The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True
The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True | |
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Based on | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum The Wizard of Oz by |
Starring | |
Narrated by | |
Music by |
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Distributed by | TNT |
Release date | November 22, 1995 |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True is a 1995 television musical performance based on the 1939 film
Production
The production consists of an abbreviated script and highlights most songs and musical numbers from the movie. The most notable difference is
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
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. It omits the scene of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion rescuing Dorothy and the Witch setting the Scarecrow on fire. It immediately leads into the Wicked Witch's meltdown scene 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
Cast
- Jewel as Dorothy Gale
- Joel Grey as Narrator of Kansas/Professor Marvel/Gatekeeper of Emerald City/Coachman with "Horse of a Different Color"/Doorman to Wizard's Palace/ The Wizard
- Jackson Browne as Scarecrow
- Roger Daltrey as Tin Man
- Nathan Lane as Cowardly Lion
- Glinda the Good Witch of the North
- Debra Winger as Narrator of Cyclone/Wicked Witch of the West
- Lucie Arnaz as Aunt Em
- James Waller as Toto
- Boys Choir of Harlem as The Munchkins
- Alfre Woodard as Hostess
- Phoebe Snow performs medley reprise of "If I Only Had a Brain; a Heart; the Nerve". She also performs in the finale.
- Ronnie Spector performs "Hail, Hail the Witch is Dead" with Dr. John
See also
- The Wizard of Oz adaptations
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True (1995 VHS), archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-10-18