The Marvelous Land of Oz (1981)

The Marvelous Land of Oz was a Children's Theatre Company and School of Minneapolis production in 1981, by Thomas W. Olson and lyrics by Gary Briggle. Mr. Briggle also portrayed the Scarecrow in the production. The play was based of L. Frank Baum 's second book The Marvelous Land of Oz.

The costume and facial prosthetic designs for the characters are faithful to John R. Neill's drawings, often rigorously so.

Largely faithful to the novel's plot (with large stretches of dialogue transliterated verbatim), the play eliminates elements such as the Jackdaws and the Griffin, which would have been hard to accomplish on stage. The uneventful journey of Tip and Jack Pumpkinhead from Mombi's farm to the Emerald City is cut down to a minimum of time. General Jinjur is given a constant companion, Colonel Cardamom, for comic relief, and her national color codes are altered, possibly for aesthetic reasons. Jellia Jamb accompanies the Scarecrow's band of refugees to the Tin Woodman's palace. The mad scientist Dr. Nikidik appears as a comic villain, whereas he was only briefly referenced in the book.

Contrary to the "actresses in britches" custom of Baum's Oz stage plays, the transgender character Tippetarius is played by a boy rather than a girl.