The Wizard of Oz

Wow, can reviews GET any better than that!!!! When Theresa granted me the extraordinary opportunity to play one of the all-time classic villains, I never dreamed that being mean could be so much fun! Oh, I'd had training, as Mistress Fowl in Jacob Two-Two Meets The Hooded Fang, another fantastic all-ages musical mounted a few years ago at VT. But this was a cinematic icon, someone who had a universal place in the darkest parts of our hearts, where fear lurks, where Mommy can't save us, where we're on our own. Who doesn't remember the first time they saw the movie, braving the early parts when the witch threatens Dorothy and tosses fireballs at poor Scarecrow. Sure, we handled that ok. But when the scenes shift to her evil castle, with legions of flying monkeys darkening the sky with menace, who didn't run upstairs and hide under the covers, abandoning all hope for Dorothy and her poor little dog? (Well, that's what happened to me, when I was 7!)

Threatening cowering Munchkins with my broom, barking orders to my obedient Monkeys, tearing a strip off my bumbling Winkies - I loved every minute of it! Poor Nicole, getting screamed at every night as the Commander of the Winkies. And Eric as Nikko, the Commander of my aerobatic apes, desperate for approval from his cruel master - DELICIOUS!

PLUS having Grant, Joe, Trevor and Jackie quivering in fear every time I showed up in another of Blair's glorious flashpot entrances, bathed in ominous red light by Brian - that was the best. Bloody Glinda was the only one I wasn't able to rattle, but that was ok, cuz' I sure put the fear into poor ol' Auntie Em and her under-achieving hubby Henry.

So now what - do I go back to reality, where lights DON'T go off when I enter the room, where I can't get my way by bullying and bellowing? Oh alright, I'll handle the bumpy ride back to real life, but please, can we have a reunion real soon, so I can menace a few Winkies, just for old times sake??

kerry