April 3, 2008
Tornado ballet, flying monkeys, sexy poppies, a blaxploitation pimp and an S+M witch - The Wiz certainly ticked all my boxes! This production by the Oxford Brookes Fortune Players is lively, brilliantly sung and loads of fun.
Ably supported by musical director Craig N. Williamson, who marshalled excellent music and pit singers, and inventive choreographer Lauren O’Day, Ed Broyd can be proud of his direction of a thoroughly fun musical.
For those of you who don’t know, The Wiz was conceived as an all-black Motown-inspired musical version of The Wizard of Oz. It ran for four years and over 1600 performances on Broadway, winning seven Tony awards, before being made into a film featuring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as Scarecrow.
Sensibly working with a minimal set, the Fortune Players stuck to the essentials of a musical – cracking singing, intelligent choreography and a little bit of showboating. All vocal performances were excellent; the standard being set right from the start by Jules Francis (Aunt Em) with a super performance of The Feeling We Once Had.
A well conceived Tornado Ballet took Dorothy to Oz with no messing around (and no Toto, thankfully!) where we met a music hall-inspired good witch (Adderpele), played by Rosie McAllister, and some taller than average Munchkins who told Dorothy where to find help to get home. This laid the ground for the first of Celinde Schoenmaker’s (Dorothy) show-stopping performances. Even in a cast that sang superbly throughout this young woman stands out as the owner of a powerful and beautifully soulful voice.
Next up was the meeting with her three comrades: Toby Ranger (a brilliantly boneless Scarecrow), Guy Mannerings (believably rusty and obsessed with finding a heart as Tin Man), and Pollyanna Middleditch (hilarious and scene-stealingly cute as the Cowardly Lion). The four Ease on Down the Road to Emerald City along a cleverly created physical theatre yellow brick road where they encounter Chris Wasyliw (the Wiz – by Huggy Bear out of Alan Carr!) and set off to kill Evilene.
This dominatrix of a wicked witch - played by Emily Stephenson, whip and all – was defeated in her sweat shop with a traditional bucket of water and our four heroes headed back to receive their gifts – brains, heart, courage and a way home.
Dorothy’s temporary failure to get home allowed Jenny Wand (Glenda the Good) to sing A Rested Body is a Rested Mind enchantingly.
In a show packed with energy and effort, the chorus deserve special mention for creating a tornado, a field of poppies (sponsored by Knickerbox?), Munchkins, Kalidahs, a Yellow Brick Road, flying monkeys, slaves, the people of Emerald City and Mouse police – so many costume changes. Go and see it – there’s even a matinee on Saturday!
Ably supported by musical director Craig N. Williamson, who marshalled excellent music and pit singers, and inventive choreographer Lauren O’Day, Ed Broyd can be proud of his direction of a thoroughly fun musical.
For those of you who don’t know, The Wiz was conceived as an all-black Motown-inspired musical version of The Wizard of Oz. It ran for four years and over 1600 performances on Broadway, winning seven Tony awards, before being made into a film featuring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as Scarecrow.
Sensibly working with a minimal set, the Fortune Players stuck to the essentials of a musical – cracking singing, intelligent choreography and a little bit of showboating. All vocal performances were excellent; the standard being set right from the start by Jules Francis (Aunt Em) with a super performance of The Feeling We Once Had.
A well conceived Tornado Ballet took Dorothy to Oz with no messing around (and no Toto, thankfully!) where we met a music hall-inspired good witch (Adderpele), played by Rosie McAllister, and some taller than average Munchkins who told Dorothy where to find help to get home. This laid the ground for the first of Celinde Schoenmaker’s (Dorothy) show-stopping performances. Even in a cast that sang superbly throughout this young woman stands out as the owner of a powerful and beautifully soulful voice.
Next up was the meeting with her three comrades: Toby Ranger (a brilliantly boneless Scarecrow), Guy Mannerings (believably rusty and obsessed with finding a heart as Tin Man), and Pollyanna Middleditch (hilarious and scene-stealingly cute as the Cowardly Lion). The four Ease on Down the Road to Emerald City along a cleverly created physical theatre yellow brick road where they encounter Chris Wasyliw (the Wiz – by Huggy Bear out of Alan Carr!) and set off to kill Evilene.
This dominatrix of a wicked witch - played by Emily Stephenson, whip and all – was defeated in her sweat shop with a traditional bucket of water and our four heroes headed back to receive their gifts – brains, heart, courage and a way home.
Dorothy’s temporary failure to get home allowed Jenny Wand (Glenda the Good) to sing A Rested Body is a Rested Mind enchantingly.
In a show packed with energy and effort, the chorus deserve special mention for creating a tornado, a field of poppies (sponsored by Knickerbox?), Munchkins, Kalidahs, a Yellow Brick Road, flying monkeys, slaves, the people of Emerald City and Mouse police – so many costume changes. Go and see it – there’s even a matinee on Saturday!