Interview: Carmen Cusack of BACK TO OZ at Mark Taper Forum
From The Wizard to Wicked, Cusack talks about the enduring allure of Oz.
There’s no place like home for Carmen Cusack. That is, when “home” means the Yellow Brick Road and the 87 years’ worth of music that comes with it.
Cusack, who starred as Elphaba on the first national tour of Wicked and went on to earn two Tony nominations for lead performances in Bright Star (2016) and Flying Over Sunset (2022), will headline BACK TO OZ: From The Wonderful Wizard to The Wiz to Wicked at the Mark Taper Forum April 18–26.
The show, led by Artistic & Music Director Rachael Worby, traces the enduring allure of L. Frank Baum’s story through music from its most beloved stage and screen iterations — from the classic 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” to “The Wiz” to “Wicked.”
The show stars Cusack along with LaVance Colley (recently featured in “Sinners”), Nathan Granner (a renowned American tenor), the DC6 Singers Collective (a Los Angeles-based ensemble with roots in a cappella, gospel, doo wop, and R&B), and the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra.
“When L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900, Dorothy’s adventures in Oz with her band of misfit companions became the defining American fairytale, one that has been musically reimagined time and time again—from the Golden Age of Hollywood to the heyday of Motown to the heights of Broadway,” said MUSE/IQUE in a press release. “Songs like 'We're Off to See the Wizard,” “Home,” and 'For Good” are an unforgettable exploration of the self and our shared humanity paying tribute to the hope in us all.”
Cusack talked to BroadwayWorld ahead of the show about what "the wonderful world of Oz" means to her, and what people can expect from the show.
You’ve played iconic roles in shows like Wicked and Bright Star. Does returning to the world of Oz in this new context feel nostalgic, or does it feel like something entirely new?
I see this as a very new venture with a sprinkle of nostalgia. I’ll be performing songs I’ve never performed before, which will be exciting, along with revisiting a couple that I haven’t performed in some time. I’m looking forward to learning and sharing more about the origins of this iconic story.
Tell me what people can expect from the show. What are some of the songs that you’ll be singing? Will there be any surprises that you can hint at?
I am a firm believer that not all should be revealed, and so will not be offering a set list—and a surprise is a surprise! But without giving too much away, audiences can be assured some top-notch award-winning music sung and supported by a top-notch, award-winning gospel choir that was recently featured at the Oscars this year so…
Why do you think the Wizard of Oz became such an iconic story?
For me, The Wizard of Oz is about following your dreams, no matter how far they may seem, with focus, intentions, bravery, hard work and hopefulness. It is also about staying true to who you are and never taking for granted the love that propels you.
The press materials talk a lot about Oz as a story for “outsiders” and “misfits.” Is that something you’ve connected to in your own life or career?
In this career, 90 percent of the effort is in trying to “fit” into a look or humor or tone of a role or a project, so I often feel a bit of an outsider. When receiving regular rejections to be a part of something you’re never “quite right” for, you tend to grow a pretty thick skin. So, I connect to the Wizard of Oz differently. For me, it is a reminder that the big, scary obstacle I’ve imagined in my head is sometimes just that. Imagined and not the reality.
What is your favorite version of The Wizard of Oz? The book? The original 1939 movie? The Wiz? Wicked? Tell me why.
Well, of course, I loved the film I grew up on with Judy Garland, but then The Wiz came along with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson! I mean COME ON!!! Nothing comes close to that match-up!
Is there a particular song in this production that hits you differently now than it did earlier in your career? Why?
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is a song that has and probably will always continue to evolve with deeper meaning for me the older I get. For audiences who think they already know The Wizard of Oz inside and out, what will surprise them most about Back to Oz?
If you are a fan of the story, it’s nostalgia, it’s trivia, music and iterations, this will be a show not to miss! Come see it!!!
BACK TO OZ runs April 18-26 at the Mark Taper Forum. Tickets start at $40 and are available at www.centertheatregroup.org
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