Just Passing This On

Quoting from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s website:

An eagerly anticipated new addition to London’s West End, The Wizard of Oz promises to be the biggest theatre event of the year. Developed from the ever-popular 1939 MGM screenplay, The Wizard of Oz is an enchanting adaptation of the all-time classic, totally reconceived for the stage by the award-winning creative team who delighted audiences of all ages with their recent London Palladium revival of The Sound of Music.

This new production, produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Bill Kenwright, contains all the much-loved songs from the Oscar-winning movie score including; ‘Over the Rainbow’, ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road’, ‘If I Only Had a Heart’ and ‘We’re Off to See the Wizard’. All the favourite characters and iconic scenes are there, plus a few surprises along the way – not just “lions and tigers and bears” but some new songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice adding extra colour to the story as it moves from film to stage, as well as marking the first time they have worked together in over 30 years on a new production. . . .

Andrew Lloyd Webber said, “We will be going a lot further than simply presenting the movie on stage. We have re-visited the original novel and re-conceived our “Oz” as a piece of new musical theatre using the wonderful Arlen/Harburg songs and adding a few new ones where there are gaps. I am really looking forward to bringing The Wizard of Oz to life on stage. I am delighted that Michael Crawford, a legend of musical theatre, will take on the role of the Wizard and can’t wait to work with him once more”.

The show is scheduled to open on 7 February.