By Marnie Thomas
I would hazard a guess that there are very few people who have not seen The Wizard of Oz on film. It is a classic. I remember being terrified of the flying monkeys whenever the yearly television showing would come around. Still, I loved it. Who would not love a sweet, sincere girl and her loving family and her bumbling but affectionate friends?
Going up to Sundance to attend a show is always an inspiring event. Driving into the mountains, parking and then making our way up to the beautiful amphitheater just adds to the excitement of the evening. The trees, the cool evening air and the anticipation make for an enchanting evening.
The initial set, like in the movie, is stark and colorless. Even the costumes are subdued. We are in Kansas. If you have ever driven through miles and miles of cornfields, you know what I mean. Hannah Pyper’s Dorothy gives a pleasant rendition of “Over the Rainbow” and all the singing is well performed—thanks to the music director Korianne Johnson. Dorothy wants to be happy—but how can she with the evil Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch (Kim Abunuwara) making her life a misery? Abunuwara’s performance reveals a suitably nasty villain. Dorothy and Toto (played by the adorable “Marvel”) pack up and head away from home. Soon after, they meet the very amusing Professor Marvel (Tyrell Clement.) This character was a standout for me. He played the character with a sort of innocent charm. Coupled with the excellent costume, hair and makeup design (Nancy Susan Cannon, Carla Summers, Janell Turley), the whole package made for and endearing performance. As Dorothy leaves the gypsy camp, a twister blows in—and we are transported to Oz.
There were a lot of clever tricks and devices used to create the illusion of a tornado and to transform Kansas into the land of Oz. The ensemble does an impressive job of performing a myriad of characters, from the Munchkins to apple trees to a field of poppies—and many more. The set is almost constantly moving. The stage hands most certainly get a good workout making things run smoothly. Kudos to director, Laurie Harrop Purser and to choreographer Addison Welch and to technical director Daniel Whiting.
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As the performance went on, the energy of the actors only got stronger. Their characters seemed to bloom with each new scene. Their voices became fuller and their movements more vigorous. I think having a responsive and appreciative audience only added to that.
Cleveland McKay Nicoll, Maxwell Higbee and Wade Robert Johnson play the Scarecrow, Timan and Cowardly Lion with warmth and emotion. We particularly appreciated Nicoll’s fine voice, Higbee’s sincerity and Johnson’s comedic style. They were the perfect trio to accompany Dorothy to the Emerald City.
Korianne Orton-Johnson and Reese Purser are well-cast as Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. However, they really shine in their roles as Glinda and the City Guard. They both display humor and concern for Dorothy and her compatriots. This is in great contrast to the wicked and unfeeling Miss Gulch/Wicked With of the West. Tyrell Clement’s performance as the Wizard continues in the same vein as his performance as Professor Marvel.
There was a lot of flying in this musical. All that aerial activity went off without a hitch. So much goes into creating a performance like this. There is so much technical expertise and creative talent in all areas. All the artistic and production staff are to be commended for their excellent work.
You can see The Wizard of Oz at Sundance on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 PM through August 15th.
For more information, go to the website:
http://www.sundanceresort.com/summer-theatre-en.html
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