The Oz Project, a love letter to The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz, was created and performed by Broadway’s diehard Oz fans, including Kate Rockwell, Joshua Henry, Rob McClure and more. The video has been released—on the same date The Wizard of Oz hit movie theatres nationally in 1939.
Directed by Sean Barrett, the cast includes Rockwell and Brynn Williams as Dorothy, Henry and Ben Jacoby as the Lion, McClure and James T. Lane as the Scarecrow, Grasan Kingsberry and Ryan VanDenBoom as the Tin Man, Nancy Opel and Jennie Harney as Glinda, Liz Larsen as the Wicked Witch of the West, Mykal Kilgore as Evillene and Patrice Covington as Addaperle with Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Natalie Joy Johnson, Ashlee Dupre, Alan Wiggins, Julia Knitel, Marty Thomas, Louis Jones and Gabrielle Reed.
The ten-minute music video follows the parallel journeys of Dorothy in each adaptation as they both get whisked away in the same tornado, land in their respective versions of Oz and follow their own yellow brick road. Their stories are interwoven with highlights from each classic score.
The creative team also includes Matt DiCarlo (assistant director), Jason Michael Webb (musical arrangements) and James Harkness (choreography). Walter Krueger is the project’s producer.
“People need to focus on their similarities instead of harping on their differences—and support each other instead of trying to take each other down,” says The Oz Project director Barrett. “It doesn’t matter your gender, race, sexuality, or religion—we all travel the same yellow brick road of life searching for the same things—love, wisdom, home and the courage to be yourself without abandon. The story and morals are the same, no matter which version is told. Dorothy and her friends are examples for all of us."
“I wish everyone had Dorothy’s spirit,” adds assistant director DiCarlo. “The girl goes on an epic and completely uncharted adventure in search of home. Along the way, completely without bias, she helps three total strangers make their dreams come true while never compromising her own…and she makes the world she is in a safer place by melting a Wicked Witch! In the end—everyone wins. How amazing would it be if we all fought for good, helped each other without judgement, and forged forward with hope, like Dorothy?”
Check out behind-the-scenes pictures and portraits from The Oz Project below.
