As a kid growing up, I have very fond memories of The Wizard of Oz. And even though I was bringing my kids to see it, I can’t help but confess that I wanted to see it just as bad. OK, probably worse than they did.
On the way to the show, I couldn’t but help think to myself “How do you you pull this off live?” I mean, the tornado? The wizard? The witch? And forget all of the technical parts. How can they compete with remembering the drama Judy Garland created as “Dorthy”? Would the Lion’s humor be able to shine a candle on the lovable part Bert Lahr played? How could the “Tin Man”, “Scare Crow”, “Glenda”, or Wizard be any amount of believable as the movie I remembered? And the witch. Could she possibly be any were close to being as scary or hated as Margret Hamilton? Going in the doors, unfortunately for the cast at the Dakota Theater, I had huge expectations. I truthfully didn’t think they would be able to fill.
As we found our seats and sat down, I noticed there was a very small piece of the set on the stage. More importantly though, I noticed that all the music was going to be a live band. Once again, I got very nervous for them. I myself have played in a band since I was 12. Pulling a band together is very hard work by itself. Add the fact in it’s going to definitely be songs that you know. And, it has to match up with what’s going on in the play? How is it possible to pull all of this together and make it run seamlessly? As well as pull you in to the world of the story? How?
I don’t know, but they did just that. They brought me back to my childhood as well as made it completely their own. The story was told to perfection. And the characters not only felt like the originals, but had their very own personality that matched the story. So let me break down the review, of the Dakota Theaters, “Wizard of OZ”.
The Cast
As the play starts, the music comes in. Almost immediately I forget that they are there and that I’m listening to a live band at all. Blending quite well into the back drop of the story with a almost laser like precision. If they missed a single note, I didn’t notice. Bringing some incredible depth to the whole play.
As the cast enters the stage they very quickly took me back to when I was a kid. With Taylor Wessein as “Dorthy”, she was very believable and gave some definite moments of goose bumps with her singing. Jase Likness, was “The Scarecrow” and brought a very energetic, funny, and lovable dynamic to part he played that matched what I remembered and then some. “The Tin Man” was being played by Gage Blaschke. He also matched perfect to the original and had some great moments. “The Lion” was being played by Logan Haak. At first, I wasn’t sure if I cared for the part he played since he was a bit more zany than the original Lion. By the time the play was over though, he was probably my favorite. I loved the slightly different direction.
“Glinda” being played by Kyra Liebig. “Aunt Em” played by Sue Feilds. And Uncle Henry by Randy Feilds. All doing great performances to bringing the story to life.
And the “Wicked Witch”? She was played by Elita Eastman. And did a great job of making my skin crawl and create the hate that was so prominent in the original. She also brought this character forward as her own as well much like the lion. Bringing a great villain that is very tough to match.
Lets talk about “The Wizard” next. Keith Goeden. Did I mention he’s the director as well? Making him the literal wizard as well as the character. He also brought about a very different approach to the character that I truthfully loved more than the movie. Making me believe who the wizard truly was.
What made all these characters believable though was the supporting cast. The munchkins,the crows, the poppies, the trees, the Jitterbugs, the Winkies, the flying monkeys. All of them. They really did make all of the main characters feel alive. And helped capture a spirit I wasn’t sure was possible. Every part of the cast and crew should be extremely proud of what they did.
The JitterBug
There was one part of the play that stuck out to me that I loved but I was very puzzled at the same time. The Jitterbug scene. I had not remembered that part being in the movie. So, I had to look into it.
The movie did have this part in it. It was however cut out because of the movie being to long. They were also worried that having the the latest dance craze in it would make the movie not date very well. So there is no actual version of this left other than bits and pieces.
Seeing this scene for the first time was awesome. It was also a very playful departure from what was a very dark part of the movie and story. Making me enjoy it even more.
For the ones not familiar with this scene. It comes when the gang is headed to get the witch in the dark Forrest. Right before the monkey’s fly in to get Dorthy, the wicked witch sends a creature to deal with them. The Jitterbug’s.
Zoie Lee Marcotte played the lead Jitterbug for this part and did a great job. Adding in this dance number in the middle felt right at home and made the story feel a bit more fluid. With a big hats off to all of the cast once again pulling this part together. It is a piece that definitely should have been there. And was very memorable for myself.
The Buzz
I talked to several people that attended the show. All of which thought it was amazing. It is great to see so much talent in this area coming together. I for one, can’t wait to see what comes next. I also have to tip my hat to the director. This was a incredible show that I know was a ton of work and dedication. Their passion truly showed through.
I also have to say thank you to the sponsors of this show. With out great people in the community to support these shows and many other things, they just don’t happen.
And here is my soap box. Support live entertainment whenever you can. Be it music, plays, or what ever. A nasty trend forming is that people are thinking staying home on a Saturday, is a better idea then going out and associating with other people or seeing other people. This is what I call the “Netflix Trap”. By nature, humans are meant to interact face to face. We are meant to be social creature’s that support one another. When we don’t, it feels like there is something missing. And without support from people, live entertainment will crumble.
It was a true pleasure to get a chance to see this play. And I for one, will be patiently waiting to see what comes next.