Inside the “Wizard of Oz” Prequel
Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire may feel close to his Boston roots, but his next script will be set steps from the Yellow Brick Road.
This week, the Pulitzer Prize-winner (Rabbit Hole) stopped by to talk with Kurt about Good People, opening on Broadway this week. It stars Frances McDormand as a woman struggling to survive in South Boston, the working-class neighborhood where Lindsay-Abaire grew up.
His next project, however, is set to bring audiences about as far from Southie as you can get: he’s writing the upcoming film Oz: The Great and Powerful. He joins director Sam Raimi (Spiderman,Drag Me to Hell) in the daunting task of imagining what came before the classic story we all know so well. Planned as a prequel to the 1939 film and the numerous books in L. Frank Baum’s series, the movie will focus on how the Wizard became the Wizard, from his humble con-artist beginnings in Kurt’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.
Lindsay-Abaire had nothing but rave reviews for Raimi. He told Kurt: “He’s the best person to collaborate with. We have a similar sensibility and sort of share a brain in terms of our tone and storytelling.”
You can hear the rest of Kurt’s conversation with David Lindsay-Abaire this weekend on Studio 360.
At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.
Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!