The Wizard of Oz – In Concert (Prospero Arts)
QPAC, Concert Hall
June 30 – July 2
With a memorable soundtrack of catchy songs such as ‘We’re Off to See the Wizard’ and ‘Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, “The Wizard of Oz” is a perfect choice for the in-concert format seen in the sensational “Singin’ in the Rain In Concert” that represented local production company Prospero Arts’ inaugural production in the Concert Hall last year. And it is in the visually and acoustically spectacular surrounds of the QPAC venue that we again find ourselves for the company’s all-new “The Wizard of Oz – In Concert” play-out of the musical’s familiar scenes, songs and dialogue, but only for an exclusive short Brisbane season, perfectly-timed for the school holidays.
Performance-wise, any “The Wizard of Oz” is an ask, especially demanding due to its dual nature of it roles. In this instance, Prospero Arts has again brought together nationally-recognised artists and up-and-coming local performers to make up its cast in tell of L. Frank Baum’s American fairytale of a Kansas farm girl who travels over the rainbow to discover the magical power of home. Elandrah Eramiha is perfect in her step into the ruby slippers of wholesome prairie farm girl Dorothy, capturing the protagonist’s good-heartedness and youthful exuberance, but also some feistiness in her early threat to bite Ms Gulch (Angelique Cassimatis) herself in response to the unpleasant neighbour’s threat to call the sheriff after Dorothy’s little dog Toto (Yorkshire terriers McGuinty and Peggotty Pickle), bites her leg.
Euan Fistrovic Doidge is equally wonderful as Dorothy’s first made-of-straw companion, especially as he both acrobats about in his introductory song and animates in response to reveal of the Tin Man’s (a solid Mark Hill) story. And his voice is full of musical theatre clarity, character and energy. Monique Sallé is clearly having a roaring time as Dorothy’s always-an-audience-favourite dandy-lion companion. All-talk and full of New Jersey type attitude, her lion gives us lots of laughs from her perfect comic timing and pantomimic lean-into the character’s inherit melodrama.
Loren Hunter and Cassimatis work well to contrast their characters of Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West, while Michael Tuahine makes for a terrific humbug Wizard of Oz, revealing some humanity behind the pretence (and the curtain) at the core of his initial character. Tim McCallum, meanwhile, brings a lot of comedy to his later role as an Ozian guard, particularly in his lead of a buoyant ‘The Merry Old Land of Oz’.
An impressive come together of creatives ensures that performances are not only supported, but enhanced. While the in-concert format means that the story is not told in the traditional way, scenic design is a core part of its fantasy unfolding with Craig Wilkinson’s video design taking the audience in approaching tornado’s twist from the drab sepia-stained humdrum of the Gale’s Kansas farm to the vibrant technicolour of the very real land of Oz, and then along the iconic road that guides its motley crew of characters to the Emerald City residence of the Wizard who they hope will grant their respective wishes.
With an orchestra performing the musical score live on stage, the delivery of dialogue and songs occurs across multiple levels with only-necessary props used to facilitate its plot. Still, aesthetic elements are rich contributors to the storytelling. Ben Hughes’s lighting goldens the group’s way along the road to the Emerald City of unwonderful wonder and illuminates us into a forest of cheeky talking trees. And while there are some minor microphone lapses on opening night, Geoff McGahan’s sound design is atmospheric in, for example, the scary sounds of a darkened forest of lions and tigers and bears.
Fantasy story aside, so much of the legacy of “The Wizard of Oz” stems from its songs and from the start, the high calibre of its musical performances are evident. Eramiha’s share of Dorothy’s iconic ‘Over the Rainbow’ ballad muse to Toto brilliantly outlines her dreams and fears, while celebrating the simplicity at the heart of the show’s themes. Her voice is simply beautiful, especially as highlighted by the serene string sounds of the Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra.
The Voices of Birralee young adult choir singers that serve as the munchkins, not only bring to life Amy Campbell’s choreography with infectious, energetic joy, but harmonise nicely in tra la la la la lead towards the yellow brick road in The Munchkinland sequence arising from discovery that now-national-hero Dorothy’s tornado-transported farmhouse has dropped into the unknown land and onto the Wicked Witch of the East, prompting a vow of revenge from her Wicked Witch of the West sister.
Versatile orchestration gives all performers the bed upon which to build their excellent vocals. Under conductor and musical director Andrew Worboys, its talented musicians work well together to capture the score’s distinct genre-straddling numbers, from Act Two’s jazzy ‘Merry Old Land of Oz’ opener to the percussive march of the witch’s strangely-attired Winkies. They not only offer a sense of brassy pomp and circumstance to the cowardly Lion’s comedic ‘King of the Forest’ claims as the group waits to learn whether the Wizard will grant them an audience, but they add more than just lullaby to the sounds of the foursome’s spell into sleep in a huge field of poppies. And while a tight Act Two sees the high-energy ‘Jitterbug’ turned from full number into a musical backdrop to some stylised fighting as the group embarks upon bringing the Wizard his requested broomstick of the Witch of the West, there is, memorable add of a percussive call and response during the Tin Man’s tap dance solo.
Under Amy Campbell’s slick, yet still detailed, direction, things energy along in a tight 2 hours 40 minutes show (with interval). “The Wizard of Oz – In Concert” is a charming, high quality production of musical theatre magic, which offers an abundance of audience entertainment along Dorothy and her companions’ journey to see the Wizard at the end of the yellow brick road. With its fun-filled combination of music, colour, energy and iconic songs, this reimagined story of love, friendship and following your dreams is one for all ages, who can get in quick before its five-shows-only season of over-the-rainbow transportation ends.
Photos – c/o Darren Thomas