Over the Rainbow for The Wizard of Oz
As I walked to my seat at Children's Theatre Company on a Sunday afternoon to see The Wizard of Oz, I passed a little girl wearing her ruby red slippers, which I complimented with admiration, since I had always desired to have a pair when I was her age. I looked around to see another young girl with a full green face and a broomstick, ready to watch the performance alongside her mother dressed as Glinda. A row or two behind me, I spotted a man with lion's ears on and a perfectly matching giant beard–an excellent interpretation of the Cowardly Lion if I’ve ever seen one. The whole cast seemed to be present as viewers in the audience–I myself wore a green silk scarf with a dark green costume ring to clinch it together to honor the famous Emerald City. It was sweet to see all the faces, young and old, showing up with excitement to watch this timeless, beloved tale, and Children’s Theatre Company did not disappoint.
Rick Dildine as the Director told this classic with the flair of modern technology. The projection work was captivating, as characters like the Wicked Witch and The Wizard made larger than life impressions and added to the story with their powerful presence. Watching The Wizard intimidate Dorothy and her gang from a round screen above center stage with his eyes glaring a shining white light was spooky, even for me! Seeing the twister scene in Kansas with objects and people flying all around Dorothy’s spinning bed also made quite an impression. I kept imagining watching this show through the eyes of a child, and I can only hope that it felt as inspiring and entrancing to them as it did to me!
The entire cast was excellent. I especially appreciated the physicality of the Scarecrow played by Dean Holt, who was captivating to watch through the entire performance. One of my personal favorite musical moments was performed by the young ensemble member who got the role of the Coroner. Dorothy, played in this performance by Harriet Spencer, was effortless in her ease on stage. Even while handling a sweet, live Toto, she was enchanting and full of grace. The choreography by Christopher Windom kept things moving, and the cast was tight on every turn. I truly was taken away by the production quality of the show. From the sound design by Reid Resja that filled the space and never left me guessing at a word spoken; to the scene design by Adam Koch, with one particular set piece that was a true delight–the larger than life crystal ball that Auntie Em appeared in while Dorothy was locked away in the Wicked Witch’s castle; to the impeccable costume design, which included one of the most magical moments for me in which Dorothy sings the line, “can you even turn my clothes into a gown?” and they unpinned a piece on her overalls and spun her around to reveal a dress. Wow. Thank you to Costume Designer Lex Liang for that! I was also mesmerized by each of the makeup and costumes of our Yellow Brick Road adventurers: Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion were all incredible representations of these characters. Overall verdict: Children’s Theatre Company does it again!
I think the only complaint I had about the show was that it felt a bit rushed. Each transition was so quickly paced, it ran along a bit like watching the film at 1.5x speed. I’m sure the rationale was to keep the attention span of the youths, but it did at times feel a little rushed.
Whether you are bringing a little one to see it for the first time or it’s your 100th time seeing the story retold, this is a production that is fun, fast-paced, and entertaining, and one that everyone can garner a few extra ho ho hos and tra la las from to carry out into the rest of their day. Just be sure to wear your ruby slippers or your best outfit for Oz to fit in with the rest of the audience!
Tickets available through June 14.
Photos are by Glen Stubbe Photography
