Review: THE WIZARD OF OZ Gets Modern Update at the National Theatre

The Wizard of Oz. It practically sells itself. A part of classic Americana, it's likely challenging to find very many people raised in this country who haven't seen the classic 1939 movie based on L. Frank Baum's book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. There's no shortage other films and even stage musicals inspired by the film either - and those too have garnered an audience and a following. Most recently, for instance, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams adapted the film into a new stage musical that premiered in London in 2011. It incorporates Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg's classic and instantly recognizable tunes, as well as a handful of new songs that Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote along with lyricist Tim Rice. Union and non-union touring productions based on the West End musical have delighted American audiences for several years, and the ongoing Non-Equity tour is currently playing DC's historic National Theatre.

Audience members will most certainly recognize the story line in this new adaptation. In case you've been living under a rock, it goes something like this:

Dorothy (Sarah Lasko, in a bit of a DC area homecoming) lives with her Aunt Em (Emmanuelle Zeesman) and Uncle Henry (Randy Charleville) on a farm in Kansas along with her little dog, Toto (the exquisitely adorable Nigel). She's annoyed that no one understands her, and concerned about her dog's safety after some threats from schoolteacher Miss Gulch (Shani Hadjian). An attempt to run away is interrupted by an encounter with the somewhat zany Professor Marvel (Mark A. Harmon), and then a storm that puts both of them in danger. As the storm intensifies, Dorothy returns to home, but the winds get so bad that her farmhouse blows away with her in it. She's transported to a land that's decidedly not Kansas, and finds out she's somewhat of a hero because her house landed on the Wicked Witch of the East. Thus begins her adventures in Oz, and encounters with iconic characters like Glinda (Rachel Womble), the Scarecrow (Morgan Reynolds), Tin Man (Jay McGill), and the Cowardly Lion (Aaron Fried) as she tries to find her way back home. A few things stand in her way, namely the Wicked Witch of the West (Shani Hadjian), who is none too happy about Dorothy's house landing on her sister, and Dorothy wearing her sister's magical red shoes. She's told that the Wizard (Mark A. Harmon) can help her return to Kansas, but to get his support, she must bring him the Wicked Witch of the West's broomstick. With some help from her new friends, she does get home, and learns a variety of important lessons along the way. There's no place like home, indeed.

Wisely, Lloyd Webber and Sams certainly didn't diverge from the familiar strong storyline when adapting the source material for the modern stage. Yet, they add a variety of physical and verbal jokes, phrasing, and commentary that - perhaps in their minds - will appeal to modern audiences looking for a bit of a fresh take on what they already know. While most of the updates come off as a bit cheesy for this somewhat jaded reviewer (one need not look further than the scene with the Munchkins, and particularly a moment with the coroner for an example), the frequent laughs I heard around the theatre throughout the nearly 150 minute production suggest that I may be in the minority.

Lloyd Webber and Rice's new songs, likewise, clue the audience into Dorothy's emotional state (the opener "Nobody Understands Me" and "Already Home"), and give the deliciously evil Wicked Witch of the West a chance to explain her frustration (the act two opener, "Red Shoes Blues"). They're poppish, fun to listen to, and certainly catchy and contemporary, but there's no mistaking them for Arlen and Harburg's far more sophisticated and timeless musical creations.

What does standout in this production - directed by Sams - is some uniformly solid singing by an energetic and present cast, as well as a first-rate sixteen piece orchestra. Although there's a bit of an over-reliance on video and projection (Jon Driscoll, recreated by Daniel Brodie) to depict some of the more visually thrilling moments in the story like the storm and the flying monkeys soaring in the sky, these design elements are very well done. The eye-popping colorful set and costumes (Robert Jones), fun choreography (Arlene Phillips), and decidedly theatrical lighting (Hugh Vanstone) add a layer of welcomed visual interest to the proceedings.

Whether due to direction or other factors, the acting among the principals was at times uneven on the night I attended. As Dorothy, Lasko kind of faded into the scenery when she was not singing (and she does, admittedly have a solid range and a beautiful tone). However, there's no question that she has a likeable persona that fits the beloved character, and gives her own take on the role. Reynolds, McGill, and Fried - embodying the friends Dorothy meets in Oz - fared consistently better in the acting department, and were consistently on-point. They managed to sell even the most eye-roll inducing jokes.

Rachel Womble proved to be a fantastic singer, and gave a performance that's quite perfect for the picture-perfect goodie-goodie Glinda. She made a positive impression in her small role. In contrast, Hadjian - who had much more material to work with - struggled with delivering a consistently natural performance as the show's love-to-hate villain. Her line delivery seemed, at times, over-planned and over-rehearsed, which became a bit monotonous in her many, many monologues. Hadjian fared infinitely better when singing her big number "Red Shoes Blues" at the beginning of act two though. A natural musical performer, she commanded the stage, and had the requisite vocal chops and lyric interpretation ability to boot. That number, along with Lasko's affecting "Over the Rainbow," was a standout musical moment of the night.

Harmon didn't particularly make an impression as the Wizard, but he went about bringing the character to life in a believable way that made clear the distinction between how the Wizard wants to appear to others, and how he truly is. He sang the two new songs that Lloyd Webber wrote for his character ("Bring Me the Broomstick" and "Farewell to Oz") with gusto, and demonstrated a good chemistry with Lasko.

Overall, there's a lot of mass appeal in this production, some fun musical moments, and opportunities for the entire family to visit the familiar and well-loved. Unfortunately, it simply pales in comparison to what we have seen before.

Running Time: Nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an intermission.

THE WIZARD OF OZ plays through May 15 at the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave, NW in Washington, DC. For tickets, call the box office at 202-628-6161 or purchase them online.

Credit: From left: Aaron Fried as Lion, Jay McGill as Tin Man, Morgan Reynolds as Scarecrow and Sarah Lasko as Dorothy in the national touring production of THE WIZARD OF OZ. Photo by Daniel A. Swalec.

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