The Wizard of Oz 4+

A musical fairy tale

Lyman Frank Baum, Jera Ivanc / 60 min

The Wizard of Oz is the story of an unusual journey across the Land of Oz, where Dorothy, the protagonist, makes three new friends who join her in her quest to find the all-knowing, all-seeing and all-powerful Wizard of Oz.

I dream of colourful drops falling from the wings of birds in the sky
Where can I find wings so I, too, can fly?
If birds fly away, I will follow wherever they go

All the way to the place I call home...

In Jera Ivanc’s adaptation, the magical Land of Oz stands as a metaphor for and allegory of an examination of the meaning of life, but above all, of the quest for home as an inherent desire of all human beings. In this production, which adopts a refined aesthetic and focuses on physical movement, the Land of Oz emerges as a symbol of Dorothy’s fears and doubts, her sense of her own imperfection and her search for answers to the questions that keep swirling through her head like a tornado. On their way to the omnipresent Oz, the newly united friends have to overcome obstacles and ward off the tricks of the Wicked Witch, growing and maturing into integral individuals.

While going through the ordeals thrown in their way on this journey from dawn to dusk, from the unconscious to the conscious, from darkness into light, the friends transform fear into courage, anger into gratitude, hatred into love, guilt into compassion, establishing themselves as integral beings. Will Dorothy find her home? Indeed, home is wherever we find ourselves, in everything around us: a starry night, raindrops in the colours of the rainbow, a child’s laughter, the wind underneath a bird’s wings... the mosaic of our lives. And this is precisely what the land of the Yellow Brick Road is: the land of Dorothy’s inner world, with the creatures of the Land of Oz forming the broad spectrum of her imagination, emotions and mind.

 The Wizard of Oz, one of the best-loved stories of American culture, was written in 1900 by Lyman Frank Baum under the title The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Feeling a strong desire to create a fairy tale that would take children into a fantasy world where wonder and cheer prevail over sorrow and misery, Baum wrote a story about pursuing yourself and a better life. An instant classic, The Wizard of Oz was soon adapted for the Broadway stage as a musical. Its most iconic adaptation was the 1939 film directed by Victor Fleming starring Judy Garland and featuring the song Over the Rainbow. Although intended for younger audiences, the LGL production is recommended for all ages, thanks to its universal theatrical language.

Gallery

The Wizard of Oz <em>Photo: Mankica_Kranjec</em>
The Wizard of Oz Photo: Mankica_Kranjec
The Wizard of Oz <em>Photo: Mankica_Kranjec</em>
The Wizard of Oz Photo: Mankica_Kranjec
The Wizard of Oz <em>Photo: Mankica_Kranjec</em>
The Wizard of Oz Photo: Mankica_Kranjec
The Wizard of Oz <em>Photo: Mankica_Kranjec</em>
The Wizard of Oz Photo: Mankica_Kranjec
The Wizard of Oz <em>Photo: Mankica_Kranjec</em>
The Wizard of Oz Photo: Mankica_Kranjec

Crew and cast

Authors Lyman Frank Baum, Jera Ivanc

Directed by Yulia Roschina