Jefferson High School Performing Arts Department Presents: The Wizard of OZ

By L. Frank Baum

Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg

Background Music by Herbert Stothart

Dance and Vocal Arrangements by Peter Howard

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.

Directed by John Satterfield

The Wizard of Oz musical follows the classic story of Dorothy Gale,
a young girl who dreams of escaping her mundane life on a Kansas farm
("Over the Rainbow"). When a sudden cyclone transports her, along
with her dog Toto, to the magical, colorful Land of Oz, she realizes she's far
from home. 

Her house lands on and destroys the Wicked Witch of the East, freeing
the Munchkins, who hail Dorothy as a heroine. But this also draws the
ire of the East's sister, the Wicked Witch of the West, who vows
revenge. With the help of Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, Dorothy
learns that the powerful Wizard of Oz is the only one who can help her
return to Kansas.

Following the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, Dorothy befriends three
memorable characters, each seeking the Wizard's help to gain a missing
attribute: the Scarecrow wants a brain, the Tin Man wants a
heart, and the Cowardly Lion needs courage.

Upon reaching the Emerald City, the intimidating Wizard agrees to grant
their wishes only if they bring him the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the
West. The four friends embark on a dangerous quest, encountering the Witch's
spells and her menacing Flying Monkeys. Dorothy ultimately defeats the Witch
and returns with the broomstick, only to discover that the mighty Wizard is
merely a humbug.

However, the Wizard, still intending to help, finds clever ways to grant the
Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion their tokens of self-worth. It is Glinda who
finally reveals to Dorothy that she has always possessed the power to return
home using the magical Ruby Slippers. After bidding farewell to her
friends, Dorothy clicks her heels and wakes up back in Kansas, realizing with
deep conviction that "There's no place like home."