In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the treasure at the end of the yellow brick road is an all-powerful wizard who may grant his visitors their greatest desires. But when the curtain is pulled back and disillusionment seizes, our favourite childhood characters learn that perhaps the journey they endured is better than any gift the wizard could have granted.
The same message emerges in The Wizard of Oz, a musical based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel and the iconic 1939 film starring Judy Garland. The team behind Orpheus Musical Theatre’s recent production at Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe, best accentuated that theme when focusing on unlikely friendships. However, the production lacked adequate pacing and unity.
After being transported to the Land of Oz when a twister hits her Kansas neighbourhood, Dorothy Gale seeks after the illusory Wizard. Backed by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg-penned songs, Dorothy’s embarkment down the yellow brick is fuelled by the belief that the Wizard can send her home. Dorothy’s trek, where she meets some unforgettable friends with dreams of their own, is certainly a drawn-out journey.
Portraying Dorothy, Marlayah McLeod was strongest when accentuating her character’s naivety and childhood wholesomeness, particularly when she slipped into a longing higher range in “Over The Rainbow.” However, at times, her blind optimism came out in a grating whine when lamenting her troubles.
The occasionally malfunctioning backdrop projections, as well as mistimed lighting and sound cues on opening night, hindered the flow of a long — nearly three-hour long — production.
The beginning was particularly drawn-out with minimally relevant details, such as where Dorothy’s malicious next door neighbour obsessively tries to impound Dorothy’s dog, Toto, to little avail. But The Wizard of Oz was most riveting when portraying the chemistry between Dorothy’s cultivated friendships: a Scarecrow (Corgand Svendsen) who wants a brain, a Tinman (Jesse Gervais-Weedmark) who wants a heart and a cowardly lion (Karsten Skeries) who desires courage.
Their witty banter offered a breath of hilarity, which was almost enough to make up for their lengthy journey through Munchkin Land and poppy fields.
Nonetheless, each friend brought a touch of variety, particularly a stellar Svendsen, whose loose limbs and slack expressions truly emoted a man made of straw. Toto, played masterfully with woofs and doggy-pout expressions by puppeteer Alianne Rozon, also amassed heartfelt charm. But larger production snags like long transitions and frenzied movement often dimmed the show’s appeal.
The ensemble was often overcrowded on stage while executing Debbie Miller-Smith’s choreography, which was ambitious at its best and chaotic at its worst. Actors particularly lacked balance, overshadowing their enchanting vocals for group numbers like “Munchkinland” and “The Jitterbug,” which were otherwise a musical joy thanks to a vivacious, brassy orchestra.
Gillean Denny Bernier’s sets were just as ambitious, except their grandeur elicited magical whimsy. The wizard’s machine, one-eyed and towering, was both appropriately frightening and impressive. However, the large set elements made for long scene transitions and bogged moments in uncomfortable darkness.
One of the show’s most striking and memorable effects was the smoke which rolled across the stage for the Wicked Witch of the West’s (a wonderfully black-hearted Thea Nikolic) many entrances. That, coupled with the twinkling lights and quaintness of the Munchkin Forest where we first meet Glinda the Good (a magical Andréa Black), completed each witch’s profoundly alluring presence.
In spite of some stumbles, there is something wholesome to behold in renditions of famous stories. The Wizard of Oz’s slightly cheesy themes — “there’s no place like home” and “maybe the real treasure is the friends we made along the way” — still ring true today. More than a century later, the story remains a welcome escape down the yellow brick road toward a promising ending.
Orpheus Musical Theatre’s ‘The Wizard of Oz’ played at Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe from May 31 to June 9.
Featured image provided by Orpheus Musical Theatre.
