Synopsis
Dorothy lives in the midst of the great Kansas prairies in the United States of America with her Uncle Henry and her Aunt Em. Their house is very small, just one room, which serves as kitchen, living room and bedroom. Beneath the house is a small hole called a cyclone cellar, where they go when one of the many violent cyclones comes tearing through the plains.
This particular day, when the grass begins to sway, Dorothy, along with her beloved dog Toto, is ordered into the cyclone cellar by Aunt Em whilst Uncle Henry rushes to the sheds to look after the cows and horses. But Toto is frightened and hides under the bed. Dorothy goes to retrieve him and is rushing back to the hole to join Aunt Em when the house is suddenly lifted from the ground by the mighty cyclone, carrying Dorothy and Toto high into the sky and off into the distance. Dorothy crawls to her bed and eventually falls asleep.
ONE DAY IN KANSAS
Dorothy is woken by the jolt of the house landing on the ground. Cautiously, she steps out of the house and looks around her. She is in the midst of a beautiful country, surrounded by lush green grass, banks of gorgeous flowers, fruit-bearing trees and even a little brook.
Dorothy notices a group of ‘people’ coming toward her, older than her, but no bigger, and all wearing little round hats that rose to a point above their heads and had little bells around the brims. They introduce themselves as Munchkins and welcome her to the Land of Oz. They then thank her for killing the Wicked Witch of the East and point to where Dorothy’s house has landed on her. Dorothy is aghast at what has happened, but the Munchkins are delighted.
DOROTHY, DEAR
Dorothy tells the Munchkins that she is anxious to get home to her aunt and uncle. They tell her she will have to undertake a long journey to the City of Emeralds in the centre of the country, there to meet with Oz, the Great Wizard, who will be able to help her. They tell her to stick to the road paved with yellow brick which will guide her there. They suggest she wear the silver shoes that belonged to the Wicked Witch, which are now all that remain of her, her legs having vanished and – beneath the house – probably the rest of her too. Dorothy agrees as her own shoes are very old and worn and unsuitable for such a journey. She puts them on and makes her way towards the road of yellow brick.
In the West of the country, high up in her castle, the Wicked Witch of the West observes this scene through her crystal ball. The Munchkins had told Dorothy about her, calling her “wicked” and cautioning Dorothy to watch out for her.
WICKED
The Wicked Witch of the West looks into her crystal ball and observes Dorothy travelling along the road of yellow brick. She vows to her minions, the Winged Monkeys, that she will take her revenge on Dorothy.
Back on the road of yellow brick, Dorothy meets the Scarecrow, then the Tin Woodman, then the Lion. Each of them has something missing: a brain, a heart and courage. They each ask if they can accompany Dorothy on her journey to meet with the Wizard, hoping that he will be able to give them what they are missing and make them whole, like they think Dorothy is.
PERFECT LIKE YOU
The Wicked Witch of the West observes Dorothy meeting her new companions and gleefully tells the Winged Monkeys of the dangers ahead for Dorothy, in particular the deadly poppy field.
Dorothy, Toto and their three travelling companions unknowingly enter the deadly poppy field. They all begin to feel drowsy and one by one - with the exception of the Scarecrow - they fall asleep, potentially for ever if they are not moved away from the poppies. Without his new friends, and without a brain, the scarecrow is at a loss as to what to do when some field mice scurry through the field. The Queen of the Field Mice says that the mice will help him out. The Scarecrow tells them that they are far too small to be of any help whatsoever.
SMALL
The Scarecrow apologises and accepts the offer of help from the mice. He has a think and, at his suggestion, the mice scurry off and each return with a long piece of sisal from the plant that grows nearby. The Scarecrow ties these to Dorothy, the Tin Woodman and the Lion, and the mice work together to pull them all safely from the poppy field.
Dorothy wakes and thanks the mice for saving her and her companions. She asks them how far it is to the Emerald City. They tell her is she is not far, a half day more, less if they hurry.
The next day, Dorothy and her companions arrive at the Emerald City. Upon being allowed to enter, they discover that a parade is being held by the citizens in honour of the Great Oz.
CLANG EVERY CYMBAL
Having met with the Grand Oz, albeit not in person, Dorothy and her companions are told that they must first kill the Wicked Witch of the West before they can have their wishes granted. They reluctantly leave the Emerald City to seek her.
The Wicked Witch of the West, observing this, sends her Winged Monkeys to intercept them on the road and take them captive. The Captain asks why she never accompanies them on their missions. She says, mysteriously, because it might rain, and then what would happen! The Winged Monkeys take to the skies, a formidable army.
On route towards finding the Witch, tired and increasingly fed up, Dorothy is distraught when Toto disappears, thinking that he has gone for good. To her joy and relief, he returns shortly after.
TOTO
She has little time to savour his return. The Winged Monkeys swoop down from the sky and capture Dorothy and her companions, though not before the Tin Woodman and the Lion show plenty of heart and courage in trying to defend Dorothy from the attack. They are carried to the Witch’s castle and flung into a cell.
Dorothy and her companions are put to work in the castle by the Wicked Witch. Dorothy worries she will never get back to Oz, let alone back to Kansas. She and her companions become increasingly upset at their treatment by the Wicked Witch. The Winged Monkeys start to sympathise, and tell her of how they themselves becomes the witch’s servants, how she gave them wings so they could fly, but in return they must do her evil bidding.
JUST ANOTHER DAY
The next day whilst scrubbing the floor, Dorothy removes her shoes to avoid slipping on the wet floor. The Wicked Witch sees this and, knowing of their power – which Dorothy herself does not know – she grabs them. Dorothy is angry and throws the bucket of dirty water over the witch. The witch shrieks in fear and panic. Dorothy is aghast as the witch starts to melt before her very eyes.
WICKED (REPRISE)
With the Wicked Witch dead, Dorothy and her companions are carried by the liberated winged monkeys back to the Emerald City. Upon arrival, they meet with the Munchkins who celebrate the witch's death.
DOROTHY, DEAR (REPRISE)
Dorothy and her companions enter the Great Chamber to meet with the Wizard of Oz. They tell him that the Wicked Witch is dead and ask him to fulfil his promises to them. He tells them he will need more time. They are angry, and the Lion lets out a roar like he has never done before. Toto is frightened and runs off. Dorothy goes looking for him, closely followed by the others, and they discover a man who is voicing Oz. He is not a great wizard after all, but merely an ordinary man who has no power to do anything and seeks their forgiveness as well as their silence in not informing the citizens of Oz.
Crestfallen, Dorothy and her companions leave the Great Chamber. They hear that a good witch, Glinda, is visiting Oz. They hurry to meet with her and ask for her help. She already knows of their story and tells the Scarecrow that he already has a brain and that he has used it wisely, that the Tin Woodman has shown great heart and sensitivity, and that the Lion has shown great courage. To Dorothy, she says that she has had the power to go home all along, she just needed to clap the heels of the silver shoes together and wish to be home.
Dorothy looks around at all the wonderful friends she has made. Some of them ask her to stay, but others know that she needs to go.
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Towards the end of the song, Dorothy closes her eyes, claps her heels together and the world of Oz gradually morphs into her home in Kansas. She opens her eyes, back in her little home as Aunt Em and Uncle Henry rush to her and Toto with open arms.
