Season 2 Episode 8

The Wizard of Oz is a beloved children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and published in 1900. It tells the fantastical tale of Dorothy Gale, a young girl from Kansas, who is swept away to the magical land of Oz by a tornado. The novel follows Dorothy's adventures as she embarks on a journey to find the Wizard of Oz, hoping he can help her return home. Along the way, she befriends the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion, and together, they face various challenges and confront the Wicked Witch of the West.

The plot of "The Wizard of Oz" begins with Dorothy and her dog Toto being carried away from their Kansas home by a tornado. They land in the vibrant and colorful land of Oz, where Dorothy learns that the only way to return home is to seek the assistance of the powerful Wizard of Oz. On her way to the Emerald City, Dorothy encounters the Scarecrow, who desires a brain, the Tin Woodman, who wishes for a heart, and the Cowardly Lion, who longs for courage. They all join her on the journey, hoping the Wizard can grant their wishes as well.

Throughout their adventure, Dorothy and her companions face numerous obstacles and dangers, including encounters with the Wicked Witch of the West and her flying monkeys. However, with determination and the help of their newfound friendships, they persevere. Ultimately, they discover that the Wizard is not as powerful as they believed and that they possess the qualities they sought all along. Dorothy learns that she can return home by clicking her ruby slippers together and wakes up to find it was all a dream, but a lesson-filled and memorable one.

"The Wizard of Oz" was adapted into a radio presentation as part of the "Lux Radio Theater." The "Lux Radio Theater" was a popular radio series that aired from 1934 to 1955, featuring adaptations of various films and books. The specific details of the adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" are not available, but it is likely that the radio presentation aimed to capture the enchantment and charm of the original story, bringing the beloved characters and magical world of Oz to life through the medium of audio storytelling.

Books in Sound is a free podcast series that presents a collection of hundreds of the world’s greatest books through the magic of the performing arts.

Different from audiobooks: Instead of having a single narrator read an audiobook, these performances have a full cast of actors, suitable background music, and special effects that help define the drama.

Most presentations are from old time radio theater broadcasts that have been remastered to remove most of the hissing, clicking and volume fluctuations. Many of the presentations are from the 1930's and 1940's, so a significant amount of work went into the remastering process.

Most presentations are about one hour, some are multiple hours, and some are abbreviated presentation that last about half an hour, making this series wonderful for bedtime stories, self-improvement by learning about literature, or simply as a very imaginative form of entertainment.

The episodes are not sequential, but we do recommend listening to the complete collection starting with the first episode so that you can grow and benefit from the wide assortment of styles and content.

For more information visit https://www.booksinsound.com