The Wizdom of Oz – A 21st Century Dance Down the Yellow Brick Road

Words and music by Candace Forest

The Wizdom of Oz, a full-length modern dance adaptation of the L. Frank Baum Wizard of Oz stories, features music and lyrics by award-winning composer, Candace Forest. America’s favorite fairy tale is set to the tune of a bright and inventive score influenced by jazz, punk rock, classical and show tune genres.

Toes tap and hearts race from Dorothy and Toto’s lyrical Paw de Deux to the Emerald City Rag and beyond.

Back Story

What is now titled The Wizdom of Oz was actually the result of the first composing commission I ever received. This assignment came about by a “happy accident” that brought me together with Canadian choreographer, Mauryne Allan, founder of Vancouver’s Mountain Dance Theatre. We met in the late 70s when Mauryne was picking up a Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award at the Banff Centre where I was a piano technician apprenticed to the late Edward Sambell. Summer evenings at Banff often found staff and visiting artists jamming together in small practice huts in the woods. Mauryne found her way to my hut where there was always a lot of music happening and we became friends.

In the fall, I returned home to Stratford, Ontario and Mauryne called to ask if I would compose a score for a modern dance version of The Wizard of Oz stories she was doing for the upcoming holiday season. Though willing, I told her I really had no idea if I could actually do it since my entire compositional output up to that point was just a couple of folksongs. She was insistent and confident I could do it, so I agreed.

I went right to work producing a full-length score for a delightful show that we called The Wizard, which played to sold-out houses for several weeks that December and turned me into a composer! I went to Vancouver with my then husband, bassist Paul Aston. We teamed up with Vancouver musician Robert Minden, a consummate master of the musical saw, among many other marvelous instruments. The three of us performed live with the Mountain Dance Theatre in what was a totally magical adventure for us all.

The company mounted the production again in 1985 and again, it was a great success, this time adding Robert’s talented daughters, Andrea and Dewi to the orchestra. When I recently revisited the score, I decided to change the title to The Wizdom of Oz. I’m currently focused on securing a U.S. premiere of this wonderful work since it brings America’s most beloved fairy tale to life in a completely unique and beguiling new way.