful Dances of Oz – A History of Projection – information sheet class activity

ENGLISH HISTORY Become a Poet – class activity The ’s Quiz – class activity Have a Good Time with Rhyme – THEATRE STUDIES class activity Everyone’s a Critic – class activity GEOGRAPHY Professor Marvel’s Guide to Education Kit Editor: David Perry (Tornadoes) – class activity

2 TIMELINE Note to teachers: a worksheet based on this activity can be found https://www.wizardofozthemusical.com/education

1856 L. Frank Baum born in Chittenango, New York, the seventh of nine children. 1886 Baum publishes his first book,The Book of the Hamburgs. The subject of the book: how to raise chickens. 1897 makes her first appearance in Baum’s first children’s book, , a collection of 22 children’s stories based on Mother Goose nursery rhymes. 1900 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz book is published, and is a great hit, earning praise in a New York Times review. 1902 The first stage musical ofThe Wizard of Oz is produced with lyrics by Baum and runs on Broadway for 293 shows. 1904 The first novel sequel (one of 13 such sequels)The Marvellous is reluctantly written by Baum. 1911 Baum writes in the story The of Oz that Ozland has lost contact with the rest of the world and therefore he cannot continue to write sequels. His child fans refuse to accept this so he continues to write sequels until the year of his death. 1919 Baum dies in . His last words are, reportedly, “Now we can cross the Shifting Sands”.

1925 A silent movie of The Wizard of Oz is made, starring Oliver Hardy as the .

1939 MGM makes The Wizard of Oz, starring , billed as “the happiest film ever”. 1942 The St Louis Municipal creates a stage musical based on the MGM film. 1987 The Royal Shakespeare Company creates a theatrical adaptation based on the MGM film.

2011 The Wizard of Oz is adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber, including additional songs written by Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, and opens at the Palladium.

2017 The Wizard of Oz (Lloyd Webber / Rice version) tour opens.

3 BIOGRAPHY OF L. FRANK BAUM.

Note to teachers: a worksheet based on this activity can be found https://www.wizardofozthemusical.com/education In the original children’s story, Baum had set out to write an original American fairytale, and in this he more than succeeded, creating a story that is recognised all around the world. But who was Baum? Born in May 1856, into a wealthy family, he grew up on his parents’ large country estate, called Rose Lawn. His parents were devout Methodists and initially he and his siblings were educated at home. But when he was twelve, he was sent to a military school, where he was very unhappy. A boy who liked to daydream, he was so miserable that two years later he came home again. His father gave him a printing press and as a teenager he began to write and print his own magazines. Baum was fascinated by theatre, as a performer, director and . In 1880, his father built him a theatre in Richburg, New York. He wrote and composed songs for a play called , but none of the scripts, or the theatre itself, survived a fire during the run of a subsequent and unfortunately titled play, Matches. Meanwhile, Baum had met and married Maud Gage, whose mother Matilda was a famous women’s suffrage activist. Baum’s own political views would henceforth be linked to the women’s suffrage movement. His belief in equality for women was upheld in many of his books, where strong female characters lead the stories. (For example, in the first sequel,The Marvellous Land of Oz, the girls and women of Oz stage a revolt by knitting needles. They take over, and make the men do the household tasks.) Baum tried his hand at running a shop, ‘Baum’s Bazaar’, but he was no businessman and managed to bankrupt the business. He then edited a newspaper, but that failed too and he had to move with his family to Humbolt Park, Chicago, where he became a reporter on an evening newspaper. He also edited a trade paper about window displays, which extolled the virtues of mechanical and moving models in department store windows. This theme of new technology emerges throughout Baum’s stories. He was fascinated by new inventions and saw the birth of electric light, as well as predicting the computer in a later sequel, The Tik-Tok Man of Oz. By 1897, Baum was working as a travelling salesman, when he had his first success in publishing children’s literature; Mother Goose in Prose was followed in 1900 by the publication of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which was a hit. A stage version followed two years later, then three silent films, before the famous Judy Garland film of 1939. Meanwhile Baum went on to write a staggering number of books, including The Wizard of Oz sequels. Unfortunately this didn’t prevent him from becoming bankrupt again, after several ill-fated schemes. He bounced back and died in Hollywood in 1919, twenty years before the MGM adaptation of his most famous book would be a long-lasting worldwide hit, and which inspired the current production.

4 MEET THE CHARACTERS

DOROTHY

MISS GULCH and WITCH OF THE WEST

Costume Designs by Robert Jones

5 MEET THE CHARACTERS ctd.

OZ: What on earth are you? Are you animal, vegetable or mineral? TIN MAN: Well, one of each, really.

The characters in The Wizard of Oz are now staples of popular culture, with allegorical references that extend well beyond their immediate portrayal on stage or screen (see Professor Marvel’s Amazing Miscellany below). Many versions of these characters from the 1939 screen version, through the innumerable stage productions and film sequels (not to mention reboots!), show a variety of interpretations by designers, directors and the actors playing them. Students can create their own 2D or 3D versions of these characters, by exploring design possibilities for each one, based on a number of considerations: • c ontrasting colour schemes: consider, for example, the use of silver for the Tin Man and how this contrasts with the browns in the Lion costume; • a feature of that character’s appearance that can be enhanced or exaggerated: for example, the straw poking out of the Scarecrow’s sleeves, or the Wicked Witch’s hat and nose; • h ow the personality of the character can be reflected in their physical appearance: think of the simple, block colours in Dorothy’s costume to show that she is down-to-earth and has nothing to hide, and Glinda’s light, shining colours that represent her power and goodness. See Appendix 3 for a list of main characters in the musical. Read below for a snapshot of what The Wizard of Oz cast members have to say about the character they are playing.

LUCY DURACK, Glinda

Describe your character in 4 words: Good, Kind, Fun, Bubbly

Glinda is all of the above things but our director and I spoke about how she is also very smart. We refer to her vibe as ‘party pony tail with a brief case’. Glinda moves quite gracefully but when she is enjoying the music in Munchkinland she likes to bop along and have a bit of a dance: sort of how your aunt might at a wedding! I like to play characters with a ‘good’ moral compass but that can vary from character to character in many different ways. This Glinda is a more mature and wiser character than the one I played in Wicked, but she is still up for some fun when the time is right.

6 , Miss Gulch and

Describe your character in 4 words: Strong, Fierce, Sexy, Determined

All my character wants is her . It’s actually a simple resolve but no one will give them to her so she thinks everybody else is crazy, not her! Miss Gulch has all the same traits as The Witch but when I’m the Witch she is amplified by a thousand. I use my arms and my fingers a lot. It’s like her magic runs all the way to her fingertips. Even though I have technically played the same character as Elphaba in Wicked and The Wicked Witch in The Wizard Of Oz, they are very different from each other. The only real similarity is the green make up.

JOHN XINTAVELONIS, and Zeke

Describe your character in 4 words: Cowardly, Gentle, Grandiose, Cuddly

Since all lions in general are stereotypically known to be fierce, ferocious and expected to be the ‘king of all beasts’, by nature the Cowardly Lion believes that his insecurities make him inadequate to other lions and creatures. He doesn’t yet understand that courage means acting in the face of fear and facing one’s fears head on, which he does. The main difference between Zeke and Lion is the costuming. This is deliberate as both characters are meant to be the same person in a way. Zeke has his cardigan straps tied at the back like a tail, which helps the audience and Dorothy make the link between the two. The Lion is a bit jumpy and on tenterhooks, so his arms and hands are always poised. Being such a big beast, his steps are heavy, yet quite athletic when he needs to run away. Having played Pumbaa in , playing the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz is not too dissimilar, other than the fact that I don’t have a large 20kg puppet on my shoulders! Both characters are funny and loud.

7 ELI COOPER, Hunk and Scarecrow

Describe your character in 4 words: Sincere, Hopeful, Jovial, Naïve

Our director insisted that when playing Scarecrow, I never show self-pity for the situation I am in. Rather than being disappointed or frustrated or upset at being brainless, I simply am: it’s just the way it is. It’s also important for me to play the role as if I were a child discovering things for the first time. I obviously try to emulate the way a Scarecrow would be able to move himself – without a core of strength and no tension – for example, cowering forwards when scared or bent slightly backwards with the stomach and chest forward when he is proud. It’s fun to play around with how someone other than a human would move: standard body language, then amplified about 30 percent! I briefly play Hunk at the beginning and the end of the show when we are in Kansas – Hunk is essentially who the Scarecrow would become after living and experiencing life’s ups and downs. He is slightly less vague but still as unaffected. Scarecrow is my first big role. It has been a very different process for me as a performer having previously been in the ensemble or playing smaller roles. I do find some connections with the way I play Scarecrow to the way I played Eugene in Grease: free and uninhibited and unapologetically themselves! But perhaps that’s just because I like to make sure there is always a lot of myself in my work – that’s what makes my performance unique to the way anyone else will ever play the same role!

SAMANTHA DODEMAIDE, Dorothy

Describe your character in 4 words: Courageous, Thoughtful, Inquisitive, Hopeful

To create the youthful energy for Dorothy I make sure I move with bounce and energy. She is very expressive with her movements: when she is scared she will become smaller, when she is brave she will lead with her chest, and when she feels compassion or love for another, she will usually hug or show them this physically. Dorothy is much younger than any character I have played before, so I’ve had to use some emotional and life recall to remember how it felt to be 16 years old again, which for me was 12 years ago.

8 PROFESSOR MARVEL’S MAGIC LANTERN SHOW A History of Projection

This extravagant appliance Mainly magic, slightly science

A crucial element of the plot of The Wizard of Oz is that things are not necessarily what they seem. In the story, old-school “special effects” are an important plot device, particularly involving Professor Marvel / The Wizard, who uses a device known as a Magic Lantern. Magic Lantern shows were a very popular form of entertainment before the invention of cinema. They were the ancestor of slide shows and modern PowerPoint presentations. Of course, humans have always used rock walls in caves and in the open air to draw and paint images and symbols. This has happened in all parts of the world for tens of thousands of years, and it is generally agreed that these works could have served a ceremonial purpose to impress others, if not to entertain. There are also theories that the sunlight projecting technique known as camera obscura (look it up!) was used by prehistoric humans to project images on the cave wall for them to trace around and create their rock art. Camera obscura was first formally documented in ancient writings thousands of years ago, and continues to be used to the present day. One of the earliest known European reference of an image being projected onto a wall by means of artificial light is in Italy in 1420, when Giovanni Fontana displayed the figure of a devil on a wall. By the mid-seventeeth century, scientists had improved on the system by adding a lens. Christian Huygens, the Dutch scientist, is credited with inventing the projecting lantern. The term Lanterna Magica (or magic lantern) was first used by Thomas Walgenstein in around 1665. By the late 18th century the magic lantern had developed further still and was now in the hands of showmen. They created amazing effects, dubbed Phantasmagoria, which were mainly used to terrify the audience, playing on the still-widespread belief in magic and ghosts. In late 19th century America, travelling showmen carried their magic lanterns across the wide open spaces, bringing much needed entertainment to isolated rural communities. The spectacular special effects created were the forerunners of projection and lighting effects used in the theatre today.

9 BECOME A POET (though you didn’t know it)

When all the world is a hopeless jumble And the raindrops tumble all around

Do you recognise these lines? It is the opening of Somewhere , a song about longing for happier times and for your dreams to come true. • Have a go at creating your own poem with these two lines as the opening. Write them first and then keep writing. • Set a timer for five minutes and keep your pen moving the entire time. You will be amazed what you come with when you don’t think too hard! • If you get stuck, repeat the first line and it may take you off in a different direction. • Read the poems out loud and you will notice that where you stop to breathe, or pause for effect, then you will find that that is where the natural line endings should be. • Edit your poem by tweaking any words you are not quite sure of and keep in everything that your listeners liked! Top Poetry Tip: it doesn’t have to rhyme and you need to be especially careful that you don’t force a rhyme, but if you are very keen on rhyme and rhythm, try the next exercise.

10 HAVE A GOOD TIME WITH RHYME

E. Y. Harburg, who wrote the lyrics to the original songs for the 1939 MGM filmThe Wizard of Oz, loved to have fun with rhyme in the middle and at the ends of lines. The way he played around with the sound of words might be described as riffing, much like an improvising jazz musician or a modern rap or hip hop artist. Consider the following excerpt from the song “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”

We’re The wonderful Wizard of Oz We hear he is a whiz of a wiz If ever a Wiz there was If ever oh ever a wiz there was The Wizard of Oz is one because … … Because of the wonderful things he does

• From the word “wizard”, Harburg used the shortened version “wiz”, which led to the homophone “whiz ”. • He substituted a vowel so that from “whiz” / “wiz” he created “was” • “Was” rhymes with “because” and “does” • … and the whole verse is filled with words started with “w”! (This is calledalliteration )

Try creating your own verse starting with the idea of a journey that you take on foot – remember, walking or marching will give you the underlying beat that you need to keep your rhyme together. If you’re having trouble getting started, use the template that is already provided with the song, but substitute words as follows:

We’re off to see the [person] The [adjective] [person] of [destination]

Then use the same sorts of “word tricks” that Harburg and other composers use: alliteration, rhyme, homophones and so on (can you think of any others?).

11 PROFESSOR MARVEL’S AMAZING MISCELLANY

THE THING ABOUT SLIPPERS In the original book of The Wizard of Oz the slippers were not ruby but silver. The new technology available to make colour filmstook full advantage of the use of colour and it was felt that red would be stronger. How else is colour used to effect in the MGM film? Dorothy isn’t the only one to get new shoes: Cinderella’s glass slippers were actually fur in the original tale. And The Red Shoes, a story by Hans Christian Andersen, which was also made into a famous film, is about a pair of magic shoes.These shoes force the wearer to dance. What other stories do you know that feature shoes as an important plot device? Dorothy is able to go home when she clicks her heels together, but why doesn’t she know this earlier? Glinda says it’s because Dorothy wouldn’t have believed her if she’d told her sooner. If you think that the magic powers of the slippers, and what everyone knows about them, are a little inconsistent, you may be right. During the making of the 1939 film ofThe Wizard of Oz, there were a lot of arguments in the process of writing the script, and different came and went. Glinda’s explanation may have been the best way of getting the “shoes to fit the story”. Imagine you are a writer for the 1939 movie. What explanation for Glinda not telling Dorothy sooner could you come up with?

IT’S ALL ABOUT ALLEGORY

ACTIVITY: Look up the words allegory and metaphor. In fables and stories these devices are used to convey a message to readers – particularly child readers – about concepts and situations that otherwise might have been difficult to understand. What other stories can you think of that use allegory?

While The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written for children, many since its publication have commented on the very grown-up messages and symbolism that it contains. Frank Baum lived in South Dakota during the depression of the 1890s, and saw firsthand the difficulties offarmers in the mid-west (Kansas, where the story is set, is also in the American mid-west). and characterise the harshness of this setting:

12 When Aunt Em came there to live she was a young, pretty wife. The sun and wind had … the sparkle from her eyes and left them a sober grey; they had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and they were grey also. She was thin and gaunt, and never smiled now. … Uncle Henry never laughed. He worked hard from morning till night and did not know what joy was. He was grey also, from his long beard to his rough boots, and he looked stern and solemn, and rarely spoke.

DISCUSSION: What relevance does Dorothy’s trip to the Land of Oz have when contrasted with the bleak landscape of the mid-west where she lives with her Aunt and Uncle?

The characters that Dorothy encounters also have allegorical significance. For instance: • The Scarecrow as a representation of American farmers and their troubles in the late 19th century • The Tin Man representing the industrial workers, especially those of American steel industries

ACTIVITY: Investigate the other characters in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to see if they also have an allegorical meaning.

13 PROFESSOR MARVEL’S GUIDE TO KANSAS Tornadoes Class Activity

Welcome everyone to my favourite place on earth: Kansas! Kansas is a state in the United States of America. It takes its name from the river Kansas, which takes its name from the Kansa, the original people who lived in the area. The word Kansa translates roughly as “people of the wind” – Kansas is a very windy place! Can you find the state of Kansas on this map of the U.S.A.? Colour it in and label it. Kansas is surrounded by four other American states. Can you name them? Find a different colour for each and label them.

Kansas is a very hot place in summer, and most of it is very flat too. Unfortunately this makes it an ideal place for a tornado (different to the phenomena known as cyclones in Australia); also known as a . (continued over page …)

14 The process in which a tornado is created is listed below. Unfortunately, a twister has hit and the items on the list have been all mixed up! With a pencil or pen, can you join the correct item with its number in the process and put them all in the right order? (Teachers: see Appendix 2 for the correct order)

The storm begins and as the wind blows from different directions, it causes the 1 thundercloud to rotate

2 The moist air starts to rise (a bit like Professor Marvel’s hot air balloon)

A funnel drops out of the cloud towards the ground, creating a vortex of winds 3 in its core (a vortex is a spiralling mass of air or water that sucks everything towards its centre, like the water going down a drain!)

4 The ground is heated by the sun

5 The warm air meets the cold dry air above and then it explodes upwards

6 This makes a hole in the cloud layer above and a thundercloud builds up

If something is in the way of the tornado, it can be very badly damaged. Animals and cars can be lifted up into the air and homes can be destroyed. Where else in the USA or in the rest of the world do tornadoes occur?

15 THE WONDERFUL MUSIC OF OZ

MELODIES One of the most recognisable melodies of the 20th century is Somewhere Over the Rainbow. This is a great song to sing with your classes or even school choirs! To help students memorise the tune and lyrics, you can try some of these memory games using “inner singing” or audiation: 1. S ing the song in your head, except when you get to a word starting with a particular letter. For example, for just the letter “O”, you would sing

______“over” ______, ______“of”, “once” ______

And for “L”

______, ______, ______“land” ______, ______“lullaby”

2. H ave the teacher or a student operate the “volume control” – when the volume is turned “down”, sing it in your head, and make sure you’re in the right spot when they turn the volume “up” again! The volume control can be just the person’s hand showing high or low, or a circular magnet on the whiteboard.

3. P lay the melody on a piano or other melody instrument. Stop on a given note (make it clear which note it is by clicking your fingers) and students to indicate which word of the lyrics you stopped on.

CHALLENGE The interval from “Some” to “where” is an octave. Try jumping from “Some” to “o” by missing out the “where”. From “Way” to “Up” in the next line is an interval of a major 6th.

16 EXPLORING INTERVALS Other intervals to listen for in the music in the show:

What other songs in the show contain prominent intervals?

17 CADENCES AND WORK SONGS: THE WINKIES’ SONG

The Winkies sing: O Ee Yah! Eoh Ah! as they march to the Wicked Witch’s command. It is a refrain Dorothy has heard before when Zeke, Hickory and Hunk back on the farm in Kansas are struggling with the heavy generator. In that scene, it is used as a work song. The Winkies later tell Dorothy: “Ours was a song of pain”. In the story, these Winkies are slaves. There is a long musical history of slave, army and labourer work songs. The Military Cadence is an army work song, often following a call and response structure. The word cadence here refers to how many steps a marcher takes each minute (rather than to the harmonic close at the end of a musical phrase) and these songs are all about keeping in step, in time and in rhythm with each other – just as the Winkies do in The Wizard of Oz. Here’s an example of a military cadence from the US Navy:

I don’t know, but it’s been said Air Force wings are made of lead I don’t know, but I’ve been told Navy wings are made of gold

The aim of many traditional sea shanties was to keep large groups of sailors together whilst hauling on the lines. This shanty is known as Haul Away, Joe:

Away, haul away We’ll heave and hang together Away, haul away, we’ll haul away, Joe

Many agricultural songs and, of course, African American work songs were sung while working on physically repetitive tasks and so are similarly rhythmic. Most were sung a cappella (unaccompanied) and there was much opportunity to improvise different words from verse to verse. Sailors, labourers and slaves alike all sung about their dangerous working and living conditions, hardship, captivity and escape. Follow the Drinking Gourd was a famous African American slave song from the mid 1800s. It held within it a code describing to the slaves how to escape north into Canada. The Drinking Gourd referred to the Big Dipper constellation in the sky and there were other detailed instructions and directions in the lyrics. A famous abolitionist known as Peg Leg Joe travelled from plantation to plantation teaching this song:

When the sun comes up and the first quail calls The riverbank makes a very good road Follow the Drinking Gourd The dead trees show you the way For the old man is a-waiting to carry you to freedom Left foot, peg foot, travelling on If you follow the Drinking Gourd Follow the Drinking Gourd

Luckily for the Winkies, Dorothy is able to pour water over the Wicked Witch of the West, killing her and setting them free at last.

18 WHAT’S THAT TUNE?

WHAT’S THAT TUNE? As well as the songs specifically written for the musical, the 1939 film uses existing folk tunes and classical music amongst the underscore. Teachers can teach some or all of the melodies as a pre- or post-viewing activity, including playing them on class instruments (see examples below). If teaching as a pre-viewing activity, keep the details secret about where the piece occurs in the film – students should work this out for themselves! • The Happy Farmer by Robert Schumann. Excerpts are played at several points early in the film, including: o  The opening scene when Dorothy and are hurrying home after their encounter with Miss Gulch o When Toto escapes from Miss Gulch o When the house is “riding” the tornado. • Scherzo Opus 16, #2 by Felix Mendelssohn. Played when Toto escapes from the Witch’s castle. • Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky. Played when Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion are trying to escape from the Witch’s castle. • In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree by Williams and Van Alstyne. Dorothy and the Scarecrow discover the anthropomorphic apple trees. • Gaudeamus Igitur (traditional). The Wizard’s presentation of awards to the group. • Home Sweet Home by Henry Bishop. Heard in part of the underscore of the closing scene, at Dorothy’s house in Kansas.

MELODY EXAMPLES

19 THE WONDERFUL DANCES OF OZ

The Wizard of Oz is set at the turn of the 20th century, when there were many dances that were popular at the time … but that we don’t know so well now! Look up information (there are plenty of online videos) about these dances and see if you can learn the steps. Describe the dances in the boxes below. Some of the dances in the show are:

The RAGTIME (describe the dance steps here)

And

The CHARLESTON (describe the dance steps here)

In the original 1939 production, an entire sequence that was painstakingly choreographed and filmed did not make it to the final cut. This sequence featured a dance called the:

JITTERBUG (describe the dance steps here)

What can you find out about this dance? How did it look when Judy Garland and the other actors performed it?

20 THE SCARECROW’S QUIZ

1. I’ve got my dates mixed up.

C an you help me put these historic events in the right order by listing them chronologically (that’s a big word!) and finding the correct date?

Event Year

The book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is first published by L. Frank Baum

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz opens at the

The movie The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, is made by MGM

2. When the Tin Man sings:

I’d be friends with the sparrows And the boy who shoots the arrows If I only had a heart

Who is the boy who shoots the arrows in Roman mythology (gosh, another big word!)?

3. Later in the song, he sings:

Picture me … a balcony … above a voice sings low

Which Shakespeare play is the Tin Man referring to when he sings about a balcony?

4. I get so confused! What is the name of the architectural style that inspired the design of The Emerald City in the new production of The Wizard of Oz?

Is it: Art Americano, Art Deco or Art Bueno?

21 EVERYONE’S A CRITIC

It’s time for you to write a review of The Wizard of Oz. Most likely you have all sorts of impressions, favourite sections and memories of what you saw. However, when writing a review, it’s important to be objective and methodical, starting with a structure like the one below and then basing your review on that. Begin with providing details answering the following:

1. What date did you watch the show? What is the name of the theatre? What is the name of the composer(s), the director and company putting on The Wizard of Oz? 2. Give a very brief summary of the plot. 3. W hat are the main themes of The Wizard of Oz? (Think about the behaviour of Dorothy, the Wicked Witch of the West, and the Wizard, and how these relate to the story) 4. What atmosphere is created in the auditorium before the show and how? What do you see and hear? 5. What different kinds of scenery and staging are used during the show? Mention four different scenes where the stage is used in very different ways. 6.  What elements of the set are non-naturalistic or stylised (look up these terms if you’re not sure)? Why do you think this is and what effect does it create? 7. How is the historical time period (e.g. in the Kansas scenes or the Emerald City) represented by the set, the dance numbers and costume? 8. How is the lighting used? What colours and levels are used to create specific effects? Give examples from at least two contrasting scenes and explain why these are effective. 9. How is projection used and what effect does this create? 10. How do the actors communicate their characters through body, voice and facial expression? Pick out two contrasting characters as examples. . 11  How does this production compare to other productions you may have seen? What things do you see in this production that are familiar? 12.  How does the orchestral score help to tell the story? Talk about three different musical themes and when they are used. 13. Give some examples to show how the actors make the transition from speech to song. 14. What was it you were most impressed with in the show, and why? 15. Was there anything you thought could have been done to better effect, and why?

Remember that a review is a text type that is intended to summarise, analyse and assess the appeal of a work to a broader audience. Make sure that your review achieves this, along with including the details listed above.

22 APPENDIX 1 – FROM STAGE TO SCREEN

FOLLOWING

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900 and is universally recognised as the first truly American fairy tale. L Frank Baum, who wrote the book, was a complicated character and well into his forties by the time it was published. He had experienced success and failure during a peripatetic career which included jobs as a newspaper editor, actor, playwright, theatre manager, chicken farmer, general store keeper and patent oil salesman. His broad experience of living through years of depression in some tough terrains fed his imagination and found many echoes in his story which were immediately accessible to its young audience. His magical tale was an immediate hit and before he died in 1919 he had written a further 13 Oz stories to keep his fans happy. It was Baum himself who first adapted the story for a stage production to capitalise on the book’s success. Opening in Chicago in 1902 and transferring to Broadway in 1903, the show had music by Paul Tietjens but the story bore little resemblance to the book. It followed the fashions of musical comedy to suit the talents of vaudevillians Fred Stone and David Montgomery who played Scarecrow and Tin Man, and Dorothy was accompanied on her adventures by a pantomime cow. Although the book was quickly published abroad, Baum could never have dreamed that his story would one day be loved by millions all over the world through the medium of film.

The filmThe Wizard of Oz was not an immediate success. It had a troubled production period with no fewer than four directors and several writers involved. Today it regularly tops lists of favourite films largely because of its repeated showings on television all over the world. Generations have grown up with the movie and it has worked its way into the public consciousness completely. There have been many film and television sequels and adaptations but none have ever fully recaptured the original magic. The same is true of the many stage versions of the film, which have been attempted during the last 70 years. Charming, pretty and funny they may have been but, whether in musical or pantomime form, the story has always remained resolutely the film trapped in a stage environment.

In 2010, Dorothy was suggested as an ideal character for a new television casting series; and so the story and film were carefully dissected to create a new stage format that fully worked. For the first time, it seemed as though the piece was taken apart whilst asking “What do we actually need for the theatre as opposed to just trying to take the film and put it on stage?” Director Jeremy Sams joined the deconstruction process, identifying that a significant problem lay in the gaps that needed to be filled in the wonderful Arlen/Harburg score. For instance, there are no songs for the witches or Professor Marvel / The Wizard of Oz, and there is hardly anything musically to establish the harshness of existence on a Kansas dustbowl farm. The production team proposed some adaptations and new songs to add to the hallowed score, and received the Warner Bros’ seal of approval.

On a of discovery, Jeremy Sams, Arlene Phillips (choreography), Rob Jones (set and costume designer), Mick Potter (sound), David Cullen (orchestrator) and Hugh Vanstone (lighting designer) sought to create new magic within the material. For the new songs, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice joined forces to collaborate on their first new theatre project in 30 years. The Twister is just one of many iconic sequences in the film which are impossible to recreate exactly on stage. From the original thrilling underscoring, motifs were expanded and a musical transition to Oz was developed, which, through the versatility of Jon Driscoll’s clever projection designs and Rob Jones’ sepia-toned Kansas scenery, are truly memorable and exciting. Throughout the rest of the show, elements of the original film score have been employed to develop character and set scenes in as natural a manner as possible so that what seems very familiar may be almost entirely new. The process was a hugely enjoyable challenge, with new scoring happening through rehearsals right up to the opening night.

We hope this production brings as much pleasure to Australian audiences as it did to the British ones.

23 APPENDIX 2 – TORNADOES CLASS ACTIVITY (CORRECT ORDER)

1 The ground is heated by the sun

2 The moist air starts to rise (a bit like Professor Marvel’s hot air balloon)

3 The warm air meets the cold dry air above and then it explodes upwards

4 This makes a hole in the cloud layer above and a thundercloud builds up

The storm begins and as the wind blows from different directions, it causes the 5 thundercloud to rotate

A funnel drops out of the cloud towards the ground, creating a vortex of winds 6 in its core (a vortex is a spiralling mass of air or water that sucks everything towards its centre, like the water going down a drain!)

24 APPENDIX 3 – CHARACTERS IN THE WIZARD OF OZ Dorothy A young and sprightly girl, Dorothy lives with her aunt and uncle on the bleak Kansas prairie. She is energetic and delights in her dog Toto. After a whirling cyclone lands her house in Oz, she embarks on a journey to the Emerald City to ask The Wizard of Oz how to return to Kansas. Dorothy is sweet and simple and represents traditional and idealistic moral values. She lives in the present and does not trouble herself with much anxiety or worry. Throughout her journey, her goal is to return home despite the wonders and magic of Oz. Uncle Henry Dorothy’s uncle and husband to Aunt Em. He is a Kansas farmer. Aunt Em The wife of Uncle Henry and aunt to Dorothy, the hot and bleak Kansas prairie has stripped her of her youth and mirth. She does not understand Dorothy’s freshness of spirit. The Scarecrow Rescued by Dorothy from his dull life in a farmer’s field, the Scarecrow’s greatest wish is to procure brains for himself from The Wizard of Oz. Despite his perceived lack of brains, however, the Scarecrow is exceedingly intelligent and resourceful. At the end of the novel he becomes the ruler of Emerald City in the Wizard’s absence. The Rescued by Dorothy after rusting in the forest, the Tin Woodman desires a heart from The Wizard of Oz. He tells his rescuers that the tinsmith “forgot to give him a heart”. Despite his belief that he lacked emotion, he proves himself a kind and sensitive man. He is given the task of ruling over the Winkies at the end of the novel. The Cowardly Lion The Lion encounters Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman in the forest. While initially threatening and scary, he is soon revealed to be a terrible coward and wishes for The Wizard of Oz to give him courage. However, he proves himself courageous in many situations throughout the story. He later rules over all of the animals in the forest. The Wizard of Oz The Wizard reveals himself to be a ventriloquist and balloonist from Omaha, Nebraska, who accidentally ended up in the land of Oz and was taken for a powerful sorcerer by its inhabitants. He prolonged the illusion and had them build the beautiful Emerald City. Benevolent but undoubtedly a humbug, the Wizard is unmasked by Dorothy and her companions when they return to claim the promises he made them if they were successful in killing the Wicked Witch of the West. He helps the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Lion with their wishes and tries to take Dorothy back to Kansas in a hot air balloon, but it unfortunately departs without her. Wicked Witch of the West Given the task to kill the Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy and her companions venture into her land. The Witch resents their intrusion and sends many of her creatures to destroy or capture them, finally succeeding with the . Powerful, bitter, and full of rage, the Witch is happy to enslave Dorothy and the Lion like she had enslaved the Winkies before them. She covets Dorothy’s magic slippers, recognizing their power, and tries to take them from her, but this proves her undoing when a vexed Dorothy throws a pail of water on her and she melts away into nothingness. of the South, Glinda is young and beautiful. Dorothy appeals to her to help her return to Kansas, but Glinda reveals to her the power of the ruby slippers that can take her there right away.

25 and SuzanneHEADING Jones by arrangement GOES with The ProductionHERE Company present Andrew Lloyd Webber’s New Production of Producers John Frost and Suzanne Jones are delighted to announce that and Jemma Rix are joining the cast of the world’s favourite musical, The Wizard of Oz, to play Glinda the Good Witch and The Wicked Witch of the West respectively, alongside Anthony Warlow who will be playing The Wizard and Professor Marvel. The production of The Wizard of Oz will have its Australian Premiere in at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC on 9 November 2017 before travelling to the Capitol Theatre, from 31 ANTHONY WARLOW December. Tickets go on sale next week. LUCY DURACK JEMMA RIX Lucy Durack is one of Australia’s most exciting leadingand ladies of stage and screen with a list of major roles to her credit. On the musical stage, she playedSAMANTHA Glinda DODEMAIDE in the original Australian cast of Wicked and Elle Woods in The Musical for which sheas Dorothywon both Sydney Theatre and as Best Actress in a Musical.ELI COOPERLucy’s numerous TV ALEXcredits RATHGEBER include Doctor Doctor,JOHN XINTAVELONIS Upper Middle Bogan, The Letdown, Here Come The Habibs and The Moodys Jemma Rix was part ofPAUL the HANLON, original SOPHIE Australian WEISS, cast JUSTIN of Wicked, ANDERSON, and SHERIDAN performed ANDERSON, the leading role of Elphaba across Australia duringLEWIS both BEER, Australian SHAY DEBNEY, tours, SAGE as DOUGLAS,well as in MIKEYSingapore, HALCROW, , ZOE IOANNOU, and . She BREE LANGRIDGE, RUBIN MATTERS, SCOTT MORRIS, JUSTINE PUY, MICHAEL ROACHE, MITCHELL ROBERTS, EMMA went on to star as Molly Jensen in Ghost The Musical during the Australian tour, and most recently made RUSSELL, DEAN SCHULZ, DARREN TYLER, STEPHANIE WALL, RACHAEL WARD, CALEB VINES her debut with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra concert Witches. Jemma is currently recording her first solo albumMusic due to launch in August. Lyrics HAROLD ARLEN E.Y. HARBURG “With Lucy, Jemma and Anthony Warlow as the Wizard, we have a matchless leading cast, and I can’t wait to audition talented young actresses to wear Dorothy’s ruby red slippers and sing one of the most- Additional Lyrics Additional Music beloved songs of all time,TIM Over RICE The Rainbow,” said John Frost. “ThisANDREW beautiful, LLOYD sumptuous WEBBER production was a huge hit in London, and audiences enjoyed revisiting the classic story that’s universally loved. It’s also wonderful to rehearse and open the production inAdapted .” by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER and JEREMY SAMS

Lighting Designer Video Designer Sound Designer Orchestration HUGH VANSTONE JON DRISCOLL MICK POTTER DAVID CULLEN

Video Recreated By Associate Lighting Designer Associate Sound Designer DANIEL BRODIE CRAIG STELZENMULLER EMMA JAMES

Technical Director Musical Supervisor Musical Director RICHARD MARTIN GUY SIMPSON LAURA TIPOKI

Associate Director Associate Choreographer LISA EMBS-GREEN RICHARD ROE

Choreographer ARLENE PHILIPS

Scenic and Costume Designer ROBERT JONES

Director JEREMY SAMS

26 HEADING GOES HERE

Producers John Frost and Suzanne Jones are delighted to announce that Lucy Durack and Jemma Rix are joining the cast of the world’s favourite musical, The Wizard of Oz, to play Glinda the Good Witch and The Wicked Witch of the West respectively, alongside Anthony Warlow who will be playing The Wizard and Professor Marvel. The London Palladium production of The Wizard of Oz will have its Australian Premiere in Brisbane at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC on 9 November 2017 before travelling to the Capitol Theatre, Sydney from 31 December. Tickets go on sale next week. Lucy Durack is one of Australia’s most exciting leading ladies of stage and screen with a list of major roles to her credit. On the musical stage, she played Glinda in the original Australian cast of Wicked and Elle Woods in Legally Blonde The Musical for which she won both Sydney Theatre and Helpmann Awards as Best Actress in a Musical. Lucy’s numerous TV credits include Doctor Doctor, Upper Middle Bogan, The Letdown, Here Come The Habibs and The Moodys Jemma Rix was part of the original Australian cast of Wicked, and performed the leading role of Elphaba across Australia during both Australian tours, as well as in , Seoul, Auckland and Manila. She went on to star as Molly Jensen in Ghost The Musical during the Australian tour, and most recently made her Sydney Opera House debut with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra concert Witches. Jemma is currently recording her first solo album due to launch in August. “With Lucy, Jemma and Anthony Warlow as the Wizard, we have a matchless leading cast, and I can’t wait to audition talented young actresses to wear Dorothy’s ruby red slippers and sing one of the most- beloved songs of all time, Over The Rainbow,” said John Frost. “This beautiful, sumptuous production was a huge hit in London, andTHE audiences WIZARD enjoyed OF OZ: TMrevisiting & © Turner the classic Entertainment story that’s Co. (s11)universally loved. It’s also wonderful Fromto rehearse the Book byand L.Frank open Baum. the productionBased upon the in Classic Queensland.” Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co, and presented with the permission of Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures and EMI Music Publishing. © 2018 The Really Useful Group Limited. www.wizardofozthemusical.com

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