The Wizard of Oz as American Myth

<p> Since the publication of L. Frank Baum's <I>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</I> in 1900 authors filmmakers and theatrical producers have been retelling and reinventing this uniquely American fairy tale. This volume examines six especially significant incarnations of the story: Baum's original novel the MGM classic <I>The Wizard of Oz</I> (1939) Sidney Lumet's African American film musical <I>The Wiz</I> (1978) Gregory Maguire's novel <I>Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West</I> (1995) Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's Broadway hit <I>Wicked: A New Musical</I> (2003) and the SyFy Channel miniseries <I>Tin Man</I> (2007). A close consideration of these works demonstrates how versions of Baum's tale are influenced by and help shape notions of American myth including issues of gender race home and magic and makes clear that the <I>Wizard of Oz</I> narrative remains compelling and relevant today.</p>