L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is an undeniable touchstone of the American cultural consciousness, and over time has impacted other realms of entertainment. Theatrical adaptations of the work began almost immediately following the book's initial publication in 1900, bolstered by songs and music to help tell the story of Dorothy and denizens of the Land of Oz. Adapting The Wizard of Oz: Musical Versions from Baum to MGM and Beyond and Arlen and Harburg's Over the Rainbow, the first edited by Dominic McHugh and Danielle Birkett and the latter written by Walter Frisch, trace the treatments of Oz throughout musical theatre history from the early 20th to the early 21st century. The contributors to both volumes achieve this by considering a variety of perspectives and several productions, as well as an in-depth description of the creation of one of the most recognisable cinematic and popular songs of all time, ‘Over the Rainbow’.
McHugh and Birkett's collection is interesting in that, instead of focusing solely on the 1939 MGM film of The Wizard of Oz (although a good portion of the book is dedicated to that version), the authors also study earlier vaudeville stagings, and more recent takes such as The Wiz (1975), with some of the contributors examining links between the productions. While the MGM version is highly mineable for topics of discussion, the authors considering the other productions outline the amount of original music written for Oz stage works and the elements of the source material(s) that were used (not just examining Baum's work, but also Gregory Maguire's Wicked). While some territory familiar to aficionados of Oz and its lore is covered within the book, the contributors offer a good range of matter to digest. One chapter explores the development of the iconic characters of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodsman by Broadway's Fred Montgomery and David Stone and how those iterations came to shape the subsequent influential film interpretations. Another examines the travelling foursome of Dorothy and Friends within the framework of queer theory, while another chapter is dedicated to physical movement within the film adaptation.
Adapting the Wizard of Oz is organised linearly, progressing from the earliest to most recent productions. The individual chapters at times do extend beyond the time frames of preceding or succeeding chapters for the necessity of the subject at hand. Frisch, the author of the second book addressed, supplies the final chapter for this book, discussing the social impact of select Oz songs, allowing for a neat segue from this collection into his own book, while also harkening back to earlier chapters.
One of the main positives of McHugh and Birkett's tome is that, while keeping academic readers in mind, its audience could potentially be quite varied because of the gamut of approaches. While some individual chapters might lend themselves less to a general readership (for example, a chapter dedicated to the film's underscoring is perhaps easier understood with some theoretical or performance background in music), the book as a whole is readable and useful to anyone interested in Oz, the discussed productions or theatre history more broadly. The book is weighted more toward the film version; however, the timeline of novel to stage to film and each medium's respective impact are considered clearly throughout the collection. One could also read individual chapters out of sequence without losing any momentum or could scour the book for information most pertinent to particular interests.
Another positive is the number of sources used in crafting this collection, which provides great resources for a student or scholar. Each author's extensive end notes suggest more information exists and different academic approaches are yet to be considered. The notes reflect not only the potentially large amount of known resources available, but also the scholastic interest in all facets of Oz.
Walter Frisch's book, Arlen and Harburg's Over the Rainbow, in pairing with Adapting the Wizard of Oz, is a comparatively short read, but he deftly outlines a great deal about ‘Over the Rainbow’ in its pages. He includes notes to listen to musical examples within the text, not just of the title song, but also influential songs and singers that helped to shape the ultimate version of the work, that which appears in the 1939 MGM film. These examples lead the reader to Oxford University Press's web site (and provides a passcode), which provides not only the listening examples, but also film clips, creating a multimedia experience.
Beginning with drafts of the song and moving through the structure, cover versions, orchestration and the impact of ‘Over the Rainbow’ on performer Judy Garland's life and career, Frisch's work covers a lot of ground for this musical element of the film. As with the Birkett/McHugh collection, some portions are read more easily with prior experience with music (the author explains changes made to tempi keys, and discusses chord progressions), but the majority can be read by anyone interested in or affected by the song.
McHugh and Birkett's edition and Frisch's book do make a nice pairing, as there is some overlap in subject matter (discussion of the place of ‘Over the Rainbow’ in the film and Dorothy/Garland's status within the gay community) with both works providing other topics for consideration. The combination of resources is perhaps most useful to readers wanting an academic viewpoint on Oz film and theatre adaptations, given the amount of research in both, but given that The Wizard of Oz has such a commercial and widespread appeal, these books could also entertain and inform a wider audience.
Perhaps the most pressing insight from these two books is that the legacy of a children's novel has not only continued in multiple media for well over a century, but that enough material and interest exist to be able to draw on the work and preceding adaptations to create new and different versions. Looking to the recent past and into the future, where television series, movies, novels and cartoons have also addressed Oz either directly or in parody, further opportunities to expand on subjects and ideas presented in this pairing of volumes should be abundant.
