Cappies Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!

We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School! 

Based on the 1900 children's novel by L. Frank Baum, the 'Wizard of Oz' follows the journey of Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale as she and her dog Toto are swept up into the world of Oz by a tornado that drops her house on the Wicked Witch of the East. Enraged by Dorothy's possession of her magic ruby slippers, the Wicked Witch of the West swears revenge against Dorothy and promises to take the slippers back for herself. With her newfound camaraderie with the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, Dorothy sets off along the yellow brick road to meet the great and powerful Wizard of Oz in hopes he'll send her home and grant the wishes of her friends: a brain, a heart, and courage, respectively.

Being their first musical performance in eight years, Sir Winston Churchill's adaptation stays true to this classic tale, adding an original touch by including handmade dresses and shoes for Glinda and Dorothy by Gisele Smith and a functional Toto puppet made and puppeteered by Oliver Richard.

As Dorothy, Gisele Smith brought an enchanting princess-like air to the character by mimicking the charming Kansas accent of the original and leading movements with her nose to indicate the flamboyance and curiosity of the character. This is emphasized by Dorothy's colour-changing dress, which reverses from an exhausted black and white to a vibrant blue and white plaid between Kansas and Oz to reflect the liveliness of Oz and the lessons she learns alongside her friends.

Alluding to parallels to their Kansas farmhand counterparts, The Scarecrow (Nolan Vokey), Tinman (Ranya Bashar), and Cowardly Lion (Angeline Meira) each showcased their unique wishes for the wizard in personalized versions of 'If Only I had...' and through posture and movements relating to their roles. For example, Scarecrow wobbled and flailed about on stage as though he were made of straw, and Tin Man lacked fluidity in his walk to appear as though his body were truly made of tin. 

Stealing both Toto and the show, the Wicked Witch (Jayde Jones) made the quick transition from the conservatively uptight Miss Gulch to the scheming, wide gestured Wicked Witch, performed with a shrill, quirky voice and devilish cackle. Most impressive was the green face paint, which was applied entirely by students in between scenes.

Though the show featured unique scenes and costume transitions, such as Dorothy's ruby slippers appearing seemingly out of thin air and comical tornado projections to indicate the house traversing between worlds, even the yellow brick road has its loose bricks. Amidst the magic were set changes that felt prolonged. Likewise, the actors' mics, while impressively student-managed, were occasionally glitchy or drowned out by the music or chorus. Even so, the cast handled these malfunctions with poise and remained delightfully in-character throughout the duration of the show. 

Sir Winston Churchill's Wizard of Oz was a phenomenal adaptation that, unlike the Wicked Witch, delivered a magical experience that'll take more than water to melt away.