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Regional Reviews: Phoenix The Wizard of Oz Also see Gil's reviews of Ever After and Over the River and Through the Woods
Like the film, the plot follows Dorothy Gale (Gracie Gamble), the young teenage girl who lives with her Aunt Em (Ivana Martinic) and Uncle Henry (Raymond Barcelo) on their farm in Kansas yet feels alone. She dreams of finding a place over the rainbow where she can belong. When a tornado comes along that whisks Dorothy, her dog Toto (puppeteer Benicio "Beni" Bermudez), and her house to the colorful land of Oz, it lands on the Wicked Witch of the East and the dead witch's sister, the Wicked Witch of the West (Alice Johnson), vows vengeance for her death. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North (Martinic), tells Dorothy that if she goes to Oz there is a chance the Wizard (Hector Coris) can help her get home. On her journey to Oz, she meets a scarecrow (Joshua South), a man made of tin (William Buhler), and a talking lion (Trevon Powell). The entire cast have beautiful singing voices, including the lilting soprano voices of both Gamble and Martinic. However, many of their performances are adhering very close to their film counterparts which, while being familiar to those who know the movie well, doesn't add much originality. Coris and Powell do the best of the bunch in adding humorous, original touches to these well-known characters. South's athleticism and Buhler's charm add fresh moments to their portrayals, while Johnson's Witch borders on the humorous side, which doesn't exactly make her character threatening. Barcelo uses a range of crazy voices for the trio of characters he plays, and Martinic's Aunt Em and Glinda are so vastly different women I'm sure some audience members don't even realize it's the same actress playing both characters. The ensemble members appear to relish the many fun characters they play and I love how Toto is a puppet that Benicio "Beni" Bermudez masterfully plays; Bermudez doesn't say a single word in the show yet he expertly manages to make that small dog appear alive and inquisitively going on the journey with Dorothy and her new friends. Cambrian James' direction manages to zip the show across the many locations and his dances are fun and varied; I love how "The Jitterbug," which was cut from the film but is included in this version of the show, is staged and how the cast have a blast with the high-energy number. Brielle Hawkes' costumes are fun and adhere to the film designs with a few original touches, including beautiful gold stitching on the Wizard's suit, a fantastic costume for the Lion, and gorgeous dresses for the Wicked Witch and Glinda. James' wigs and makeup designs are wonderful. The scenic design by MaKayla Erickson may not be elaborate, and due to the in-the-round venue and the ceiling height there's no room for any flying effects, but the detailed walls and floor of the theater draw the audience into the Oz environment. The excellent use of smoke effects during the scenes in the Wizard's room brings a fun, sense of danger to the production. Ashton Corey's lighting is appropriately moody in the heavier moments and bright and colorful in the comic scenes. Tyler Thompson's music direction delivers warm, rich harmonies and solos from the entire cast. While some of the performances could be sharper or not so aligned with the classic film, and I wish some of the creative aspects were more effective, Hale's production of The Wizard of Oz is still very charming. The colorful costumes, bright vocals, and memorable songs from the classic film combine into a crowd pleasing show for theatregoers of all ages. The Wizard of Oz runs through June 27, 2026, at Hale Centre Theatre, 50 W. Page Avenue, Gilbert AZ. For tickets and information, please visit www.haletheatrearizona.com or call 480-497-1181 Based on the book by L. Frank Baum Cast: |
