I had forgotten how much I liked The Wizard of Oz until I saw the national tour at the Times Union Center for the Performing Arts earlier this week.
As part of the 44th season of the Florida State College Artist Series, The Wizard of Oz is playing through Sun., Feb. 28.
Almost everyone knows the story of Dorothy Gale and her little dog Toto who end up in the magical land of Oz after a tornado transports their house from Kansas to Munchkinland.
As a child, I probably watched the Judy Garland movie version a million plus times, but I’ve never had the opportunity to see it performed onstage. Tuesday night’s opening was a treat for me — I can’t remember the last time I found myself completely absorbed by a performance.
The play opened with Dorothy, played by Cassie OKenka singing Somewhere over the rainbow, and from those first few strands through the end of the performance, I was thrilled. I think I enjoyed it more than any of the young kids in the packed house, and there certainly were a lot of young kids in the audience.
As with most of the touring shows that come through the Artist Series, The Wizard of Oz was so professionally done that it was difficult to find any fault in it. From start to finish, the big musical numbers were wonderful, the dance sequences were engaging and the special effects and set design were fantastic.
During the scenes where Dorothy is in Kansas, the cast and the set are in sepia tones — browns and muted colors — that are reminiscent of the black and white portions of the movie. When Dorothy arrives in Oz, a curtain goes up on stage and Oz appears in full color — much like the technicolor swap in the movie. It’s great.
Seeing this play was not covering new ground for me, however watching this cast perform and develop relationships with each other and to the characters I love so dearly was something I wasn’t expecting. I’ve always enjoyed theater, but rarely have I found myself so moved by a performance. I actually felt my own heart break a little when Dorothy had to say goodbye to her new friends and return to Kansas.
Even if you think the story is for children, go see The Wizard of Oz. It’s far from child’s play and it will remind you of the importance of family and friends and how — no matter how old you are — there really is no place like home.
