The Wizard Of Oz: 1998 Cast Recording (Madison Square Garden Cast) [Cast Recording]

Mickey Rooney, Harold Arlen, Ken Page, Eartha Kitt, E. Y. Harburg | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 15, 1998)
• Original Release Date: September 15, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Tvt
• ASIN: B00000DBWS
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,275 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #48 in Music > Indie Music > Broadway & Vocalists

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite possibly the greatest Oz CD ever...., December 26, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wizard Of Oz: 1998 Cast Recording (Madison Square Garden Cast) (Audio CD)

Thankfully, in 1998 the powers that be over at Madison Square Garden decided to record their version (a slightly altered Royal Shakespeare Company version) of THE WIZARD OF OZ and we should all be very thankful that they did. This CD is quite possibly the best recording of The Wizard of Oz to ever hit the shelves (or lack thereof).
As far as content is concerned, this CD is the reigning champ!!! Most of the dialogue has been retained in order to be able to fully appreciate the performances of Mickey Rooney (as the Wizard, The Guard, Professor Marvel, etc.) and Eartha Kitt (Miss Gultch and the ultra wicked yet, because of Kitt, incredibly sexy, Wicked Witch of the West). She even gets to sing!!! For over sixty years the Wicked Witch has been numberless, but now we get to hear her sing to Niko (her Flying Monkey) all about the wonders of the Jitterbug! The Jitterbug a song that was cut from the 1939 film is used in most stage productions and the involving of the Wicked Witch was an inspired decision. And of course we get to hear Eartha Kitt doing her purring and growling as well.
The music has been slightly re-orchestrated for this production to give it a fresh feel and it does so effortlessly. Another great reason to get this CD is because of Jessica Grove. Her performance as Dorothy is magical. Her voice is genuine and just the perfect match for the roll. She embraces the emotion of the Judy Garland interpretation, that we all love so much, and takes it to another level as only a great actress can. (Look for her name over the title of a Broadway show very soon!) Lara Teeter, Dirk Lambard and Ken Page (Old Deuteronomy in B'way's CATS) all deliver perfect interpretations of The Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. This truly is an enjoyable listen.
England may have Cinderella or Peter Pan, but we've got THE WIZARD OF OZ! What a joy! As Mickey Rooney so happily narrates during the overture, this story has managed to touch our hearts for over a century. No doubt, it will continue to do so as the years pass.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Wizard of OZ" is as magical as ever!!!, March 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wizard Of Oz: 1998 Cast Recording (Madison Square Garden Cast) (Audio CD)

I just saw the touring cast at Washington, D.C. a few days ago and I was astonished. This show totally wipes away the visions of the movie and takes a new life of its own. Earth Kitt works wonders as The Wicked Witch of the West. Though Eartha Kitt is no longer with the show (but is on the CD), Lilliane Montevecchi tops Eartha's performance. Mickey Rooney is so delightful and Jessica Grove makes everybody forget that there was once a young actress named Judy Garland. Ms. Grove is very attractive and very talented. She should go far in life. This CD captures the magic that is the American fairy tale. Our only fairy tale. . .The Wizard of OZ.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How could it be better than this?, April 14, 2001

By 

"closetohome19" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wizard Of Oz: 1998 Cast Recording (Madison Square Garden Cast) (Audio CD)

When I was cast as one of the Three Crows (among other things) in my high school's production of THE WIZARD OF OZ, I decided to buy this recording, because I had heard bits and pieces at auditions and it seemed fresh and new, not like carbon-copies from the musical. I was so surprised by it's wonder that I'm still listening to it (even though the show's over!).

This is one of the BEST WIZARD OF OZ recordings and the cast members take the well-known music of Arlen and Harburg and make it as entertaining as it could possibly be. The first high point of the recording is Jessica Grove's rendition of "Over the Rainbow," though it's true that this song will always belong to Judy Garland, Grove provides some nice competition! The fun did not stop as I moved on in the recording and encountered the beautiful voice of Judith McCauley as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.

Some other high points on the soundtrack include "If I Only Had a Brain" (with the not-often-heard introduction sung by the Three Crows), "Poppies," "King of the Forest," "Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead! (reprise)," with a short "Winkie Rap" sort of thing interplayed into that song, and, of course, the never-before-released "The Jitterbug" sung by the truly wicked Eartha Kitt. What a fun song! One of the best parts, though, is Judith McCauley's singing of the introduction to Over the Rainbow...

"When all the world is a hopeless jumble, / And the raindrops tumble all around, / Heaven opens a magic lane. // When all the clouds darken up the skyway, / There's a rainbow highway to be found / Leading from your window pane / To a place behind the stars / Just a step beyond the rain..."

This is truly a powerful recording and one of the best that THE WIZARD OF OZ has ever seen.