New Wizard of Oz Musical, Sort of

Today I read a newspaper item about open auditions for the part of Dorothy Gale in a new musical. I tracked down the website behind it all, and this turns out to be publicity (and casting) for a show with the unfortunate name of WiZaRD. And this being America in 2010, there’s also a reality-show component, with audiences choosing who will get the role.

Although the poster has an Oz theme (MGM movie strand), and this open audition focuses on Dorothy, the show itself appears to be a one-set “jukebox musical,” suitable for national tours:

WiZaRD is a musical production centered on the hits of Oscar-winning composer Harold Arlen. The show unfolds in the mythical radio studios of WiZaRD whose set design combines the nostalgic feel of yesteryears studios with the high-tech studios of today. This collection of vignettes, based on Arlen’s most nostalgic songs, includes a Wizard of Oz scene, taken from the imagination of Frank Baum on the eve of the creation of his Oz characters.

Audiences are taken on a journey from the Cotton Club years, through the golden age of Hollywood, to the Broadway stage ...And to the land of OZ!

The new DOROTHY makes her debut alongside The THREE CROONERS, in this heartwarming family-friendly stage production slated to open at Jazz At Lincoln Center, December 2010.

Not that there’s anything wrong with hearing more Harold Arlen.