BLOOMINGTON — WFIU Public Radio is partnering with Starrynight Productions and Soundbooth Theater on a new four-part audio play series adapted from L. Frank Baum’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Writer/director Russell McGee (Big Finish Doctor Who plays) and producer/actor Michael Brainard (All My Children) are collaborating with Soundbooth’s Jeff Hays to produce The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as both a radio series and podcast.
Previously, McGee and Brainard worked with WFIU on the podcast and radio series The Ernie Pyle Experiment!, released in 2020.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz follows the adventures of young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto. After their Kansas home is swept away by a cyclone, Dorothy and Toto find themselves in a strange land called Oz. Here Dorothy meets the Munchkins and joins the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion on an unforgettable journey to the Emerald City, where lives the all-powerful Wizard of Oz. Along the way, Dorothy and her friends must fend off the Wicked Witch of the West.
The audio series features the talents of actors Franc Ross (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Deadwood), P.J. Ochlan (Emmy nominee for Young Sheldon, Little Man Tate, Police Academy: The TV Series), Greta Lind (Rudy, All My Children), Bert Rotundo (Silicon Valley, Marvel’s Agent Carter), and Leraldo Anzaldua (Gatchaman, Highschool of the Dead, Starship Troopers: Invasion), among others.
The first episode of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz airs Saturday, Feb. 4 at 5 p.m. on WFIU2 and Sunday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. on WFIU. Subsequent episodes will air Saturdays at 5 p.m. on WFIU2 on Feb. 11, Feb. 18, and Feb. 25 and Sundays at 6 p.m. on WFIU on Feb. 12, Feb. 19, and February 26. The series will also be distributed by Soundbooth Theater as a podcast starting this May.
A special behind-the-scenes episode of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will air Saturday, March 4 at 5 p.m. on WFIU2 and Sunday, March 5 at 6 p.m. on WFIU. The cast and crew reveal how the series was made and share what Oz means to them and why the story is relevant for today’s audience.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is made possible with support from Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations.
