Music played a vital role in the iconic film “The Wizard of Oz,” as well as subsequent shows “The Wiz,” “Wicked” and “Chasing Rainbows,” which were inspired by the film but take a different approach to the story.
Lawrence Loh will conduct the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops in three performances of “Wonderful Music of Oz,” with vocalist soloists Kelli Rabki, Law Dunford and Scott Coulter, and guest pianist John Boswell.
The program features music from the various Oz shows, starting with the film. These will include Munchkinland Medley, “If Only I Had a Brain,” “So You Want to Meet the Wizard,” as well as the film’s most famous song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
Sixteen-year old Judy Garland sings it with an unsurpassable alignment of words with medley in the film.
“Ease On Down The Road” will be one of the excerpts from the 1974 musical “The Wiz,” which retells L. Frank Baum’s story with an African American perspective.
Excerpts from “Wicked” (2003), which tells the story from the perspective of the witches, include “Defying Gravity.”
The concerts start at 8 p.m. April 26 and 27, and 2:30 p.m. April 28 at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Hall. Admission is $22-$99.
Details: 412-392-4900 or pittsburghsymphony.org
