The Tik-Tok Man of Oz

Original 1913 poster for The Tik-Tok Man of Oz

Clockwork Productions presents The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, the musical play originally produced in Los Angeles, California, in 1913. The book and lyrics were written by children's book author L. Frank Baum, as a sequel to The Wizard of Oz. The music was composed by Louis F. Gottschalk, composer of many early film scores, including scores for films by D. W. Griffith and Charlie Chaplin.

The Tik-Tok Man of Oz enjoyed a successful run in Los Angeles, then toured the USA and Canada, arriving in San Diego, California, in 1914. Now, one hundred years later, San Diego will once again host a presentation of The Tik-Tok Man of Oz. This revival will be presented one night only, on Saturday, August 9, 2014, as the evening program of the 50th annual Winkie Con, the world's longest running Oz event. The Regency Ballroom of the Town and Country Resort, 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, California, will be turned into a theater to present the show.

All the surviving musical numbers from the original production--more than twenty in all--will be performed. These include the fourteen songs written by L. Frank Baum and Louis F. Gottschalk, as well as four additional songs by Oliver Morosco and Victor Schertzinger, an overture, an entr'acte, reprises, and dances. The original script by L. Frank Baum has been abridged by award-winning Oz author and illustrator Eric Shanower in order to keep the running time of this production under two and a half hours.

Original Sheet Music

Original Sheet Music

Betsy and Hank in 1913

The Tik-Tok Man of Oz features plenty of action, comedy, romance, and suspense. The star of the show is Tik-Tok, a clockwork man made all of copper, who must be wound up with a key in order to move, think, and speak. Tik-Tok is rescued by young Betsy Bobbin and her pet mule Hank who are helping the Shaggy Man to search for his long lost brother.  The adventurers are joined by Queen Ann and her brave Army of Oogaboo, as well as Polychrome the Daughter of the Rainbow and Ozma the Rose Princess. They all must face the magical power of Ruggedo the villainous Metal Monarch deep in his underground cavern full of precious metal and jewels.

A full-convention ticket to Winkie Con 50 includes guaranteed seating for the Saturday evening performance of The Tik-Tok Man of Oz. To register for Winkie Con 50, click here for the Winkie Con website.

The Tik-Tok Man of Oz is funded through the online crowd-sourcing website Kickstarter. The Kickstarter campaign for The Tik-Tok Man of Oz ran March 13 through April 11, 2014. Sixty-nine backers became part of this fascinating project by pledging toward it. In thanks, they are receiving exclusive updates (with photos) on the progress of the production as well as the rewards listed on the Kickstarter campaign page. You can still watch our Kickstarter video to learn more and hear music from The Tik-Tok Man of Oz. 

 Winkie Con 50 features The Tik-Tok Man of Oz on Saturday, August 9, 2014