They discern great gaps in the original story that are probably never noticed by playgoers.”. Baum proved dissatisfied with the end result, mentioning to The Chicago Tribune in 1904, “…few authors of successful books are ever fully satisfied with the dramatization of their work. Fearing it too dry to attract a large audience, vaudevillian joke-writer Glen MacDounough was hired on by producers to spruce up the comedic elements. The music was originally written by Paul Tietjens, but by the time it had reached the Majestic, a myriad of other writers and composers had left their mark on the play.
Frank Baum himself, the author of the original books, the script harbors only a passing resemblance to it’s forebear. Although the play was written and conceived by L. between 7th and 8th Avenues, audiences poured in to see this comedic spectacle and often requested so many encores of their favorite songs, that the play generally ran four hours or more. Billed as an ‘extravaganza’, this play originally premiered in Chicago and was so well received that it only took a year to find it’s Broadway home at the Majestic Theater.
The story of The Wizard of Oz has had many incarnations throughout it’s history, but perhaps one of the least remembered is the 1902 musical.
