Grant Garry as Lion, Erik Austin as Scarecrow, Elise Walters as Dorothy, and Hunter Boaz as Tinman
Woot-Woot-Woot! Hip-Hip-Hooray! And a whole lot of RAH-RAH-RAHs!
Opera San Luis Obispo General and Artistic Director Brian Asher Alhadeff led an energetic and talented company of performers, pit orchestra, stage directors, and technicians in a brilliant restaging of L. Frank Baum’s fairy tale The Wizard of Oz over the weekend.
Saturday’s opening performance provided proof that the audience’s choice of weekend entertainment was a good one.”
Alhadeff’s decision to use the ultra-popular 1939 MGM movie adaptation for the source material paid off, with both Performing Arts Center SLO performances sold out weeks in advance. Saturday’s opening performance provided proof that the audience’s choice of weekend entertainment was a good one.
I found all the principals to be engaging, polished performers with top-notch acting, singing, and dancing chops. Getting granular:
Elise Walters (Dorothy): Bright and strong contralto. Great presence and consistency in all settings. What stamina!
Erik Austin (Scarecrow/ Hunk): Well-acted wobbly Scarecrow—the 1939 movie’s scarecrow, Ray Bolger, would have cheered. Clean, clear diction.
Hunter Boaz (Tinman/ Hickory): Very convincing. Great characterization. I missed the steam-whistle hat from the 1939 movie but not very much. Definitely a performance with heart.
Grant Garry (Lion/ Zeke): Also very believable. Could have done it all in Mayan language and still would have carried the audience. 1939 Cowardly Lion Bert Lahr, were you in there somewhere? Loved “If I Were King.”
Zanna Wyant (Wicked Witch/Gulch): Great cackling laugh as the Wicked Witch. Definitely nailed the cruel Gulch character, too. It’s so demanding to play the “bad” guy or gal.
John Laird (Wizard of Oz/Marvel): Top-notch delivery and diction. Very believable bumbling, self-effacing con artist with the proverbial heart of gold.
Tara Anderson (Glinda/Auntie Em): Too bad the Em character doesn’t get much exposure. What we did see was great. Glinda was superb—I definitely couldn’t tell that she was the same actor as Em without the program! Her whole demeanor was graceful and exuded love whether on the ground or in the air. What an accomplishment!
Jon Estes (Uncle Henry/Guard): The not-so-veiled needling of Gulch was hilarious. Oz Guard was masterful!
Toto: Arf-arf, woof, bark! You killed it, Big Mac!
Munchkins: Y’all blew me away! You did a great job portraying what was a professional troupe of adult little people in the original movie. From the full ensemble to the Lullaby League, Lollipop Guild, and Coroner you truly nailed it. I almost wished the few adult dancers weren’t there. You hit the notes, rhythms and dance moves spot on!
Directors, Dancers, Wardrobe Techs, Stage and Property Managers, Tech Crews and the Rest of the Powers Behind the Magic: Maestro Alhadeff must have felt he was piloting the theatrical equivalent of the Starship Enterprise, considering the number of people and events under his baton. His “officer corps” of dance (Drew Silvaggio), choral (Kristina Prozeksy), and stage (Justine Prado Manro) directors certainly did herculean work in creating a very smooth-running performance of more than two hours. The 30+ piece orchestra was tight and masterful throughout. Hats off to you all!
The dancers were polished and poised. Their highlight for me—the jitterbug—was an especially uplifting addition to the original 1939 staging.
The costumes, supervised by Sherry Sparks, were exquisite in color and design. The sets designed by Rick Adamson, were equally dazzling, capturing the flair of the Art Deco character of the original movie.
From my vantage point in the audience, everything seemed to go incredibly well. This was a HUGE undertaking. I could not detect any mishaps with the movements of people, sets, and props, either on the ground or in the air. Kudos to stage manager Annelisa Rheuben-Bathe. Having been on the other side of that equation, I know it is quite an achievement.
My only concerns were certain aspects of the staging—being aware that they were challenging and may have been corrected for the ensuing performance.
The Wizard’s Chamber video effect seemed glitchy and was therefore distracting. Considering the plethora of super high-tech capabilities available even on individual smartphones, I think it could have been better. The audio, on the other hand, was superb—just enough echo delay to give the Wizard’s voice an other-worldly ambience without muddling the words.
Almost a bigger concern for me was the climactic scene where Dorothy defeats the Wicked Witch. In the 1939 movie, Dorothy throws a bucket of water in the Witch’s direction as she tries to prevent the Witch from setting the scarecrow on fire with her broom. Without even the slightest indication of that possible danger, even though the Witch says that’s what she’s doing, there was no logic to Dorothy’s throwing the bucket of water. Perhaps the technology of battery-powered LED-illuminated flameless candles could have added a bit more spark to the drama (pun intended) and created the visual of fire.
Overall, what a HECK OF A GREAT JOB!