Customer Reviews

The Wizard of Oz (1988 London Cast)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This cd is great for Wizard of Oz lovers! I happen to be one. If you are doing this play at a high school or wherever, chanses are it will be this RSC version (That is the version they sell of the musical you can do.) So if you are, this is a great reference recording for you. When I did the play I would practice dancing with this Cd. It is just like the original film only up to date with newer orchestrations. Buy It!

I am directing the Wizard of Oz this year, and needed good accompaniment tracks for rehearsals. These are by far the best I have heard. They have a rich sound, with professional arrangements. The voices on the demos are very good as well.

This recording is of the original stage version of the classic musical movie. All of the other recordings of "Oz" such as the 1998 tour or the concert cast all come from this version. If you have those cds, you will notice that all the music in it is the same as this. This is the original, and nothing is better than the original of anything! Don't get me wrong, the other two cd's I mentioned are wonderful, I recomend any cd that says "The Wizard of Oz" because it simply is the best musical of all time!

The music in this is SO fast you can hardly keep up with it. It's not at all what I had expected and if you are buying this for a child then keep in mind this has some fast lyrics that fly by so it's not meant for a younger kid. Seems much faster than in the movie. I may be wrong but this is merely my opinion. The artwork on the cover is nice....that may have been why I was more generous with the star rating. I wouldn't buy this if given another chance. It is NOT worth the money they are charging.

This is currently the most definitive recording of the Wizard of Oz as a stage production. The score has been reconstructed to capture the sound of the movie, while expanding on certain scenes such as the "Merry Old Land of Oz" and "Jitterbug" (the latter of which was cut entirely in the film). Other recordings of the stage version have surfaced, but they include awkward musical cuts and unfaithful re-arrangements. They are not, for the most part, accurate representations of the score as it is rented for production. As a director and actor, this is the only recording I would use to learn and teach the show.
Some of the vocals might be off-putting to an American audience, as some interesting accents creep in here and there. Gillian Bevan sings and talks very much in the Judy Garland style, but sounds and looks too old for the role of Dorothy. Joyce Grant as Aunt Em and Glinda is not ideal, and the producers made the very English decision of having the Wicked Witch played by a man (as a dame role). But the other performances more than make up for the above: Paul Greenwood, Simon Green, and David Glover are excellent as the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Emerald City Guard, respectively. The Trees, Crows, and most of the Munchkins are also quite charming.
The only glaring changes that have been made in the rented score since the recording are the rearrangement of some dialogue in "If I Only Had a Brain", and the replacement of the Busby Berkely-style dance break in "The Merry Old Land of Oz" with a Tap Dance.

I bought this CD as a rehearsal accompaniment for our production of "Wizard of Oz." I was expecting a lot less than what I recieved. Overall this cd has the correct cuts and key's to the score! I was expecting more of the movie edits, and was pleasantly pleased at how well the book and tracks matched up.

The only draw-back, was I was hoping for some more dance breaks on the tracks. there are a few, but they're short. Still, not the end of the world! The CD as a whole was well worth it!!! Would buy from this CD company again for other rehearsal CD's!! :-)

A very good record with strong vocals. If you're a lover of "The Wizard of Oz" you should listen ti this.

This recording puts the MGM version of "The Wizard of Oz" into the classical genre. The music is unique, and besides this recording is in its own genre. The music is the same speed as in the film, music and lyrics have been added to, to make up for the hour and 33 minute film lainth. The addition to the "Mary Old Land of Oz" is a Jazz sounding dance break. Lyrics are also added to the beginings of "Over The Rainbow" (since cica, 1948) "If I Only Had a Brain" If I Only Had a Heart" "If I Only Had the Nerve" and "Merry Old Land of Oz." A shortond version of the reprise of "Ding! Dong! The Witch is Dead" as well as "The Jitterbug" have been added, both removed from the film. All the singers sound classicly trained. The booklet has full color photos, and from what I can tell from them, this was a simple, rustic, production put on a large stage. New special effects were used in this production. This was the first successful stage production of the MGM film, in the December of 1987. The Wicked Witch of the West IS played by a man, however I COULDN'T TELL.

This is great for learning the words & music. It includes "Jitterbug", but only electronic instrumentation. Anyone in a production of Wizard of Oz should find this very helpful, as I did.

I love the CD, especially since it is in split track format. The vocal demonstrations are excellent and the orchestrations are very well done.