The Wizard of Oz, presented by Orpheus Musical Theatre Society at Centrepointe Theatre until June 9, offers a magical trip to a make-believe land, with imaginative costumes, fine acting, solid singing and wonderful effects. Orpheus pulled out all the stops for their season-ender, fortunately, because you need lots of pizzazz to keep the little ones in their seats - and awake - during the show, which ran two hours and 40 minutes.
Artistic director Susan Dacey, musical director Brian Boggs and choreographer Tami-Lynn Caloia give a faithful rendering of the classic tale, pumping lots of sparkle and spirit into the production but not, thankfully, "adapting" or "modernizing" Dorothy's tale. She doesn't, for example, sing Britney Spears lyrics down the Yellow Brick Road. Dorothy (Shawna McSheffrey, seen in Anything Goes) isn't a little girl, but her high-spirited performance and pretty singing voice allow you to forget (or at least forgive) that she's really a grownup.
And who can possibly say enough about Charlotte Stewart's performance? Recently seen in Ottawa Little Theatre's The Lion In Winter, Stewart is good at being bad. As the heartless, yet witty Wicked Witch of The West, Stewart pushes the already strong production right into an A-list show.
Jane Gale's Glinda/ Aunt Em pales in comparison. Her delivery and facial expressions, when speaking, are excellent but she's the weakest singer in the production. As well, the splendid costumes on the rest of the cast short-changed Glinda the Good Witch. The magical colours and fabrics of the Munchkins and the Flying Monkeys make Glinda's dull dress look more like a nightgown. Maybe a hoop skirt would help.
Singing and dancing with infectious charm, local children step into the roles of the Munchkins, the little people who greet Dorothy as a heroine. And you don't have to be a dog lover to enjoy real-life dog Ruby Morgan playing Toto. Ruby barks in the right spots, stays with Dorothy (with the help of a lease) and adds to the fun of the production without detracting from the story.
As for the special effects, who wants to spoil the surprise? Just expect to go through a twister, down the Yellow Brick Road, see the Wizard and head home to Kansas.
Sun rating (out of 5 stars): * * * *
[ Source: http://www.fyiottawa.com ]