The Wonderful Wizard of OZ - Unabridged and Dramatized - Legacy Edition

By: L. Frank Baum, Jon Koons, Danielle Manente

Narrated by: Jon Koons, Danielle Manente

L. Frank Baum's beloved classic comes to life as never before in this unabridged and fully dramatized production of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Read by noted actor, storyteller, and author Jon Koons, this tour de force performance includes riveting drama, fun and fancy, plus a plethora of over 50 whimsical and often familiar voices for all Baum's characters - along with Dorothy, charmingly voiced by talented actress, Danielle Manente. The performances are enhanced with an incredible, lush soundscape of music and effects. This is the ultimate OZ - an epic presentation of the "modern fairy tale" masterpiece that Baum imagined.

Delightful new legacy edition bonus tracks include:

"If I Only Had A Brain", from the MGM film, sung by Jon Koons;

Two exciting stories from Jon's audio story collection: "Young Arthur" and "The Magic Sword";

Everyone Knows Oz - observations on Oz;

An entertaining and informative discussion with Jon and Danielle.

"If I Only Had a Brain" arranged and performed by Mikki Ryan Koons. Sound effects and music by Joe Bevilacqua. Produced by JestMaster Audio, a JestMaster Productions, Inc., company.

Box design by Striking Images. Make-up Designs by Jon Koons. Pictured: Danielle Manente, Jon Koons.

Jon Koons - storyteller/actor/author - has written everything from genre fiction, to magic instruction books, to theatrical scripts. His writings appear as books and audiobooks, as well as in anthologies, magazines, and periodicals. Jon has appeared as an actor and singer on and off Broadway, in feature films, on television and in commercials. He is also a multi-talented variety performer who performs all over the world.

Danielle Manente - Dorothy - is an actress who has appeared on stage, in films, and on television. She is a member of the JestMaster troupe, and has narrated various audiobooks for JestMaster Audio.

©2016 Jon Koons / JestMaster Productions, Inc. (P)2015-2016 Jon Koons / JestMaster Productions, Inc.

Excellent and Unique Production!

Where does The Wonderful Wizard of OZ - Unabridged and Dramatized - Legacy Edition rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is an excellent production of L. Frank Baum’s children’s classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It is a faithful rendition of the entire text, plus it includes appropriate sound effects and music. It is unique, as it is both unabridged AND dramatized, which is something rarely if ever done. It is one of the most distinctive audiobook productions I have heard.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Wonderful Wizard of OZ - Unabridged and Dramatized - Legacy Edition?

It is impossible to choose a "most memorable moment," as the entire production stands out. I did especially like Chapter 11, in which Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion individually meet a different incarnation of the Wizard, each with it's own character and voice.

What does Jon Koons and Danielle Manente bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The performances by Jon Koons and Danielle Manente are wonderful. Danielle is delightful as Dorothy, and Jon not only narrates well, but all of his many and varied character voices are quite impressive and well chosen.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The film is already a classic and a favorite, but this audiobook version, including every word of Baum's original story, is like listening to a five hour movie soundtrack.

Any additional comments?

A few fun extras are included, but the devoted Ozophile will be more than content with the recorded novel itself. I highly recommend this album as a charming entertainment for both adults and children.

Wizard of Oz with all unique voices and music!

Love the book and this audible books brings all the characters to life with all the voices and music.

Unique and Entertaining Audio version

Where does The Wonderful Wizard of OZ - Unabridged and Dramatized - Legacy Edition rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I love it when an audio includes unexpected extras, sound effects, music, and everything to make it a full production instead of a mere reading. This version does so and perfectly. It truly is the WONDERFUL Wizard of Oz

What did you like best about this story?

It is amazing how much more there is to the story than one recalls. Probably the influence of the movie, but there is so much about Dorothy's adventure in Oz that you can only get from the full book.

Which scene was your favorite?

In the throne room with the "Great and Powerful" Oz. Amazing

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I spaced it out over several days, to make it last longer.

Any additional comments?

Truly great performance by Jon Koons, and his astounding plethora of voices. He must have done at least twenty! He is truly a gifted voice-actor and singer.

Loved experiencing the BOOK - Everyone should!

So we've all seen the movie - most of us more than once - and I decided to read the book. But of course that never happened, so when I saw this audio version I decided to give it a try. I listened to it driving to work and I'm SO glad I did!

I feel like I've experienced the story in a new - and more personal - way.
The performers kept me really interested - both the narrator and the actors playing the parts.
Give yourself a gift and get this Audible book!

An Absolute Treat To Listen To

I enjoyed this so much the narrator Jon Joins done so many different voices he us truly gifted. Danielle Manete was a delightful Dorothy. This was a great dramatization of the beloved classic. I would highly recommend.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review.

Fantastic OZ dramatization!

This title is an unabridged audio version of "The Wonderful Wizard of OZ" book, with dramatization. The acting, music and sound effects make the story come alive in a way not possible by one-person narration. I am very impressed with the production quality. The MGM movie version is boring compared to the book original.

In addition to the dramatized story, some bonus tracks are also present after the OZ book concludes. I am confident that Dorothy, the scarecrow, woodman, lion and wizard would all enjoy this dramatization if they heard it. I think the same could be said for Ozma who ruled the land of OZ later in the OZ book series. Although the people of OZ probably won't hear this dramatization, I definitely recommend it to those living outside OZ. It's wonderful for any OZ fan!

A Timeless Classic Re-Imagined

Format: Audible Audio Edition

Frank Baum's classic fantasy novel receives a shiny new rendering with Jon Koons' elaborately produced audio recording, complete with sound effects, music scoring and solid performances by Koons himself, with Dannielle Manente as Dorothy. Koons shows great range and skill in his handling of so many diverse characters, and his narration is solid and likable. The sound effects and music are a plus for the most part, though at times the mixing is such that they interfere with the text. Being more familiar with the classic film than Baum's original, I was intrigued to see how many plot twists had been added for the movie, which I found to be improvements upon Baum's original. Two examples ares the death of the Wicked Witch of the West, and Dorothy's running away from home - in the film, it is the reason she doesn't make it to the storm cellar in time to escape the tornado, a nifty bit of plot causation and character delineation absent from the book. Hopefully generations of listeners will enjoy this version in addition to the timeless film classic.

Fantastic rendition of a great story

I enjoyed listening to this rendition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz . I look forward to hear other books done by Jon Koons and Danielle Manente .
Thank you

well produced: however...

well acted...but there is a discussions that is not needed at the end of the performance (self-promotion not desired)