About
OZ
A New Musical
"OZ: A New Musical" is an original musical that explores the genius of L. Frank Baum and his complicated relationship with his most famous creation, the Land of Oz. This is the story of a dreamer at the dawn of a new age who reinvented the fairy tale in a distinctly American way, painting an idealized and magical vision of a world where witches might be good, and what you’re seeking is already inside you.
"OZ" made its World Premiere at freeFall Theatre in St. Petersburg. Florida. The production starred David Foley, Jr. (Broadway National Tour of The Phantom of the Opera and Funny Girl), Melissa Minyard (Broadway’s Les Miserables) Drew H. Wells, Roxanne Fay, and Elizabeth Meckler. freeFall’s artistic director Eric Davis and resident music director Michael Raabe have been collaborating for more than a decade on re-imagined productions of classics "The Pirates of Penzance," "Peter Pan," "War of the Worlds" and the interactive walkthrough experience, "The Rose and The Beast." "OZ" marks the longtime collaborators first original work together with Raabe writing music and lyrics and Davis writing the book and additional lyrics and inspired by the life and work of L. Frank Baum.
The Cast and Musicians of the freeFall production went into the recording studio in July 2023 to record a Studio Cast Recording engineered by Nathan Doyle. The album will be available for download and streaming soon!
David Foley, Jr. as L. Frank Baum
photo by Thee Photo Ninja
Melissa Minyard, Roxanne Fay, Elizabeth Meckler, David Foley, Jr. and Drew H. Wells
photo by Dalton Hamilton
Clicking your heels is optional, but Freefall Theatre’s original show “Oz: A New Musical” will take you on a journey through imagination. The story is told mainly through the songs, with interesting details about Baum’s life seamlessly woven through the lyrics — with quite a few earworms that buzz around your head days later. It’s a deep dive into a fascinating character in American history.
Maggie Duffy
Tampa Bay Times
This captivating new chamber musical by freeFall’s talented stalwarts, Michael Raabe (music & lyrics) and Eric Davis (book & lyrics) is an unmitigated joy!
Jon Palmer Claridge
Creative Loafing
OZ: A New Musical pulls out all the stops, and it’s a thrilling and magical world premiere
Drew Eberhard
Broadwayworld.com