facebook twitter

Dorothy, Toto land at BJCC; ‘Oz’ premieres in Birmingham this week

Posted on Mar 08, 2010 in Features

Share|

They’ll get you my pretties, because this show is one of the better productions on tour.

The new Oz explodes with more colors of the rainbow than author Frank L. Baum ever dreamed of seeing from the sets to wardrobe.

The Emerald City really sparkles with a green luminescence and the Munckins appear in a broader ranging of eye-popping color that are vibrant enough to hold the audiences attention through the high pitched quirkiness of the citizens of Munckinland.

All of the beloved songs, such as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “If I Only Had a Brain,” and “If I Were the King of the Forest,” still appear and have only gotten better with time.

One of the highlights of the show is the additional songs worked into the script.

All of the new songs are styled faithfully to the 1930s music scene during which the original production was written.

When Dorothy meets the Scarecrow he laments he cannot frighten any birds away, prompting a crooning crow trio to take center stage.

Later on three sassy swing singers back-up the Tin Man’s song as her describes his past.

The only one of these additions that does not sparkle is a skit about life in the Emerald City, chronicling how residents “get up at 12, break for lunch at one and at two are done” living a sweet life in town.

The syrupy sweetness of the song is akin to a diabetic coma, but audiences can survive long enough to return to the Lion’s classic song about courage.

What is so interesting about ‘Oz’ is that every cast is different. Local children audition a few months before the production opens to fill the parts of Munckins and the Wicked Witch’s guards.

While the show was a tightly rehearsed and well performed piece, it seemed to fall a little flat.

Some of the vocals were a little harsh, but overall the performance is charming, especially for children.

Also, modern technology has given the story some spiffy new upgrades that add, not detract, from the show like the animations that depict the storm and these serve as the backdrop for most of the production.

The Scarecrow may not have a brain, but he’ll steal the heart of every scene in which he appears.

 

Singing B
Acting B-    
Creativity A
Energy B+
Final Grade B

Email: altmedia@InsideUAB.com