Witch from The Wizard of Oz casting a spell on people who sue her stage production
In what is an insult to karaoke fans everywhere, the London newspaper The Mail is reporting that Adrian Bradbury is launching a legal action against the producers of a stage musical production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’.
What’s his complaint?
Mr. Bradbury, a fan of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ says, “When the music starts it normally makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, but instead it was obvious that it was a synthesised backing tape.”
Now granted, he probably is going to be a bit more critical than you or me because he is a professional musician. He says the use of the karaoke tracks meant “there could be absolutely no interaction between the singer and the music”. He did compliment the show by saying “there were some good special effects and a lovely little dog - but it wasn’t a musical.”
Sir Harrison Birtwistle, the UK’s foremost living composer, supported Bradbury by writing “The Wizard of Oz is a musical, composed for a cast of singers/actors with orchestral accompaniment, with a musical director in overall control. Without the orchestra or musical director a performance of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is best described as karaoke.”
Birtwistle explains that in a properly performed musical or opera there is constant interaction between the singer and the band or orchestra. “In karaoke there is no such meaningful dialogue between the singer and the pre-recorded soundtrack - it is no more possible than a caller having a meaningful conversation with an answerphone.”
Bradbury says that it was deceptive advertising for the theater to advertise the show as a “musical”, and he wants his £134.50 back (about $220). He and his brother, their wives, and seven chldren attended the performance. No word from the kids on whether they felt deprived. But for the cost of the tickets, it hardly seems worth the bother to file a lawsuit.
