The magic of the Wizard comes to life on stage with the Tinman (Trevor Byck), Scarecrow (Joe Langton), Dorothy (Jacqueline Lane) and Lion (Grant McConnell.) Paul Hourigan, the Hamilton Spectator

When Village Theatre Waterdown announced they were doing The Wizard of Oz, I was a little bit worried.

How would this small theatre group produce the magical effects and dramatic stage designs necessary to transport us Over The Rainbow?

Just about everyone owns a video of the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film of L. Frank Baum's enchanting children's story. And generations of smallfry have grown up on the passionate image of Judy Garland singing so wistfully about a land beyond the rain, where troubles melt like lemon drops.

The whole Oz affair has become wrapped so desperately in iconographic imagery. Even in this more exotic age of film wizardry, where Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter hold sway with computerized magic, Dorothy and her little band of adventurers still have the power to seduce us. With their rather innocent homespun hopes and dreams, they suggest important values of love, courage, wisdom and happiness. They remind us of the need to appreciate home, whether that means a personal family space or the broader image of our sustaining planet.

As they battle flying monkeys, marching Twinkies, and a hawk-nosed Wicked Witch, who looks curiously like the crabapple from down the road, they make a case for right against might.

Well, I needn't have worried too seriously.

Village Theatre has opened a perfectly charming version of the Oz story. It has enough visual wizardry and stage magic to keep the smallfry involved for its rather lengthy two-and-a-half-hour run.

And at the matinée I saw on the weekend, the kiddies sat spellbound while Dorothy and her friends, The Scarecrow, Tinman and Cowardly Lion, made their essential quest for a measure of happiness.

L. Frank Baum's story, which began as neighborhood entertainment told to family and friends in Chicago, May 7, 1898, has been served well hereby John Kane's intelligent adaptation for The Royal Shakespeare Company .

There are few surprises to disturb children familiar with the film. This musical interpretation which generally follows the MGM Yellow Brick Road, retains most of the brilliant Harold Arlen-E.Y. Harburg songs from the film. And though there are little tweaks to the dialogue, here and there, they essentially don't detract from the original film text.

The Village Theatre production of the story succeeds most with its attractive visual impact. Set designer Nikola Patti has employed some of the area's most interesting artists to contribute various stage pieces to give the production a colourful, fantasy look.

Helena Adamczyk and her costume crew have created exotic and attractive outfits for everything from flying monkeys to big black crows.

And lighting designer Brian Carey has washed the whole affair in moody lighting that makes the scary parts scary and the warm bits fuzzy and sentimental.

Happily too, Blair Varga and Christian Dube have contributed some appealing special effects that have the youngsters oohing and ahhing in obvious appreciation.

A cyclone that whirls from the ceiling with shards of flashing sparkle is particularly effective. So are Oriental-style shadow puppets, that suggest among other things, Miss Gulch and her bicycle flying high over Kansas.

And the melting of the Witch by Dorothy, as well as a cunning extension of a magical yellow brick road, right through the centre of the theatre, are splendidly handled indeed.

Jacqueline Lane makes a terrific Dorothy. She looks younger than her 19 years, giving the character a sweetly vulnerable quality. She largely holds this Village Theatre production together, applying a pleasant amalgam of plucky brass and heart-tugging strings, to what could be in the wrong hands, a saccharine character indeed.

Lane is wonderfully abetted by Susie, a wily stage dog, who shamelessly steals every last scene she can, as Dorothy's sweetly benign companion Toto.

Watching her shiver with delight as she rolls her big eyes is one of the real treats in this Waterdown production.

Grant McConnell, Trevor Byck and Joe Langton make an earnest trio of Dorothy Gale followers, playing the Cowardly Lion, sad-eyed Tinman and rambunctious Scarecrow respectively. If they aren't much in the way of dancers, and they're not, they at least have a go at making something of some rather pedestrian choreography.

Standouts in a rather large cast are Laurel Dewar as plain-talking Auntie Em, Kerry Corrigan as that pinch-mouthed busybody Miss Gulch, (as well as a wonderfully hideous Wicked Witch of the West), and Colin De France as an addle-pated Oz Gatekeeper.

Theresa Cooke's direction, while terrifically imaginative in concept, hasn't quite sent shivers of pace and energy through this engaging production. There are times when nearly all the actors could make their performances bigger.

Musically, things are not entirely felicitous. Though musical director Sean Saunders and keyboard/percussionist Eric Roe do yeoman work in the pit, the use of two keyboards to create accompaniment gives the show a metallic, hollow ring.

And using actors that are mostly non-singers really demands microphones, even in this small space, if any reasonable sound balance is to be achieved.

Those things said, I had a terrific time at this Wizard of Oz and I'd recommend it for most children.

Even the most devoted fan of the film will surely succumb to seeing it on stage.

"As one bright cherub behind me said, when Dorothy was villainously attacked by some talking trees, "Mommy, I think those people up there are real."

Ah, the magic of live theatre. It just doesn't get much better.

View Magazine
BY: SALLY J. PANAVAS 

            In the age of Pokemon, video games and the Internet, it’s hard to imagine that live theatre could compete for the attention of today’s children. However, Waterdown Village Theatre’s magical production of “The Wizard of Oz,” manages to enthrall audiences of all ages, despite the cornucopia of media that has emerged since the release of the classic  movie version of the story in 1939.

            L. Frank Baum’s tale of twisters, witches and a little girl and her dog, comes to life in Waterdown with enthusiasm and creativity.  Set designer Nikola Patti emulates the Land of Oz with vibrantly painted farm, forest and castle backdrops. Even the yellow brick road is present.  Costume designers Helena Adamczyk, Helen Davie, Linda Posthuma and Olga Rubignoni expertly recreate all of the trademark costumes, right down to Dorothy’s ruby slippers.  Yet, it is the technical effects in this play that make it truly outstanding. Blair Varga’s rendition of the dreaded tornado, as well as his amazing pyrotechnics are what make Oz believable.

            Jacqueline Lane plays Dorothy with all of the innocence and vulnerability that once expects from the role. Although her voice may not be as powerful as the great Judy Garland’s, she still captures the wistful tone of songs like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Lane is skillfully supported by Grant McConnell, Trevor Byck and Joe Langton as the Lion, Tinman and Scarecrow. All three actors sing and move quite well, while McConnell’s comedic performance draws hearty laughs from adults and children alike. Kerry Corrigan is a perfectly evil Wicked Witch of the West, while Laurel Dewar is beautiful as the soft-spoken Glinda the Good Witch.

            The world of Oz is made complete by the adorable Munchkins and Winkies, played by a variety of youngsters, too numerous to include here. Dorothy’s adventures in “Munchkin land” are memorable, as the kids sing and dance on par with their adult co-stars. Congratulations to cheoreographers Kelly Knight and Anne Thomas for creating dance moves that are simplistic, yet stylized.  A talented, six-person chorus rounds out the cast, acting in several different roles and dancing energetically. Still, I’d have to say that it is Susie, a small terrier, who steals most scenes in her brilliant portrayal of Toto.

            Director Theresa Cooke makes good use of her cast and crew, regardless of the physical limitations of the theatre. “That’s what I love about Village Theatre.” She told me after Sunday’s performance. “You have this tiny space, which forces us all to be more innovative and creative in putting on shows. Without the space restrictions of this venue, I doubt we would be able to come up with some of the great ideas we’ve used in this production.” 

            If you are looking for a fun family outing, or just a trip down memory lane with some of your favorite fictional characters, Waterdown Village Theatre’s “Wizard of Oz” is for you. This charming, upbeat show is sure to capture your heart and leave you believing that dreams come true, and there really is no place like home.