Original Creative Team

FRANK BAUM (Author) In 1900, L. Frank Baum wrote The Wizard of Oz simply to please children. He first adapted it to the stage musical in 1902 and numerous theatrical versions have been produced over the years. Baum was born to a wealthy oil family in 1856 and endured many financial failures, including a chain of theaters, a small variety store and a newspaper. He wrote 14 tales, creating a series about the enchanted land of Oz prior to his death in 1914. Several other authors continued the magical saga, creating a 40 volume series. It is estimated that Baum’s best-loved tale of Dorothy’s journey through the world of Oz has entertained audiences totaling more than one billion people throughout the world.

HAROLD ARLEN (Composer) and E.Y. HARBURG (Lyricist) hold a very special place in the world of movie and stage musicals. Together, their talents have brought new dimensions to a remarkable roster of successful cinematic and theatrical attractions. In The Wizard of Oz, Harburg and Arlen created a score and songs which are as fresh and meaningful today as they were when this classic film fable was first introduced in 1939. From the poignant Academy Award-winning jolly bell ringer, “Ding! Dong! The Witch is Dead!,” Harburg and Arlen take the music-lover and the fairytale-fancier down the yellow brick road to adventure, enchantment, laughter and some warm whimsical comments on the human condition. It’s a story, a message, a sheer magic which delights each time it is retold.