The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Chicago, United States of America. June 1902. Ladies are wearing puffy sleeves and long silk skirts while men look dashing in clean suits and bowler hats. They enter the Chicago Grand Opera House for a performance of the up-and-coming new musical, The Wizard of Oz. It is a show based off of the 1900 book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum, the author, secured his legacy as a writer for children with his book, yet he had greater plans. His first love had been the theater, and so, with the help of his illustrator, W. W. Denslow, and a composer by the name of Paul Tietjens, they turned The Wonderful Wizard of Oz into an operetta-style musical, removing the “wonderful” in the title. With humble beginnings as a child’s book that turned into the many inspired works performed across the world, everyone, from movie-watchers to readers, can be entertained by The Wizard of Oz.

An interesting fact: in 1902, the proposal for the show eventually made its way to Fred Hamlin, producer of the Grand Opera House in Chicago. Legend has it that Hamlin took a chance on the show because it had “Wizard” in the title, and his family’s fortune had been made with Hamlin’s Wizard Oil — a cure-all medical tonic that has now been proven fake.

The Wizard of Oz went through many changes before reaching Broadway. Julian Mitchell, the stage director for the Chicago Grand Opera House at the time, worked with L. Frank Baum to change the script, adding in more features that the audience could connect to as Americans. He had seen great potential in the show and wanted to help such a story gain acclaim throughout the country. While Baum was prepared to work with Mitchell, Tjetens was found incapable of changing his tunes. Mitchell had been asking for catchy pop songs, which were not in the young composer’s musical vocabulary. Eventually, Tjetens moved to Europe, allegedly in a state of nervous collapse, and the show’s score was changed with the help of A. Baldwin Sloane. After becoming a summer hit in Chicago, the performance moved through the Midwest and gained popularity. On January 21st, 1903, The Wizard of Oz opened on Broadway and became a national sensation. 

From the original book to the multiple novels, shows, and movies inspired by L. Frank Baum’s creation, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is an incredible work of art. The book, plays, and movie all come highly recommended for families, and they are perfect for children. The themes of gaining courage, finding your heart, and coming into your power are flawlessly combined. Families can see how powerful the love for home can be. Children are shown that even if they may not feel it, they can always be brave, loving, and strong. Through every piece of media shared, L. Frank Baum’s message, “There’s no place like home,” is faithfully portrayed.

 Photo Credit: David Maxine

Works Cited:

“Best Books Inspired by L. Frank Baum’s Oz Series (33 Books).” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/list/show/12391.Best_Books_Inspired_by_L_Frank_Baum_s_Oz_Series. Accessed 16 Feb. 2024.

Morton, Sunny Jane. “1900s Fashion: Clothing Styles in the Edwardian Era.” FamilySearch, FamilySearch International, 17 July 2020, www.familysearch.org/en/blog/1900s-fashion-edwardian-era#:~:text=Women%20still%20wore%20corsets%20and,with%20expensive%20fabrics%20and%20trimmings.

Reside, Douglas. “Musical of the Month: A Production History of the 1903 Oz.” The New York Public Library, The New York Public Library, 15 Dec. 2011, www.nypl.org/blog/2011/12/15/musical-month-production-history-1903-oz.

Robinson, Mark. “10 Wickedly Wonderful Musicals Inspired by ‘The Wizard of Oz.’” PLAYBILL, PLAYBILL INC, 31 Oct. 2015, playbill.com/article/10-wickedly-wonderful-musicals-inspired-by-the-wizard-of-oz-com-369380#:~:text=The%20operetta%20%22The%20Wizard%20of,played%20extensively%20around%20the%20country.