GRANDVIEW, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Theatre West Virginia presented night two of its Wizard of Oz production Wednesday before a nearly-packed house at the Cliffside Amphitheater.
Folks from all over made the trip out to beautiful Grandview Wednesday, for what some likely assumed could be their last chance to catch the anticipated musical during its Summer run. This, of course, was due to the seemingly perpetual rainfall which has plagued the organization throughout nearly the entirety of its 62nd Season.
Forecast predictions for the week had pointed to Wednesday as the only fully agreeable day in terms of weather and, while good fortune had smiled down upon all involved in allowing for a successful opening night on Tuesday, many were unwilling to hedge their bets on a repeat offering of such luck during the week’s latter half.
As such, this Wednesday evening assembly more closely resembled that of a Saturday night production. Indeed, the show’s planned 7:30pm start time was delayed briefly – due not to any sort of production issues or technical difficulties, but as a courtesy to afford the dozens of remaining patrons in line outside ample time to assume their positions in the stands.
It was during this time that Theatre West Virginia General Manager Scott Hill gave his customary address to the audience, extending thanks to those who served and gaining insight on the geographical origins of audience members.
Fun fact: guests from Utah and Ireland on this night brought the tally to 44 states and 7 countries from which folks have ventured to enjoy the work Theatre West Virginia during its 62nd season. As such, it’d be tough to dispute Hill’s assertion of, “Not bad for a little theater in the woods,”
West Virginia Delegate Brandon Steele was also in attendance on this night, and was brought to the stage by Hill prior to the show’s beginning.
Addressing the crowd, Steele spoke of his own history growing up in Raleigh County and coming out to shows at Theatre West Virginia shows during the summer.
Steele touched on the dwindling funding allocated to the organization’s efforts, which at one time comprised hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, and now sits below the $100,000 mark annually.
Taking a moment to directly address those who enjoy and benefit from the work done by Theatre West Virginia, Steele encouraged folks to “let your representatives know” – rallying support for arts in the local community at a time when attention to such matters is most imperative, to put it lightly.
Once all patrons had made their way to their seats – and once Brielle Lyons, also a munchkin in the production, delivered a resoundly impactful National Anthem – it was time for the show to begin. The swell of strings in the traditional pop stylings of the 1930s served to open the allegorical curtain, shifting the focus to the stage and set pieces, which are utilized to fantastic effect – more on that later.
The yelps of a small dog precede the conclusion of the introductory symphonics, as well as the appearance of chief protagonist, Dorothy Gale.
The Wizard of Oz is a tale that is as ingrained within the collective cultural psyche as are iconic creations such as Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, or Superman. One reason the story enjoys such a level of societal omnipresence is the inclusion of memorable, well-written, and dynamic characters.
The Wizard of Oz’s narrative is obviously an incredible work in its own right, but the heart of the story – as well as the brain and courage, as it were – emanate from the idiosyncrasies of L. Frank Baum’s timeless original characters which serve to push the narrative forward.
Many of these iconic characters remain on the bench throughout the story’s initial development, however. Timing and nuance are essential, and there’s a restraint shown in the utilization of the primary characters that breathes life into the overall narrative without allowing the presentation to descend into absurdity. It’s a fine line to walk, and Baum’s ability to do so has endowed the tale with the legs to bring joy and wonder to readers and viewers for over a century.
However, this restraint can also render the first-act setup of the story stale if not executed properly. As such, it has always been up to the first of these characters to make viewers’ collective introduction – the sharp but naive Dorothy Gale – to do much of the heavy lifting early on in carrying the narrative to the Land of Oz, wherein the wonders upon which the tale’s reputation is primarily built will unfold.
Luckily for Theatre West Virginia, the instinct to delegate the duty of manifesting one of literature, film, and the stage’s most iconic characters to Ms. Rebekah New was right on the money – more on that here.
It is worth noting that, for much of the film – particularly during the setup – the role of Toto is played by an actual live dog, forgoing the “never work with children or animals” rule – which is once again broken upon touching down in Munchkinland.
Familiar faces pop in and out as the familiar, but nonetheless consistently captivating, narrative begins to take shape. Early highlights include Theatre West Virginia veteran Andy Woodruff’s understated, succinctly effective turn as Professor Marvel, cryptically foreshadowing a triumphant late-show turn as the titular wizard – more on Andy Woodruff and his fascinating performance career can be seen here.
Additionally, New’s always stellar “Over the Rainbow” – more on that here – went over wonderfully. This, made all the more impressive by the awareness and facility to maintain accurate pitch on the final, extended vocal note while tending to an increasingly restless pup, all while remaining decisively in character.
Early scenes are also significant in their introduction of Wendy Sullivan as a scenery-chewing Miss Gulch, whose contemptible antics in Kansas inspire nearly as much unease in spectators as do those of her green-hued counterpart.
The creativity demonstrated in the utilization of minimal set pieces in the conjuring of so many immersive and majestic locales is a wonder, and the house-snatching twister responsible for the demise of the Wicked Witch of the East is early evidence of such a fact.
The corral of child performers comprising the residents of Munchkinland all deliver impressive turns, and it was a nice, full-circle moment to see New’s Dorothy Gale engaging with a Lullaby League Munchkin – New made her own stage debut with Theatre West Virginia in the same role nine years ago.
Once the Yellow Brick Road comes into the picture, the fun really begins. The journey to the Emerald City is full to the brim with humor and song, as well as classic characters which the audience sees introduced along the way.
Much like that of Dorothy, the roles of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion carry enough weight to sink or salvage a production. Luckily, this particular production required very little in the way of salvaging, and came equipped with actors equipped not only to take on the task at hand, but also eager to sink their teeth into and truly flesh out these iconic characters.
One particularly compelling – and frankly, almost surprising – element to this portion of the production was just how impeccable the vocal performances were. The iconic tunes taking up permanent residents in the hearts and minds of so many were more than done justice on this night.
Pitch, tone, enthusiasm, choreography, character awareness – it was all there as the performers traded leads and provided backing harmonies/skat vocals while making it all appear utterly effortless.
The Cowardly Lion, perhaps the most “regular” in appearance of the three primary characters encountered during Dorothy’s trek to the Emerald City is endowed with such vigor and enthusiasm by Brooks Cline that the character has no trouble whatsoever standing out among the pack.
The initial encounter and subsequent cowardly turn were executed with a finesse and comedic timing that truly emphasizes what made the original scene so engaging.
The arts themselves are a tricky line to toe, as a certain facility is often required in order to convey ideas effectively. On the flip-side of that same coin, an overemphasis on structure and formal approach can render a portrayal lifeless, even if said portrayal is impressive on a technical level.
An artist must be intimately familiar with their own inner being if they are to competently reflect the plight of the human condition through their work. It is the effective harnessing of both energies – those of the heart and the brain, and the courage as well, I suppose – that can result in the birth of truly great work.
To this end, it was Galen Graham’s prodigious turn as the Scarecrow which served as the highlight of an already impactful production for this writer. As has been the case with the great jazz players of history, the Boston native has clearly internalized the facility of his craft to such a degree that it has become second nature, allowing for the coloring of proceedings through intuition and emotional investment without running the risk of derailing the more stringent, cognitive stages of the creative process.
The fine-tuning of the intonation and dialect of the character – and indeed, the arrant commitment to bit in general – went far in reinforcing the suspension of reality necessary to get the most out of the live theatre experience, and conveyed genuine effort on the part of the performer which did not go unnoticed – More on Graham and his work can be seen here.
As delineation of further details could run the risk of diluting the experience for those who still have yet to attend a production, this writer can only, in good conscience, encourage readers to snatch up tickets to Theatre West Virginia’s The Wizard of Oz while the getting remains good.
Theatre West Virginia will present The Wizard of Oz Friday, August 5th and Saturday August 6th at 7:30pm, with a just-announced additional performance on Sunday, August 7th. All performances are contingent upon workable weather conditions . More information can be found at the Theatre West Virginia Website.