Originally published in The Baum Bugle, vol. 62, no. 1 (Spring 2018), pg. 40
Citations
Chicago 17th ed.:
Crotzer, Sarah K. Review of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Baum Bugle 62, no. 1 (2018): 40.
MLA 9th ed.:
Crotzer, Sarah K. Review of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Baum Bugle, vol. 62, no. 1, 2018, pp. 40.
(Note: typographical errors have been left in place to accurately reflect the printed version.)
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ. Big Finish Productions, 2015. 145 mins. 2-disc CD set, $19.89. ISBN: 978-1-78178-567-6. Digital, $12.99. ISBN: 978-1-78178-568-3. Available at www.bigfinish.com.
For several decades here in the United States, the term “audio drama” has been synonymous with public domain collections of 1940s radio series like The Shadow, Sherlock Holmes and The Saint. In Great Britain, however, radio and audio drama are a mainstay.
One British company, Big Finish, has specialized in direct-to-CD productions for the past 20 years. Best known for their expansive Doctor Who ranges and other “cult” franchises, they also boast a rapidly growing “Classics” line. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is the first to be adapted from an American work.
While the production values of the Big Finish adaptation are strong, at least one necessary change greatly impactss the result. With the exception of the actors playing Dorothy and the Wizard, the entire cast is British and plays in British accents, too. That means the listener doesn’t have to sit through awkward “faked” accents, but it also has the curious effect of unmooring Baum’s story from its authentic American roots. Most of the characters are now simple British stereotypes—the Tin Woodman sounds like a stiff upper-lipped soldier, for instance—that feel cartoonish and strangely hard to love.
Everything about adaptation writer Marc Platt’s script implies that he’s focused primarily on Dorothy and providing her with a structured “hero’s journey.” To that end, he introduces the Wicked Witch of the West early, ransacking Munchkin Country for her Golden Cap and her sister’s magic shoes. She watches most of the journey from afar throughout disc 1, while disc 2 spends a prolonged period with Dorothy as her captive. Platt attempts to utilize the problematic “journey to the South” by bringing his script to a head at Glinda’s abandoned, cobweb-covered palace, where Dorothy faces a giant spider brought to life with the Wicked Witch’s magic (and bearing her face!). Her friends try to help but are overwhelmed—perhaps unsurprisingly. This is an adaptation where the trio receive their physical gifts but are never told they had brains, heart, and courage all along. Platt and Baum, it seems, are really interested in different stories.
In fact, both script and direction show a lack of confidence in Baum’s simple, homegrown sincerity. Everything is played a little “big” and tongue-in-cheek. The Scarecrow’s fear of a lighted match is delivered as a giggled secret, schoolgirl-style, to Dorothy. The leader of the Winged Monkeys makes dry jokes about his union. Denizens of the Emerald City wander around wishing each other a “verdant day!” Most tellingly, the Wizard narrates (most of) the story without any of Baum’s famous narration. Gone is “Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies”; instead, we open with, “Kansas, as I recall, is as flat as a blueberry pancake.” It’s the sort of change that feels curiously without purpose.
I would love to know the purpose behind Platt’s adaptation. There are clues (including a cameo by “Captain Jinjur”) that indicate Big Finish was ready to produce more Oz if this double-CD set proved successful. Unfortunately, it appears to have been relegated quickly to the company’s regular online sales. It is not without interest for Oz scholars, if only because of so many curious choices—but I have to say, I’m glad we didn’t get a series.
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