Reviews from The Wizard of Oz

Wizard simply magic

By Doug Coxson,
New Hamburg Independent

L. Frank Baum’s classic tale of a rural teen’s flight from home into the wonderful world of Oz is brilliantly recreated by The Community Players for the New Hamburg stage this week.
There’s an inherent danger in deviating from a story, music and imagery known by virtually every member of the audience. With The Wizard of Oz, every scene is anticipated. Every costume, set piece and song etched in memory. The audience knows what it wants and if you don’t deliver, you risk failure.

On their second go-round with Wizard, TCP has avoided almost every obstacle that could possibly hinder such a well-known production.

It starts with artistic director Brent Roth’s minimalist approach to the set — white trapezoidal frames on a raised stage. The stark set provides a blank canvas for the actors and artists behind the scenes to paint a vivid picture of Oz.

We even get the scenes that frame the Technicolor-trip down the yellow brick road, recreating the film technique of contrasting the bright lights of Oz with the bland landscape of Dorothy’s Kansas home.

The sudden change from muted white light to the rainbow hues of Oz is an eye popper.

A steady blast of fog and great lighting effects help set the mood, but next to the actors, the most powerful force on stage is the costumes.

Enough can’t be said about Shirley Martin’s and Connie Zehr’s brilliant work. From the two-tone cuteness of the Munchkin ensemble, to the green sheen of the Emerald City suits, the costume duo’s stunning creations transport everyone.  

First-time director and choreographer Karen Prior Cashin draws some great performances from the cast.
Joanna Guistini is immediately likable as Dorothy, conveying the conflicting emotions of a runaway teen’s adolescent angst with her longing for the comforts of home.

She takes on Lance Green’s energetic Scarecrow with an arsenal of charm and a voice to match — perfectly suited to the wistful showstopper Over the Rainbow.

With a limb-swinging swagger that ultimately begs for more, Green nails Scarecrow’s spotlight number If I only had a Brain. The rest of his performance dials down the enthusiasm to give fellow leads T.J. Muir, as the affable Tin Man, and goofily-inventive Malakai Arnel as the Cowardly Lion, an opportunity to shine.

All four characters immediately bond with each other as well as the audience.

Muir towers above his co-stars with his friendly, doting presence and Arnel’s animated Lion is great fun to watch.
Hindered by an exterior beauty that’s about as far from movie villain Margaret Hamilton’s frightening visage as you can get, Michelle Di Tomasso digs deep to find a well of ugliness and an evil cackle for her Wicked Witch. 

It’s no surprise musical director Jennifer Hoffman and the orchestra earned the biggest applause during Thursday’s student performance. They sound better than ever. The score is simply magical and the accompanying music to some of the most beloved songs of all time, matches the power of the voices on stage.

As an ensemble, the entire cast raises goosebumps more than once during some of the key musical numbers. They definitley produce the spectacle everyone’s craving.

If the movie is your only frame of reference, expect a few surprises and at least one jazz-infused dance number that may just be the best of the bunch.

With The Wizard of Oz, The Community Players celebrate their 25th anniversary by taking an iconic piece of pop culture and injecting it with creativity, fun and enthusiasm — all hallmarks of TCP’s most memorable productions.