The Wizard of Oz (1988 London Cast) [Cast Recording][Soundtrack]

Harold Arlen, E. Y. Harburg

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 18, 2000)
• Original Release Date: 1988
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording, Soundtrack
• Label: Jay Records
• ASIN: B00004SBPE
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #108,622 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Overture

2. Over the Rainbow

3. Twister

4. Munchkinland

5. If I Only Had a Brain

6. If I Only Had a Heart

7. We're off to See the Wizard

8. If I Only Had the Nerve

9. Poppies

10. Finale Act One

11. Entr'acte

12. Merry Old Land of Oz

13. If I Were King of the Forest

14. Jitterbug

15. Winkies March

16. Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead (Reprise)

17. Finale Act Two

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The New Wizard of Oz, May 21, 2002

By	Broadway Lover (New York) - See all my reviews

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!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WERE OFF TO STAGE THE WIZARD, September 1, 2002

By	Broadway Lover (New York) - See all my reviews

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!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the definitive stage recording, August 4, 2006

By	Ryan Hartley "director actor singer" (California, USA) - See all my reviews

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.