Adapting the Wizard of Oz: Musical Versions from Baum to MGM and Beyond

One of the most beloved film musicals of all time, The Wizard of Oz represents an enduring family favorite and cultural classic. Yet there is much more to the story than meets the eye, and the MGM movie is just one of many ways in which it has been represented. In this lively and wide-ranging
book, editors Danielle Birkett and Dominic McHugh bring together insights from eleven experts into the varied musical forms this great American myth has taken in the past century. Starting with the early adaptations of L. Frank Baum's story, the book also explores the writing, composition and
reception of the MGM film, its importance in queer culture, stage adaptations of the movie, cult classic The Wiz, Stephen Schwartz's Broadway blockbuster Wicked, and the cultural afterlife of the iconic Arlen-Harburg songs. What emerges is a vivid overview of how music - on stage and screen - has
been an essential part of the story's journey to become a centerpiece of American culture.


Author: Danielle Birkett
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 12/07/2018
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 9.20h x 6.10w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780190663186

About the Author

Danielle Birkett is Lecturer in Music at Northern Regional College. Her research presents the first full-length study of the 1947 Broadway musical Finian's Rainbow.

Dominic McHugh is Senior Lecturer in Musicology and Director of Performance at the University of Sheffield. His publications include the books Loverly: The Life and Times of My Fair Lady (2012), Alan Jay Lerner: A Lyricist's Letters (2014) and The Complete Lyrics of Alan Jay Lerner (2018). He has appeared on BBC TV and radio numerous times, and has acted as a consultant to the Sydney Opera House's production of My Fair Lady, directed by Julie Andrews, as well as the Lincoln Center Theater production of the same musical.

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