The Wizard of Oz - Review

Tonight a friend and I took in Golden Stone Productions Wizard of Oz it was wonderful. I saw a number of familiar faces both onstage and off. It was a relaxing and entertaining evening.

Let me start with the set and backdrops - One word. Breathtaking! Simply amazing. The best part ... the house (both inside and out.) Lighting effects were used to very nice effect - some really good work there. Also on the production side, I enjoyed the sound design - subtle but effective. Costumes were bright and colorful - the munchkins especially were quirky and unique. I liked the multiple shades of green for the citizens of the Emerald City as well. Overall nice use of color in costuming.

In the cast - I enjoyed the performance of Miss Gultch/Wicked Witch she was amazing! Also a delight were The Mayor of Muchkinland, Zeke/Lion, Aunt Em/Glinda, Prof Marvel/Wizard.
Dorothy was adorable and sang beautifully - and Toto, of course, stole the show (you know what they say about animals and children on stage ....). There was a strong childrens ensemble whose energy was delightful.

There were very few mishaps tonight, which is wonderful to see on the second night of a run. I was a little disappointed in the choreography - traditionally the Tin man does a tap dance in his first number - some of the other numbers weren't as crisp as I would have hoped. But still - a production that is sure to get even better as the run continues. Opening night was over 400, tonight looked a bit smaller but it was wonderful to see many families out to see this beautiful classic.

I encourage everyone to support this wonderful community theater group and see their delightful production of the Wizard of Oz. The run continues for the next two weekends: Friday & Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons.