The Yellow Brick Road
Small Cast Edition
Synopsis
Following her innocent crash-landing in the Land of Oz, Dorothy receives from Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, the vision to see wonderment in the world around her as well as a direction for her journey home to Kansas. Along the yellow brick road Dorothy meets the philosophical Scarecrow who yearns for knowledge only books can give him, the seemingly immoveable Tinman who misses the joy of dancing, and the Cowardly Lion who hides his insecurities behind his bullying. With these new friends at her side, Dorothy steadily grows into the knowledge and bravery she needs to confront the conniving Wicked Witch and the bellowing demands of a carnival “wizard.” In time, she realizes the power to return home–to go anywhere and do anything–was always within herself, and she learns that it is not enough to just have a brain or a heart or courage, but that what matters most is what we do with them and how we share them.
Characters
Specs
DOROTHY, a girl of 12, inseparable from her dog Toto
GLINDA, ​a good Witch, loving, mentoring, and very practical*​
SCARECROW, a bandy-legged, exceedingly intelligent gentleman
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TINMAN, paralyzed by ill fortune and filled with kindness
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LION, like all bullies, bundled with insecurities
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WICKED WITCH, comically blundering in her vengeful over-the-top antics*
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WIZARD, a bellowing voice that hides a meek carnival charlatan*
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*Casting Note
The following roles may be doubled:
Glinda/Wicked Witch or Wizard/Wicked Witch
Production History
Cast Size: 7 Principals (3f, 4m)
Approximate Run Time: One hour
Number of Acts: One
Materials
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a PDF of Script
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a PDF of Chorus Book
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a PDF of Vocal Score
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digital download of rehearsal tracks with guide vocals
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digital download of performance tracks with all songs, crossovers and sound effects.
The Yellow Brick Road was first produced by The Magical Caravan Players at Pax Amicus Theater (Budd Lake, NJ) and has been performed at theaters throughout the United States, including Fargo-Moorehead Theater (Fargo, ND) and Birmingham Children's Theater (Birmingham, AL).
A New Approach to the Story
The journey of the girl from Kansas, where storms can lift up houses and carry them anywhere, is a familiar part of American folklore. The incomparable and enduring MGM film was conceived as the clouds of World War II were gathering, and "there's no place like home" struck a powerful chord.
While maintaining the iconic characters of 1939's The Wizard of Oz, our musical looks at Dorothy's journey home through a different lens: that along the path of our lives we encounter mentors–sometimes strangers, sometimes those right nearby–who can teach us new and important things that we need to live a more authentic life, and often the very people whom we teach become our teachers.
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Our Dorothy's journey to get home is only part of her quest. Along that famous yellow brick road, through the archetypes of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion, Dorothy learns about thinking, feeling and facing her fears, about good and evil as incarnate in the witches, and how easily and willingly we can be duped by the false promises of "wizards."
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