The witch from the Wizard of Oz has kicked the bucket. It seems like a fitting end to a character who caused so much chaos and fear in the land of Oz. The wicked witch of the West, as she was known, was notorious for her evil deeds and menacing presence. Throughout the classic tale, the witch activated her flying monkeys, cast spells, and plotted against Dorothy and her friends. She did everything in her power to prevent them from reaching their destination and fulfilling their quest. Her demise in a monumental splash definitely marks a turning point in the story.
It was based on a book
Winkies male chorus Winkie General Leader of the Winkies Range B2-G3 Flying Monkeys dancers Nikko Commander of the Monkeys Jitterbug Lead Dancer Jitterbugs Ghosts SATB chorus dancers. Reunited with all her loved ones, and relieved to learn the storm has left Miss Gulch incapacitated by a broken leg, Dorothy shares the tale of her miraculous journey, celebrating the joy and healing power of home.
Her demise in a monumental splash definitely marks a turning point in the story. While the witch's death may bring a sense of relief and triumph to the audience, it also highlights the complexity of good and evil. The witch represented the embodiment of darkness and malice, yet her death also raises questions about the nature of evil and whether it can truly be eradicated.
The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)
Dance and Vocal Arrangements by Peter Howard / Orchestration by Larry Wilcox
Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company
Based upon the Classic Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros.
We're off to see the wizard! This beloved tale, in which a Kansas farm girl travels over the rainbow to discover the magical power of home, has entertained audiences for generations.
Image: 1939 Film Version (THE WIZARD OF OZ and all related characters and elements © & TM Turner Entertainment Co. (s19))
Get an estimateThe Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)
Get an estimate- Cast Size
Cast Size
3f, 5m, 16 any genderDuration
120 minutes (2 hours)Subgenre
Fantasy, Adventure, Adaptations (Literature), Adaptations (Stage & Screen), Theatre for Young Audiences, Fables/Folktales
Target Audience
Appropriate for all audiences, Young Children (Age 2 - 5), Children (Age 6 - 10), Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13)
AccoladesAccolades
- Winner! 1940 Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song ("Over the Rainbow")
Winner! 1940 Academy Award for Best Music, Original Score
Details
Summary
Follow the yellow brick road in this delightful stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s beloved tale, featuring the iconic musical score from the MGM film. The timeless tale, in which young Dorothy Gale travels from Kansas over the rainbow to the magical Land of Oz, continues to thrill audiences worldwide.
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There are two full-length versions of The Wizard of Oz: MUNY and RSC. Both include the songs “Over the Rainbow,” “Munchkinland (Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead),” “If I Only Had a Brain/a Heart/the Nerve,” “We’re Off to See the Wizard (Follow the Yellow Brick Road),” “Jitterbug,” and “The Merry Old Land of Oz.” The MUNY version also has “Evening Star.” The RSC version also includes “Poppies (Optimistic Voices)” and “If I Were King of the Forest.”
This RSC version is a more faithful adaptation of the film. A more technically complex production, it recreates the dialogue and structure of the MGM classic nearly scene for scene, though it is adapted for live stage performance. The RSC version’s musical material also provides more work for the SATB chorus and small vocal ensembles.
The MUNY Version is more theatrically conservative, employing its stage, actors, singers, dancers, and musicians in traditional ways. Using L. Frank Baum’s book – and not the MGM film – as its inspiration, this version employs story and songs as elements of a classic stage musical, adding a bit more humor to the witch and her cronies. The MUNY version does not include Toto, but instead adds new characters, including Farmhand Joe, Gloria of Oz, Lord Growlie, Tibia (the witch’s skeletal assistant), two comical neighboring witches, and the Royal Army of Oz.
History
The MGM film The Wizard of Oz, based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel, premiered Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on August 15, 1939. This stage adaptation, presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company, premiered at the Barbican Centre in London on December 17, 1987. The production starred Imelda Staunton as Dorothy and featured Bille Brown as the Wicked Witch of the West, Paul Greenwood as the Scarecrow and John Bowe as the Tin Man. Imelda Staunton's husband, Jim Carter (of Downton Abbey fame) played the Cowardly Lion.
Cast Attributes
- Expandable casting
- Roles for Teens
- Roles for Children
- Strong Role for Leading Man (Star Vehicle)
- Strong Role for Leading Woman (Star Vehicle)
Keywords
Performing Groups
- Jr High/Primary
- High School/Secondary
- College Theatre / Student
- Community Theatre
- Dinner Theatre
- Professional Theatre
- Outdoor
- Large Stage
- Church / Religious Groups
- Youth/Camp Programs
Act I
Dorothy Gale, a young girl living on a Kansas farm with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, dreams of escaping her mundane life (“Over the Rainbow”). The family’s mean neighbor, Miss Gulch, threatens to impound Dorothy’s cherished dog, Toto, so Dorothy and Toto run away. They meet up with kindly Professor Marvel, who subtly convinces Dorothy to return home. Suddenly a cyclone hits, and Dorothy and Toto, seeking shelter in the house, are transported to the Land of Oz.
In Oz, Dorothy meets Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. Apparently, Dorothy’s house has landed upon – and fatally stricken – the Wicked Witch of the East. The Munchkins, now freed from the Wicked Witch of the East, celebrate and hail Dorothy as their new heroine (“Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead/Munchkin Musical Sequence”). Suddenly, the Wicked Witch of the West appears, interrupting the celebration and seeking vengeance. Unable to reclaim her sister’s shoes, which are now on Dorothy’s feet, the Witch vows to return and disappears in a cloud of smoke. Dorothy, seeking a way back home to Kansas, sets off to see the Wizard of Oz (“Follow the Yellow Brick Road”).
Along the way, Dorothy meets three new friends, each of whom lacks a crucial characteristic: The Scarecrow (“If I Only Had a Brain”) The Tinman (“If I Only Had a Heart”) and the Lion (“If I Only Had the Nerve”). Together, the four new companions make their way towards Oz (“We’re Off to See the Wizard”). The Witch attempts to sedate the travelers with a poisonous field of poppies, but Glinda reverses the spell with healing snowflakes (“Poppies/Optimistic Voices”).
Act II
The travelers, arriving at the Emerald City, are delayed by a stubborn Gatekeeper, but Dorothy’s tears convince him to relent and let them in (“Merry Old Land of Oz”). As the group awaits its audience with the Wizard, the Lion boasts he is “King of the Forest.” Finally, they meet the imposing and irritable Wizard, who demands the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West.
The four friends travel deep into the haunted forest. Suddenly, they encounter jitterbugs, who make them dance until they collapse from exhaustion (“Jitterbug”). The Wicked Witch’s flying monkeys swoop down, capturing Dorothy and Toto. At the castle, the Witch vows to take Dorothy’s life (“Over the Rainbow” Reprise). Meanwhile, the Lion, Scarecrow, and Tinman infiltrate the castle disguised as Winkie guards. The foursome and Toto are reunited, but the Wicked Witch interferes, threatening the Scarecrow with fire. Dorothy, dousing the flames with a bucket of water, accidentally strikes the Witch, who smolders and melts into nothing (“Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead” Reprise). The four friends, triumphant, take the Witch’s broom back to the Wizard.
The Wizard remains imperious and imposing, but Toto pulls aside a curtain to reveal a meek and ordinary man speaking into a microphone. The Wizard, revealed to be a “humbug,” nonetheless grants each traveler’s request, giving the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Lion each a token of his newly acquired ability. The Wizard offers to take Dorothy back to Kansas in his hot-air balloon, but the balloon accidentally takes off, and Dorothy is left alone and crestfallen. Glinda appears and explains that Dorothy has always had the power to return home. All she has to do is close her eyes, tap her heels together three times, and repeat to herself, “There’s no place like home.”
Back in Kansas, Dorothy awakens, confused, with a bump on her head. Reunited with all her loved ones, and relieved to learn the storm has left Miss Gulch incapacitated by a broken leg, Dorothy shares the tale of her miraculous journey, celebrating the joy and healing power of home.
Principals
(3 female; 5 male. Roles intended to be doubled are indicated with a slash.)
DOROTHY GALE – (Range: G3-C5 (opt. E5))
AUNT EM – Emily Gale / GLINDA – The Good Witch of the North (Range: G3-C5)
UNCLE HENRY – Henry Gale / EMERALD CITY GUARD (Range: Bb2-Eb4)
ZEKE – Farmhand / COWARDLY LION (Range: Bb2-F4)
HICKORY – Farmhand / TINMAN (Range: Bb2-G4)
HUNK – Farmhand / SCARECROW (Range: Bb2-F#4 (opt. Ab4))
MISS ALMIRA GULCH / THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST – non-singing role
PROFESSOR CHESTER MARVEL / THE WIZARD OF OZ – non-singing role
Ensemble/Chorus Roles
(Minimum of 16 ensemble performers required. The original RSC production featured 38 ensemble performers.)
CITIZENS OF MUNCHKINLAND
Mayor – (Range: Bb2-Eb3 or Bb3-Eb4)
Coroner – (Range: Bb2-A3 or Bb3-A4)
Barrister
Fiddler – (Range: C3-C4 or C4-C5)
Braggart
3 Tots – (Range: Bb2-D4 or Bb3-D5)
3 Tough Guys – (Range: Bb2-D4 or Bb3-D5)
3 City Fathers
2 School Teachers
Three Crows – male trio (Range: B2-E4/B4)
Three Trees – female trio (Range: B3-C5/E5)
Poppies – female chorus
Snowmen – male chorus
OZIANS
Beauticians – female chorus
Polishers – male chorus
Manicurists – female chorus
2 Oz Men
2 Oz Women
Winkies – male chorus
Winkie General – Leader of the Winkies (Range: B2-G3)
Flying Monkeys – dancers
Nikko – Commander of the Monkeys
Jitterbug – Lead Dancer
Jitterbugs & Ghosts – SATB chorus/dancers
We borrowed every unused arc light in Hollywood. It was brutally hot. People were always fainting and being carried off the set. - Wizard of Oz cinematographer Harold Rosson
In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's battle against the witch serves as a metaphor for overcoming fears and facing challenges. The witch symbolizes the obstacles and inner demons that one must conquer in order to achieve personal growth and transformation. Therefore, her death represents a metaphorical victory over one's own fears and doubts. Furthermore, the witch's demise also brings a sense of closure to the story and allows the characters to move forward. With her out of the picture, Dorothy and her friends continue on their journey towards the Emerald City, hopeful for a resolution to their individual dilemmas. Ultimately, the death of the witch from the Wizard of Oz is a pivotal moment in the narrative. It signifies the triumph of good over evil and represents the potential for personal growth and transformation. Despite her fearsome reputation, the witch's demise acts as a catalyst for change, bringing resolution and clarity to the story..
Reviews for "I'll Get You, My Pretty": A Tribute to the Wicked Witch of the West"
1. Amanda - 2 Stars
"The witch from the wizard of oz has kicked the bucket" was a huge disappointment for me. The title intrigued me, but the content fell flat. The book was poorly written, with a confusing plot and underdeveloped characters. I expected a dark and intriguing story surrounding the witch's death, but instead, I got a shallow and uninteresting narrative. I also found numerous grammatical errors throughout the book, which made it difficult to read. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating read.
2. John - 1 Star
I couldn't stand "The witch from the wizard of oz has kicked the bucket." It was a complete waste of time. The story lacked depth and originality, relying heavily on clichés and predictable plot twists. The writing style felt amateurish, with awkward dialogue and inconsistent pacing. I found myself uninterested in the characters and their motivations, making it challenging to connect with the story. Additionally, the author's attempt at humor fell flat, leaving me more annoyed than amused. I regret wasting my money on this book and would advise others to steer clear of it.
3. Sarah - 2 Stars
"The witch from the wizard of oz has kicked the bucket" was not what I expected it to be. The book had an intriguing concept, but it failed to deliver a compelling story. The author's writing style lacked finesse, with clunky prose and a lack of descriptive detail. The plot felt disjointed and confusing, making it hard to follow along. Characters were introduced but never fully developed, leaving me uninvested in their fates. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to others.