Oz and the musical : performing the American fairy tale /

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Includes bibliographical references and index.Introduction : The Fairy Tale, the Musical, and "America" -- The Man Behind the Curtain : L. Frank Baum's Theatrical Fairy Tale -- My Own Backyard : MGM's The Wizard of Oz -- Easing Down the Road : The Soul of The Wiz -- Wicked : The Witch's Turn -- "And Then There Was Oz Again" : Making Believe Between Oz and Home -- Epilogue : What Have You Learned, Dorothy?"The Wizard is a lovable humbug, an artful salesman who gives his customers something to believe in, even if the thing is known to be pretend. Playing a role, he presents Dorothy's friends with talismans of brains, heart and courage and takes pride in showing them how he accomplished his illusions. Why do Dorothy's friends put their faith in the Wizard's abilities to grant their requests even after he has shown them that he has only been putting on a show? Perhaps his virtuoso performances inspire their own, and ours too. His humbug guides the philosophy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the theatrical style of the first Oz musical, the extravaganza of 1902, with implications for "American" performance and participation"--