Ever wonder if there’s more to life than endless sports games, daily political debates, or the latest streaming series?
Well, if we keep our eyes peeled and look beyond the trivial, it’s right there in front of us.
On a sleepy Easter Eve Saturday afternoon at the Performing Arts Center SLO, those prescient enough to attend the all-too-brief, two-day Civic Ballet of SLO run of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz were richly rewarded with a uniquely compelling performance of this American classic story.
However, it was anything but the cliché Swan Lake ballet you might imagine.
This ain’t grandma’s serious, staid ballet. Not even close.”
Part traditional ballet, modern dance, multi-media imagery, pop soundtrack, and live jazz, this fast-paced 85-minute presentation was a wonderful hybrid that defied expectations, delivering upside surprises galore.
Artistic diversity and creativity in spades, if you will.
From the moment you hear ominous sounds of a tornado blowing into Kansas and sweeping Dorothy and Toto away, your attention is captured and detained as happily those pesky smartphone dings fall silent.
As the Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man encounter—then accompany—the eager child and her dog on their wild and wooly journey, a jazzy 11-piece local orchestra led by Dave Becker sets a magical mood with a stellar soundtrack.
But then Mr. Cool (aka Damon Castillo) begins strumming his guitar and singing “ground control to Major Tom” from David Bowie’s otherworldly “Space Oddity” and you suddenly realize we’re not in Kansas, or even San Luis Obispo, anymore.
Later, our lovable lion prances around to the strains of Survivor’s pop-rock hit “Eye of the Tiger.” I’m not kidding folks: This ain’t grandma’s serious, staid ballet. Not even close.
My favorite scene had to be the joyous “Up, Up and Away”—a catchy, late ’60s sunshine pop tune from the 5th Dimension courtesy of songwriter Jimmy Webb—accompanying the talented dance ensemble gleefully gliding along to celebrate Dorothy’s successful trek home.
Add Inga Swearingen’s soulful jazz/blues renditions, and our glorious entertainment odyssey is complete.
How lucky are we to have the generous Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust to continue funding local arts so that nonprofits like Silvaggio’s Civic Ballet can work its creative magic?”
Civic Ballet’s visionary artistic director Drew Silvaggio chose to follow the 1903 L. Frank Baum novel that has been largely overshadowed by the legendary 1939 film. A very wise decision.
Certainly, its basic storyline is well known, so driving the narrative was a sparse but effective set design, colorful creative costumes, and of course a powerful soundtrack: each an essential element in pulling off a very challenging yet memorable adaptation. Check, check, check.
How lucky are we to have the generous Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust to continue funding local arts so that nonprofits like Silvaggio’s Civic Ballet can work its creative magic?
And . . . If you want more wizardry in your life, check out Opera SLO’s staging of the ubiquitous 1939 movie next month at the PAC SLO.
We all know that SLO town feels like a happy, comfortable place, but is it a creative, meaningful and relevant one too? With extraordinary productions like Civic Ballet’s Wizard, the answer remains a resounding yes.