Rehearsals have commenced in Sydney for the Australian run of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of THE WIZARD OF OZ, brought to Australia by John Frost and Suzanne Jones. The production will feature some new songs composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Tim Rice.
The principal cast members are Anthony Warlow as The Wizard and Professor Marvel, Lucy Durack as Glenda The Good Witch, Jemma Rix as the Wicked Witch Of the West, rising star Samantha Dodemaide in the coveted role of Dorothy, her first leading role in a musical, Eli Cooper as the Scarecrow, Alex Rathgeber as the Tin Man and John Xintavelonis will play the Lion.
THE WIZARD OF OZ, directed by Jeremy Sams, will commence its Australian tour with a season at the Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre which will start from the the 4th November. The show will then move to Sydney’s Capitol Theatre from the 30th December. After its Sydney season the Emerald City and its Wizard will move across to Adelaide from he 3rd April, 2018.
http://www.wizardofozthe musical.com
Featured image. Lucy Durack. All photos by Ben Apfelbaum.
The 4 new songs by Rice/Lloyd Webber are terribly pedestrian and add nothing to the musical. In fact the removal of the Lion’s “If I Were King of the Forest” in the Palladium Production was sadly cut!!!