With all of the ‘Over The Rainbow’ love at the moment, thanks to Lord Lloyd-Webber’s new casting show on the BBC, I thought that I’d take his opportunity to share some alternate Oz-esque loving with ya’ll!

First up, the legendary Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole with his classic version of Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World:

I remember hearing this back in the mid 90s and it’s stayed with me ever since (with the song picking up a lot of media attention / ‘going mainstream’ around 2004 – 2006).

Next up, a classic song from ‘The Wiz’ – a musical which retells the classic story of Wizard Of Oz.

The film adaptation of the musical featured huge artists such as Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, with ‘Ease On Down The Road’ being on the of the classic songs to come from it:

Who could forget Eva Cassidy‘s haunting reinvention of ‘Over The Rainbow’ – one of the few people to sing the song and completely make it their own.

Back in the mid 90s, I was (lovingly) forced into performing the Wizard of Oz with my kid sister in our back garden… fortunately that’s on VHS and not my computer… for the time being heh! Probably the one main collective family memory we love to drag up and laugh about.

Currently the most popular show in the West End of London, Wicked is the musical re-telling of Gregory Maguire’s alternate view on Oz and the song ‘Defying Gravity’ has become one of the modern stand-out songs of musical theatre:

And of course, I couldn’t do this post, without finishing off with a few clips from the classic and phenomenal 1939 film adaptation itself!