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Content Analysis

The Wizard of Oz 

by L. Frank Baum

Music and Lyrics by

Harold Arden and E.Y. Harburg

THE PLAY SYNOPSIS

Young Dorothy Gale is swept away by a tornado from her Kansas farm to the magical land of Oz. There, she encounters a host of whimsical characters: good witches, bad witches, animals that talk, scarecrows that walk, and things magical to behold. To find her way home, she must journey along the Yellow Brick Road to see the mysterious and all-powerful Wizard in Emerald City. Along the way, she makes new friends, but must also brave many dangers, including the Wicked Witch of the West, who will stop at nothing to get her hands on Dorothy’s magical ruby slippers. To make it home safely, Dorothy must learn an important lesson: there’s no place like home.

THE CHARACTERS

DOROTHY GALE

AUNT EM/GLINDA – The Good Witch of the North

UNCLE HENRY/EMERALD CITY GUARD

ZEKE- Farmhand/COWARDLY LION

HICKORY– Farmhand /TINMAN

HUNK– Farmhand / SCARECROW

MISS ALMIRA GULCH /THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST

PROFESSOR CHESTER MARVEL /THE WIZARD OF OZ

CITIZENS OF MUNCHKINLAND – Chorus

MAYOR FIDDLER

CORONER BRAGGART

BARRISTER 2 SCHOOL TEACHERS

3 CITY FATHERS 

3 TOTS

3 TOUGH GUYS

3 CROWS – Men

3 TREES – Girls

POPPIES & SNOWMEN – Chorus

OZIANS – Chorus

BEAUTICIANS

POLISHERS

MANICURISTS

2 OZ MEN

2 OZ WOMEN

WINKIES – Male Chorus

WINKIE GENERAL

NIKKO – Commander of the Monkeys

JITTERBUG – Lead Dancer

JITTERBUGS & GHOSTS – Chorus

MUSICAL NUMBERS

ACT I

Over the Rainbow

Munchkinland Munchkin Musical Sequence & Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead

Yellow Brick Road

If I Only Had a Brain

We’re Off to See the Wizard

If I Only Had a Heart

We’re Off to See the Wizard

Lions, Tigers and Bears

If I Only Had the Nerve

We’re Off to See the Wizard

Poppies

ACT II

Optimistic Voices

The Merry Old Land of Oz

Reprise: The Merry Old Land of Oz

If I Were King of the Forest

March of the Winkies

Winkies Exit

Jitterbug

Reprise: Jitterbug

Reprise: Winkies March

Winkies March with Friends & Reprise: Over the Rainbow

Reprise: Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead

SCENE SETTINGS

ACT I

Kansas Prairie

Gypsy Caravan

Munchkin Land

Cornfield

Tinman’s Cottage

Wild Forest

Poppy Field

ACT II

Outer Gates of Emerald City

Emerald City Town Square

Wizard’s Chambers

Gates of Emerald City

Witch’s Castle

The Haunted Forest

Witch’s Castle

Gate at Witch’s Castle

Witch’s Chamber

The Wizard's Chamber

Balloon

Kansas Prairie

THEMES

Good and Evil

In The Wizard of Oz the division between good and evil is very clearly defined. This is shown by the characterizations of the various witches. The Wicked Witch of the West is very clearly evil, and her moral crookedness is reflected in her physical unattractiveness. As Glinda tells Dorothy, "Only bad witches are ugly." Glinda, on the other hand, is beautiful, a reflection of her status as a "Good Witch." In this system, we see that the boundaries between good and evil are clearly defined, and there is not much room for ambiguity. 

Friendship

Although she finds herself in the unfamiliar and often dangerous Land of Oz after being taken there by a cyclone, Dorothy soon finds comfort in the form of three new friends. As Dorothy travels towards the Emerald City in the hopes that the Wizard of Oz can send her back home to Kansas, she meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion along the way. 

Before Dorothy encounters them, each of her companions are alone and friendless. When they’re traveling and facing dangers together, Dorothy’s friends are compelled to look beyond themselves and use their talents to protect each other, which tends to bring out their best qualities. 

Home

Almost from the moment she gets to Oz, Dorothy wants to get back to Kansas. Ironically enough, this comes very soon after she had wanted nothing more than to get away from Kansas.  Getting home is her number one aim, and it is what brings her to the Wizard of Oz to ask for assistance. Separated from her caretakers, Dorothy comes to appreciate the care and love of Uncle Henry and Aunt Em more than she ever imagined.

False Prophets

The Wizard comes to represent fraud, in that he is an ordinary man who pretends to have far greater powers than he actually does. He is, of course, a parallel for the fake psychic, Professor Marvel, who cannot tell Dorothy's fortune without sneaking a peek at a picture she keeps in her bag. 

Self-Esteem

All of Dorothy's companions are plagued by low self-esteem. The Scarecrow worries that he is deficient because he doesn't have a brain, the Tin Man longs for a heart, and the Lion experiences acute shame about his own cowardice. As the group encounters different obstacles, their self-esteem is tried. At various points, each of them becomes discouraged and wants to give up, and this is because of their poor self esteem. By the end of the play, they have each discovered an inner confidence and together managed to save Dorothy from the clutches of the Wicked Witch. 

Courage

As the king of the jungle, the Cowardly Lion longs for courage, to be able to access his own bravery and not be so frightened of everything. Throughout the play, he struggles with his own fear, often wanting to turn back, run, and hide when confronted with danger or adversity. By the end of the play, the Wizard tells the Lion that he is able to be brave, if only at particular moments, and awards the Lion with a medal celebrating his courage. Courage, as the Wizard defines it, is not so straightforward as the Lion suggests, but is something that comes and goes at different moments in a person's lives. One's bravery, according to the Wizard, does not lie in how consistently one feels no fear, but in one's ability to access courage at different moments.

Growing Up

A huge part of Dorothy's journey is not only the fact that she manages to return home to Kansas by the end of the play, but that she learns an important lesson along the way, and in this way, matures. 

FOR PARENTAL CONSIDERATION

Dorothy says she hates her family and never wants to see them again when she is angry

The Professor uses a Crystal ball to tell the future (though he is really just posing as a fortune teller)

The Lion threatens Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow and Tinman when they first meet

The Witch threatens Dorothy and her friends several times

The Witch talks about hating Dorothy

The Witch locks Dorothy in her castle and threatens her with death.

The Witch tries to burn the scarecrow

Dorothy throws water on the Witch to protect Scarecrow and accidentally kills the Witch

There are scenes in the Witch’s castle and Haunted Forest that are meant to be spooky or scary and could be of concern for parents with small children

RUNNING TIME

2 hours and 50 minutes 

20 minute intermission

SHOW DATES

July 9, 2025 - August 10, 2025

WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDED AGE FOR THE WIZARD OF OZ?

If this play was a movie we would give it a rating of G.  We recommend an age of 5 and up for this performance.

HOW MUCH ARE TICKETS TO THE WIZARD OF OZ?

Tickets prices vary between $45 and $70 depending on where you sit in the theater.

Executive Artistic Director’s Note

The beloved classic that ushered in the golden age of Hollywood hits the George stage this summer for an incredible production that’s suited for the entire family! The Wizard of Oz is a standalone classic that rings with nostalgia, made new by high production value in an intimate setting. Come join Dorothy as she inadvertently ventures to the Land of Oz (with her little doggy, too!), makes new friends, and searches for a way home. The Wizard of Oz is sure to delight everyone!

Theatre is an art form that from its inception has had the proven power to move and to stir the human spirit. This can have a wide variety of manifestations. We are often stirred up, and that kind of event can have us needing to talk to someone about it. We recommend that you find a licensed mental healthcare professional to help you work through difficult feelings that may have been stirred up by a play. You should always work with someone that you have a great connection with. If you need help starting that process, we recommend our partners at Ellie Mental Health as a starting place.

A.D. Players at the George Theater is proud to partner with Happy Faces Pet Ranch. Our beloved Toto (Jodi Zaebst) has brought so much joy and love to audiences here in Houston, and we realized that this kind of love is available to everyone! That’s why we’re hosting a “pup-up” adoption event on August 9th between our matinee and evening show. You don’t need magic, ruby slippers, or even a yellow brick road to fetch your own Toto.

Happy Faces Pet Ranch started years ago in the heart of their Founder. She is a lifetime pet lover with a passion for giving dogs (& other animals) a happy, healthy place to live with a loving caretaker. She recognized the extreme pet suffering and overpopulation in our area and could not find enough foster homes to take care of all the dogs needing help. The physical location for Happy Faces Pet Ranch was acquired in 2019. The property is over 12 acres with a climate-controlled house for the dogs, an open fenced area for exercise and play, and remaining acres for walking or exercising the dogs around a beautiful treed setting. One or two kennel techs are on the property from 6:30 am until 9:30 pm each day. The dogs have schedules for routine exercise, feeding, and health care. Their founder is a long-time philanthropist and advocate for children and the rights and care of animals and has created a wonderful environment for sheltering dogs until adoption.

Monetary donations help them provide vet care to abandoned and abused animals.
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