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How did the 1902 stage adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz help spread the story’s popularity?

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Illustration by W.W. Denslow showing Dorothy comforting the Cowardly Lion on a yellow brick road, with Toto, the Tin Woodsman, and the Scarecrow nearby in a forest. — The Wonderful Wizard of Oz An illustrated page by W.W. Denslow in L. Frank Baum's *The Wonderful Wizard of Oz*.

The 1902 stage adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz played a significant role in the story's reach by helping to expand its popularity shortly after the book's initial publication in 1900.12

Following its successful opening in Chicago in 1902, the production moved to Broadway the following year. This transition to the stage was part of a trend where the story began to be adapted into other media almost immediately, contributing to the enduring legacy of L. Frank Baum’s work.12