[NEohioPAL] REVIEW: The Wizard of Oz in Canton

[Tom Wachunas]

Oztensibly, Toto-ly Invigorating

By Tom Wachunas

 

    There I was, on
opening night of the Players Guild production of The Wizard of Oz, happily
anticipating the haunted forest scene. By this point I had successfully
disabused myself of the fruitless temptation to make too many comparisons to
the 1939 movie classic.  But before any
staged  version of that iconic, chilling
decent of the winged monkeys could transpire, the frightened foursome (Dorothy,
Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion) are attacked by the  pesky “Jitterbug” sent by the Wicked Witch to,
as she had just explained to her minions, “take the fight out of them.” Once
bitten, the victims helplessly succumbed to paroxysms of dancing the -  you guessed it –  Jitterbug.

 

    This scene  never made it into the movie. Some have since
posited that it would have dated the film too specifically, or that the
dance  - regarded as somewhat scandalous
in its day - was a bit too adult for young audiences (an objection that seems
laughable by today’s standards). In any event,  aided by Michael Lawrence Akers’ effectively
expressive choreography, the dance was here performed by all – including Mary
Vaccani as the Jitterbug -  with
delicious abandon. And in that, the frenetic number embodied the remarkably supple
energy of this production as a whole, inventively directed by Craig Joseph.

 

    He wisely chose to
bring to light a refreshingly different dimensionality to many of the scenes,
songs, and characters that the film had so firmly cemented into our memories
and expectations. “NO ONE, “ he writes in his program notes, “can be Judy
Garland or Bert Lahr like Judy Garland or Bert Lahr.” True enough. Nonetheless,
this fine cast, while certainly honoring the original script with notable skill
and faithfulness, injects it with some surprisingly new, exciting flavors. In
singing “If I Only Had a Brain”, The Scarecrow is joined by three hilariously
heckling crows . Tin Man’s “If I Only Had a Heart” is rendered a la vintage
crooner style from radio shows of old, backed up by harmonies by three
cantankerous apple trees. 

 

    Brittany Hines’
portrayal of Dorothy is authentically youthful and fetching, yet strongly
tempered with a visceral confidence beyond her years. She sings “Somewhere Over
the Rainbow” not so much with sweet, wounded longing as with soaring,  urgent determination. The performances by her
traveling companions are equally credible.  Joe Shipbaugh’s Scarecrow has an eminently
loveable, lithe swagger; Jason A. Green brings real warmth and vulnerability to
his Tin Man; and Stephen Ostertag is riveting as the Cowardly Lion, hilariously
negotiating his character’s oscillating nerves.  

 

 

    With the
intriguing performances by Lisa Belopotosky Knight as Glinda the Good Witch,
along with that of Cheryl Henderson as The Wicked Witch of the West, you’ll
surely get the feeling you’re not in the movie anymore. This Glinda is both
refined and sassy,  given to delicious
moments of earthy  savoir-faire, like
spraying air freshener after the Wicked Witch’s departure from Munchkin Land
(speaking of which, the 11 children playing Munchkins are adorable, most
notably the two tikes representing The Lollipop Guild, with their
hitch-up-your-pants boyish toughness).  Additionally, the Wicked Witch in this
production is something of a sensual Goth fashion queen with a superiority
complex.  Her unconvincing  cackling is more bravado than outright evil.  And of course it’s exposed bravado that
reveals the supposedly fierce Wizard to be just a contrite, well- meaning man,
genuinely  played here by Don Jones.  

    

 

     Once again,
conductor/keyboardist Steve Parsons and his 11-piece orchestra provide a
lively, sharply arranged backdrop to the proceedings, and Joshua Erichsen has
designed several very effective set tableau pieces. Kudos, too, to costume
designers Susie Smith and Leslie DeStefano. 
But of all the stage machinations and “special effects” at work here
(and that would include the clever depiction of a Kansas tornado via several
wildly twirling dancers), none is more suitable to the task than the real dog (
not named in the program – oh the shame of it!) who plays Toto.  Each time the  docile little  long- hair appeared on stage, on cue to a
fault, whispery waves of appreciative oohs and aahs rose from the audience. He
(or she) added an endearing bit of polish to this already shiny, magical
evening. 

 

     Canton Players Guild Theatre production
of  THE WIZARD of OZ, shows through July
10, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Players Guild Mainstage, 1001
Market Avenue N., Canton. To order tickets, call (330) 453 – 7617 or visit www.playersguildtheatre.com

 

   For other reviews
and commentaries by Tom Wachunas on the performing and visual arts in the
greater Canton area, please visit his blog, ARTWACH, at
www.artwach.blogspot.com

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