#BGReviewer: The Wizard of Oz

Dean Sobon deserves a big round of applause for directing this rendition of the Wizard of Oz presented by Apex Touring. It has been years since I have seen this classic musical and this performance had every lyric and script line that I could remember. Although I was seated far from the stage, I was able to see every element of the play including the costume work. The costumes in the Land of Oz portion of this piece brought back hints of the TV version of the musical with lots of whimsy and playfulness. Prior to the production, I was wondering how they would show Glinda, the Good Witch of the North flying in or the scene with the flying monkeys. They were able to utilize cable harnesses to create a fluid transition from reality to the fantasy of Oz.

All of the actors portrayed their characters with finesse. If I closed my eyes I could hear Judy Garland in Kalie Kaiman’s voice and cadence. The Wicked Witch, portrayed by Emily Perzan, used some humorous sarcasm in her lines and created a witch that was both scary and entertaining. But the star of the show, in my opinion, was that of Toto. I spent most of the play wondering if he was a real dog or a stuffed animal but alas, ASPCA adopted and trained dog Murphy, played his role to perfection. The kids around me were asking, “how did they do that? Our dog would be barking at all the people or scared of the lights.” I couldn’t help but wonder the same thing myself.

I was impressed by the use of a live orchestra. Many productions rely too heavily on recorded music, which I find cheapens the viewer’s experience. This orchestra, directed by Lizzie Webb, was always on time and added ambience to every scene including the brilliant use of video backdrop for the twister.

As this is a travelling show, I was interested to see how much backdrop work they would use and I was happy to see the use of screens to reduce the number of set pieces and props. All of the backdrops worked well and created the scene. I enjoyed the twister scene where they used two screens to make it appear as if Dorothy’s house was being sucked up by the tornado. The only piece I didn’t like was at the end with the two shoes clicking. The animation was a little cheesy but all in all the screen work was great!

All of the cast did an impeccable job with their singing and dancing. During the Jitterbug song I was worried all of their dancing would cause heavy breathing in the microphones but they were able to hold their own. The singers were also all in tune with each other and the harmonizing made the vocals stronger. As someone who used to do a lot of acting, I was also impressed that no one seemed to stumble on lines or have any issues that were visible by the audience. That alone is an accomplishment.

I truly enjoyed my time at this production of the Wizard of Oz and would recommend it to anyone who has a passion for theatre or is a Wizard of Oz enthusiast. I came home with the songs in my head and a smile on my face. It made my weekend! Thank you Budweiser Gardens for providing the tickets and an experience I truly enjoyed!

#BGReviewer: Rachel Blonde

Twitter: @fromtheheartont

Photography: Bill Woodcock