Show guide
The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz brings the timeless tale of Dorothy's journey down the yellow brick road to the stage, built around Harold Arlen's beloved film songs.
- Broadway premiere
- 1987
- Music by
- Harold Arlen
- Genre
- Jukebox
- Setting
- Timeless
The Wizard of Oz: quick answers
What is The Wizard of Oz about?
- A tornado carries Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale to the Land of Oz, where she, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion seek the Wizard's help while the Wicked Witch of the West pursues her.
Did The Wizard of Oz play on Broadway?
- This stage version has never played Broadway. The Royal Shakespeare Company premiered it at London's Barbican Centre over Christmas 1987, and its best-known New York stagings were at Madison Square Garden in 1997 and 1998.
What kind of musical is The Wizard of Oz?
- It is a family stage adaptation of the 1939 MGM film that follows the screenplay closely and uses the film's Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg songs. It even restores The Jitterbug, a number cut from the movie.
Where and when is The Wizard of Oz set?
- The Wizard of Oz moves from Dorothy's Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, following the 1939 film.
Has The Wizard of Oz played in London's West End?
- The show premiered in London at the Barbican Centre in 1987 in a Royal Shakespeare Company production starring Imelda Staunton as Dorothy.
Is there a The Wizard of Oz movie?
- It is adapted from MGM's 1939 film starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, with Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, and Margaret Hamilton.
The story of The Wizard of Oz
The story follows Dorothy, a Kansas farm girl swept away by a tornado into the magical land of Oz, where she teams up with a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion to seek help from the mysterious Wizard so she can find her way home. Along the way, the group faces the Wicked Witch of the West, who wants Dorothy's ruby slippers for herself.
Because the tale is essentially timeless, a fantastical world existing outside any specific historical decade, the stage version leans into pure imagination and spectacle. It is a story about courage, friendship, and the idea that everything Dorothy needs might have been within her reach all along.
The music and the makers
The score is built around songs by composer Harold Arlen with lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, originally written for the classic 1939 film and later adapted for the stage as a jukebox-style musical. Arlen's melodies are warm, tuneful, and instantly familiar to generations of audiences, spanning yearning ballads and jaunty ensemble numbers.
This songbook approach means the stage show trades on deep nostalgia, giving audiences the chance to hear cherished tunes performed live, often alongside new orchestrations and expanded staging that let the songs breathe in a theatrical setting.
The Wizard of Oz on stage
The best-known stage adaptation of the film, created by the Royal Shakespeare Company, premiered in London in 1987 and has since been staged constantly by theatres, tours, and school and community groups around the world. New York audiences have seen the songbook live in large-scale productions such as the Madison Square Garden stagings of the late 1990s, though the RSC adaptation itself has never had a Broadway run.
Its appeal rests on pure nostalgia and universal storytelling, a tale that resonates with children and adults alike. For audiences who grew up with the film, seeing Dorothy, Toto, and her companions travel the yellow brick road live on stage is part of the enduring pull of musical theatre.
The Wizard of Oz: frequently asked questions
Has The Wizard of Oz played on Broadway?
The familiar RSC stage adaptation of the 1939 film premiered in London in 1987 and has toured widely, but it has not had a Broadway production. New York stagings, like the Madison Square Garden runs, played outside Broadway houses.
Who wrote the music for The Wizard of Oz?
Harold Arlen composed the songs, with lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, originally for the 1939 film.
What is The Wizard of Oz about?
It follows Dorothy's journey through the magical land of Oz with the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion as they seek the Wizard's help.
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