The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The story that takes place in the late nineteenth century in the USA tells us about a little orphan, Dorothy, who lives with her aunt and uncle in dull and dreary Kansas. She gets caught by a cyclone which takes her from her home to the marvellous Land of Oz. This is a fantasy land, a land filled with miracles and different kinds of people. Despite the charms of this enchanting land, Dorothy feels homesick for her loving aunt and uncle and wants to return home. But the homecoming is not that simple. First she has to walk across half of the land to see the formidable Wizard of Oz, the only one who can help her. On her way, she meets a Scarecrow, who has no brain, and invites him to come along. On their way, they are joined by a Tin Woodman/Man without a heart, and a Cowardly Lion, who has no courage. All three join the heroine as they go on their way to find what they are lacking, to find happiness and contentment.

One of the most popular stories in American culture, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was written by Lyman Frank Baum in 1900. The book about the search for self and a better life marked the beginning of the rise of youth culture and introduced a new expression, the generation gap. It became an overnight hit as a musical and soon saw its first staging on Broadway, but it is best known from the film The Wizard of Oz directed by Victor Fleming in 1939 (with the young Judy Garland as Dorothy) and the song »Over the Rainbow«. The film was made in the years of America’s recovery after the Great Depression caused by the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange and thus emphasizes the force of youth that is to give the country new impetus. So Dorothy, a fairy-tale heroine, who isn’t waiting for the solution to the problem (a prince on the white horse), but solves it herself, offers welcome incentive for everyone embarking on their life journey. The fantastic tale about coming of age and courage has been adapted for the SNG Nova Gorica by Miha Golob, the song lyrics were written by Jani Kovačič and the music by Boštjan Gombač.