BWW Reviews: Webber's Touring WIZARD OF OZ Touches Down in L.A.

Right from the get-go, the slick, brand-new touring stage adaptation of THE WIZARD OF OZ---now on stage at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood through October 6---already has oh-so-many obstacles to overcome long before the curtain even rises.

First, of course, there's the infamous inspiration it admirably honors: the groundbreaking, much-beloved 1939 MGM Classic motion picture that pretty much continues to burrow itself into the world's pop culture consciousness for nearly 75 years now (the film itself is a big-screen adaptation of L. Frank Baum's novel). And, secondly, aside from the multiple adaptations, parodies, updates, and re-imagined iterations on every conceivable medium that exists (from film to stage... television... heck, even YouTube), there is also this other Oz-set stage musical you may have heard of that, since its premiere more than a decade ago, has itself become a very popular revisionist take on the story of the Emerald-hued metropolis.

Those are indeed some big Ruby Slippers to fill.

With that in mind, how does one---in this case, theater impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber and director Jeremy Sams---do a new production that not only properly honors its brain-ingrained origins but also makes it satisfying enough to a modern theater audience wanting more than just a live stage-recreation of a classic movie musical?

Well, apparently, with high-tech stage effects, over-the-top, more cartoonish characters and snarky, audience-winking dialogue. Oh, yeah, and a few new songs from Webber and his frequent collaborator, lyricist Tim Rice, too.

The results? Well... while far from being a disappointment, overall, this WIZARD comes off quite energetic and agreeably entertaining. Much of it was even genuinely funny. And, man, how cute was the real-life pooch that played Toto on stage?

But, alas, for all its technical oohs-and-aahs and its army of undeniably talented performers, much of the original film's fantastical innocence and emotional magic gets trampled by this adaptation's runaway twister of easy laughs, eye-popping visuals, and curious staging choices.

For the benefit of those who've been living under a rock, this new THE WIZARD OF OZ---save for an expanded opening sequence in sepia-toned Kansas---still faithfully follows the same timeless tale that almost all of us are familiar with: the dreamy adventures of young farm girl Dorothy Gale (impressive newcomer Danielle Wade) who ends up in the enchanted, mysterious land of Oz.

Like most young ladies (or Disney Princesses-in-training) her age---and living in her environment---she longs for a better life away from the annoyances of teen life in dreary, rural surroundings. Poor girl. No one seems to care enough to listen to her woes... not her busy Auntie Em (Charlotte Moore) or Uncle Henry (Larry Mannell), and not even her best farm-hand pals Hickory, Zeke and Hunk (and, yes, just in case you need to be hit on the head, the show's producers have made sure that the latter three Kansas-based characters have been outfitted with not-so-subtle nods to their future doppelgängers in the land of Oz).

So, naturally, when the wicked (hehe) Miss Gulch (the super fierce, over-the-top Jacquelyn Piro Donovan) threatens to confiscate her dog Toto, rainbow-loving Dorothy decides to runaway from home. Along the way, she runs into the eccentric Professor Marvel (Cedric Smith), who after lots of nostalgia-tripping double-talk convinces the kid to go back home just as a powerful F5-class tornado is ripping through the countryside. As Auntie Em and company seek shelter from the storm, poor Dorothy returns to the Gale house just in time for it to be lifted up off its foundation and fall right-smack-down on the Wicked Witch of the East---now in the bright-colored land of Oz.

The witch's death is celebrated by both the now-liberated Munchkins and Glinda, the Good Witch (the super-perky Robin Evan Willis). Oh, but oops---Dorothy also draws the hatred of the dead witch's sis, Elpha---er, I mean, the Wicked Witch of the West (also, natch, played by Donovan), who vows to snatch her sister's Ruby Slippers that have now magically appeared on Dorothy's feet (hey, if KINKY BOOTS taught us anything...shoes are very important accessories!)

But Dorothy has a much bigger problem: how the heck does she and her little dog Toto get back home to Dusty Ol' Kansas? Why, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (again, played by Smith) may have the solution!

So off she goes on the yellow brick road for the Emerald City. Her long journey, of course, introduces her to the Scarecrow (the adorkable Jamie McKnight), then the Tin Man (Mike Jackson), and, finally, the Cowardly Lion (the comic ham Lee MacDougall)---each of whom also have an extraordinary request for the Wizard.

Will the quartet succeed in getting to the Wizard in order to get their wishes granted, all while being pursued by the flying simian army of the evil and vindictive (and, um, wow, super needy) Wicked Witch? Well, if you know already know the story, then...

As someone who is a passionate, long-time fan of the 1939 Judy Garland film, watching this new stage adaptation of a timeless treasure was both a lovely trip down memory lane and a jarring reminder of just how immovably sacrosanct some select classics really are when one attempts to reinvent them.

The show---much as you would expect from a Webber production---is plenty eye-gasmic. The sets and costumes pop with wondrous, vivid color (except, oddly, Munchkinland and the Munchkins themselves---who look a bit under-hued). The technical and computer-animated wizardry (hehe) is mesmerizing. Boy, when that tornado hits, it's a stage-craft stunner---and its presentation proves to be an elegant solution to an otherwise difficult sequence to reproduce on stage.

And, yes, your ears will be pleased, too, especially while listening to the singing voices of Wade and all the principal characters. While the new Webber/Rice songs integrated into the show are hardly memorable (that's a tough task considering their juxtaposition alongside timeless tunes from Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg), David Cullen's musical orchestrations give the familiar score new verve.

Some new additions were great: many of the new slapstick sight gags work; Emerald City feels much more Oz-mopolitan (I'm guessing I know what inspired that); the puppeteered crows that perch near the scarecrow to provide hilarious doo-wop back-up vocals to "If I Only Had A Brain" are a hoot; and the new ending punctuation brought some magic to the dream. I also liked a good portion of the new, snarky dialogue---especially the final comment given by the Tin Man and the Lion as Dorothy bids the Scarecrow farewell (I won't spoil it here, but they basically said what all of us have been thinking all these years).

While again, this production is, for the most part, a worthy show to experience at least once live---particularly for the sake of your little ones who may not have as deep a connection to the MGM movie---the show is still replete with modifications that somewhat lessen its emotionally-resonant connection to its source material.

Aside from "Bacchanalia," an extremely odd, out-of-nowhere Solid Gold-like dance number at the Wicked Witch's castle, I was perhaps most disturbed by the less-than-cheery Munchkinland sequence in the first act. Of all the sequences from the film to preserve with care and reverence, this should have been treated with a closer parallel to the original. What was missing? The fun, iconic Munchkin voices and the technicolor-on-acid costumes, to name just a few. Sadly, the whole vignette just felt a bit half-hearted for me.

In addition to new songs, other changes include giving characters outside of Dorothy and the Wizard new characteristics. The scarecrow, once a beacon of surprising smarts has been reduced to a cute-but-forgetful dimwit---a male, straw-stuffed version of Dory from Finding Nemo. The Tin Man, on the other hand, is less emotionally overwhelmed than I anticipated.

Others were bitten not by the jitterbug, but by the sassy bug: Glinda here seems more WICKED-esque, but is crossed with a super-caffeinated E! Correspondent/flight attendant (this I loved instantly). The Wicked Witch, while certainly more sexi-fied and ultra-fabulous, here ultimately feels like a modern-day, sadistic mean girl---a petulant, spoiled adult-brat who's a bully more than a homicidal murderer (well, okay, she still scares me... but still...)

And in its palpable attempt to fashion a meta-modern, self-aware connection to THE WIZARD OF OZ's place in pop culture, the Cowardly Lion is now, apparently, letting his hair down and living his, um, truth (and kudos to MacDougall for workin' and fully-committing to what he was given...) While part of me, yes, chuckled at this more overtly out-ward personality the Lion has embraced, a part of me, too, felt slightly offended by the stereotype being proliferated by the allusion.

"I am proud to say that... I am a friend of Dorothy!" the Lion declares upon arrival at the Emerald City. Well, congrats, dude!

And despite some unfortunate opening night tech gaffes (try not to pay attention to the man behind the curtain---that's just a stagehand trying to fix falling scenery pieces), the show entertained and held an audience mostly captivated. At the very least, Webber and company should be applauded for this brave attempt at a wholly new stage production.

Much like a twister that scoops up---then tosses out---everything in its path, this visually beautiful yet wildly erratic THE WIZARD OF OZ is, for the most part, quite wonderful... if only it had just a bit more magic. That reminds me... I should try to go see THE WIZARD OF OZ in IMAX-3D. Now there is some technicolor razzle dazzle!

Follow this reviewer on Twitter: @cre8ivemlq

Photos by Cylla von Tiedemann, courtesy of the Pantages Theatre. Previous page: Dorothy (Danielle Wade) holds on to Toto in OZ. This page, from top: the Wicked Witch (Jacquelyn Piro Donovan) casts a spell; our OZ heroes, Scarecrow (Jamie McKnight), the Cowardly Lion (Lee MacDougall), and the Tin Man (Mike Jackson); Glinda (Robin Evan Willis) makes an appearance.

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Performances of THE WIZARD OF OZ at the Pantages Theatre continue through October 6, 2013 and are scheduled Tuesday through Friday at 8 pm, Saturdays at 2 pm and 8 pm, and Sundays at 1pm and 6:30pm.

Tickets can be purchased online at HollywoodPantages.com, by phone at 1-800-982-ARTS(2787) or in person at the Pantages box office (opens daily at 10am) and all Ticketmaster outlets. The Pantages Theatre is located at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard, just east of Vine Street.

For more information, please visit HollywoodPantages.com.

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