The Wizard of Oz: The beloved musical is back on stage
There's no place like the theatre
Last updated 18th Jul 2023
The Wizard of Oz is back on stage entertaining audiences in the UK once again as the show enjoys a summer run in the West End at the London Palladium.
Here's what you need to know about the musical that started out at the Curve in Leicester and has now moved to the West End and beyond.
How long is The Wizard of Oz running in the West End?
You can cat The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium through until 3rd of September 2023.
The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium: Cast
Jason Manford as The Cowardly Lion
Jason Manford, who is a multi-award-winning stand-up Comedian, Actor, Singer, Writer, Radio and Television Presenter, will play The Cowardly Lion.
In the world of musical theatre he's appeared in productions of The Producers and Curtains. He has hosted big theatrical events including the Olivier Awards and Magic at the Musicals.
Ashley Banjo as The Tin Man
Ashley Banjo is the founder, creative director and choreographer for the dance group Diversity who found fame in 2009 after winning Britain's Got Talent. He will make his West End musical debut in The Wizard of Oz, in the role of The Tin Man.
Gary Wilmot as The Wizard of Oz
Star of the Palladium Gary Wilmot will play The Wizard of Oz, he was recently seen at the Apollo Victoria playing The Wizard in Wicked.
He has also been seen at plenty of the Palladium's iconic pantomimes and also starred in The Prince of Egypt at the Dominion Theatre and The Wind in the Willows at the London Palladium.
Christina Bianco as Glinda
Christina Bianco is a two-time Drama Desk Award nominee, who made her West End debut starring in the Menier Chocolate Factory's production of Forbidden Broadway at the Vaudeville Theatre. She captured international acclaim as a YouTube sensation with her 'diva' impression videos gaining over 25 million views. She will be playing Glinda.
Dianne Pilkington as The Wicked Witch of the West
Dianne Pilkington has starred in West End shows including Wicked (as Glinda at Apollo Victoria Theatre) and Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein (Garrick Theatre) and originated the iconic role of Eglantine Price in the world stage premiere of Bedknobs and Broomsticks (National Tour). She will be staring as The Wicked Witch of the West.
Louis Gaunt as The Scarecrow
Louis Gaunt has West End credits including the title role in last year's production of Jack and the Beanstalk (London Palladium) and Bert in Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre). He can be seen as Lord Lumley in Series 2 of hit series Bridgerton on Netflix. He will be The Scarecrow.
Georgina Onuorah as Dorothy
Georgina returns to The Wizard of Oz having led the production at the Curve Theatre. Her other credits include Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella.
The full cast is completed by Ben Thompson (as Toto), Annie Southall, Charlotte St.Croix, Claire O’Leary, Eamonn Cox, Emily Ann Potter, Geoff Aymer, Harrison Wilde, Jacqui Dubois, Jessica Daley, Jonathan Dryden Taylor, Lauren Stroud, Marley Fenton, Michael Lin and Sam Stones.
Will The Wizard of Oz go on tour?
Yes it will! Following their summer run at the London Palladium, The Wizard of Oz is heading on a UK tour starting with Liverpool in December 2023 with the show headinging all across the country in 2024.
Casting for the UK tour is yet to be announced.
Is the musical based on the film?
The musical is based on the iconic MGM film from 1939 as well as L. Frank Baum's novel from 1900 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz which the film itself is based on.
Is this the Andrew Lloyd Webber version?
You may remember that back in 2011, a new production of The Wizard of Oz arrived in the West End and it featured some brand-new songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice alongside Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg's songs from the 1939 film.
The new 2023 production also features Andrew and Tim's new songs.
The Wizard of Oz: Creative team
The new production is directed by Nikolai Foster, with choreography by Shay Barclay, Set Designer is Colin Richmond, Projection Designer is Douglas O’Connell, Costume and Puppet Designer is Rachael Canning, Lighting Designer is Ben Cracknell, Sound Designer is Adam Fisher, Creative Consultant is Mark Kaufman, Musical Director and Musical Supervisor is George Dyer, Magic Consultant is Scott Penrose, Casting Director is Kay Magson CDG, Props Supervisor is Marcus Hall Props, Costume Supervisor is Anna Josephs and Wigs, Hair and Makeup Designer is Elizabeth Marini.
Our favourite musicals based on books:
Cabaret
Kander and Ebb's hugely successful Cabaret which is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic was based on John Van Druten's play I am a Camera which in turn was based on Christopher Isherwood's semi-autobiographical novel, Goodbye to Berlin.
Cats
A slightly different type of adaptation came with Cats. A collection of T. S. Elliot's poems about cats were published in 1939 in a book called Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.
The poems were used as lyrics in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1981 musical Cats which was at one point the longest running musical both in the West End and on Broadway.
The Color Purple
Alice Walker's 1982 novel The Color Purple has been voted one of the UK's most loved books and Alice became the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
The novel was adapted into a film by Steven Spielberg in 1985 and a musical that explores more of the themes included in the source material opened on Broadway in 2005. The musical version of The Color Purple is now being adapted into a film.
Doctor Doolittle
During the First World War, Hugh Lofting began sending illustrations to his children about a physician who could talk to the animals. He went on to publish the stories with the first one released in 1920.
The stories had their first big screen adaptation in 1967 with Rex Harrison as the titular character. The film and stories were adapted for the stage with the first run taking place at the Hammersmith Apollo with Phillip Schofield in the leading role.
Gypsy
Gypsy Rose Lee, who was famous for her striptease act, released her autobiography titled Gypsy: A Memoir in 1957. The book served as the inspiration behind Jules Styne, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents' iconic 1959 musical, Gypsy.
Legally Blonde
Now many of us know that Legally Blonde was based on the hit 2001 film starring Reece Witherspoon, but did you know that the film was based on a book of the same name?
Author Amanda Brown wrote a novel based on her own experience at Stanford Law School. Before the book was even published, the manuscript caught the attention of Hollywood and both the book and film were released in 2001 with the musical adaptation first opening in 2007.
Les Misérables
Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables is considered one of the best novels of the 19th century and it's fair to argue that Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's musical adaptation is one of the greatest musicals of all time. Having opened in the West End in 1985, it now holds the record as the world's longest running musical.
Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins made her debut in P. L. Travers' children's stories with the first book released in 1934. It took Walt Disney 20 years to convince Travers to allow the film to be made - but she wasn't a fan of the final product.
When she was approached by Cameron Mackintosh for the stage adaptation, one of her conditions was that nobody from the original film could be involved with the production. This meant that the Sherman Brothers were barred from writing the additional music.
Matilda
Roald Dahl's beloved story of an intelligent young girl that had telekinetic powers was brought to the stage in 2010 when it opened in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Matilda the Musical has music and lyrics by Tim Minchin transferred to the West End in 2011 and won an impressive seven Olivier Awards.
Oliver!
It's fair to say that Lionel Bart's musical, Oliver! is one of the most famous British musicals around. It's fitting considering the musical's source material, Oliver Twist was written by one of the most famous British authors, Charles Dickens.
The Phantom of the Opera
There have been many adaptions of Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera - including multiple musicals. But it's Andrew Lloyd Webber's version that became an icon of the genre of musical theatre.
The musical first opened in 1986 and is now the second longest running West End musical and the longest running Broadway show.
South Pacific
A collection of short stories about the Pacific Campaign in World War II by James A. Michener was published in 1947. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was adapted into Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific which opened on Broadway in 1949.
Wicked
Considering Wicked's huge success as a musical, many don't know that the musical is in fact based on a novel. Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West was first published in 1995.
It's worth mentioning that the content of the novel has much more adult themes compared to the musical adaptation.
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