When all the world is a hopeless jumble and the raindrops tumble all around… heaven opens up a magic lane. When all the clouds darken up the skyway, there’s a rainbow highway to be found, leading from your window pane… and rain did it ever this past weekend all over Charm City. And everywhere around it. If you’re wondering why you don’t recognize those lyrics as a part of the iconic “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” it’s because they weren’t included in the 1939 filmset that so many of us know and love. But when you come to The Woodbrook Players production of The Wizard of Oz, by Frank L. Baum and adapted to the stage by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company, you’ll hear those words sung beautifully by their Dorothy. You’re in for quite an adventure as Dorothy, Toto, and the whole gang skip their way along the yellow brick road to Oz. Directed by Ron Oaks with Musical Direction by Bryan Alston and Choreography by Brenda Mullens, this classic story will warm your heart, especially on these pesky rainy days we’ve been having of late!
Settling into their new home at Govans Presbyterian Church, The Woodbrook Players are taking their first go at a musical post-pandemic in the space. It is not without challenges as they find their footing, but the performances given are ultimately enjoyable and beautifully sung. Plus the tale is a classic, suitable for all ages— children, children at heart, and everyone in-between. When people think of The Wizard of Oz they of course think Dorothy and the Wicked Witch and the Munchkins… and lions and tigers and bears, oh my! And Scarecrow and Tin Man and Lion, oh my! But what they don’t think about is that on a cozy stage in a parish hall that seats only 60 people (and please take this to heart as several of the performances have already reached their seating capacity and are already sold-out!), the scene-changes are nothing short of a tornado-nightmare. And this is production’s biggest hiccup. Some of the scene changes take a lot longer than others, which drags the pacing along a bit. But fear not, the true Wizard of Oz in this production is Musical Director and live pianist Bryan Alston, who vamps like a true magician to cover some of these lengthier shifts.
That’s not to say the scenery isn’t impressive, because it is! You can see a lot of the hand-painted detail that has gone into a great many of the set pieces, particularly the flowers when Dorothy first lands in Oz and the field of Poppies at the end of the first act. Ron Oaks has designed the set and has a whole team of scenic construction artists (Andrew Nickol, Stephen Gaede, Laura Harris, Lelia Hopkins, Brenda Mullens, Audrey Russell, Natalie Russell, Jocelyn Taylor) working with him to create some of these wondrous marvels… including the side of the stage-coach-wagon belonging to Professor Marvel! It’s an impressive feat, taking a look at some of the special effects that are put to use in this production— including the blasting fog for the arrivals and departures of the Wicked Witch of the West, and the way that the ruby slippers magically vanish from off of the Witch of the East’s feet and onto Dorothy’s. It’s actually the oldest trick in the book, that one, but it’s handled so subtly and so impressively that it really does read like stage magic.
There’s a whole squad of Properties People at work crafting those aforementioned scenic flowers and things like the halberds from the Winkie Guard Patrol (you can see them up-close as they come marching, a yo-wee-ooh, yo-ho!, up the aisle to the castle.) So ‘props’ to the Props Team— Jocelyn Taylor, Justin Camejo, Cheryl Crockett, Gwendolyn Lloyd, Brenda Mullens, Sherry Peck, Doug Storey, Elena Storey, and Jennifer Swanson.
Nobody ever likes to talk about how The Wizard of Oz is the musical with one of the most problematic ending-scene/curtain calls in the history of musical theatre. You have three character done up in a whole bunch of crazy make-up and outlandish costumes, who then have to very, very quickly switch back into their normal, human-faced, farmhand gear in a matter of minutes, and take their bows in those ordinary fatigues. Stage Manager Rafael Regales and whoever is on the run-crew backstage does a fine job of making sure those three characters get quickly out of all that makeup and those costumes and back into their farmhand-fatigues to make the ending the storybook classic that everyone remembers.
Despite some pacing hiccups with the scene changes, the show itself is strong with a solid cast full of talented performers who are all nodding their heads in homage to the 1939 film performers of the golden era. Again, one cannot laud enough praises on Musical Director Bryan Alston for all his wizarding work at the piano (accompanied by percussionist John Bonanza who helps to make some of the fun storm effects on his percussive kit), and the way all of the performers come together for some of the more iconic group numbers like “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead.” It’s truly a wonderful sounding cast.
Woodbrook Players has some adorable Munchkins in their midst (both children-aged-and-sized and adult-aged-and-sized! And shoutout to Sherry Peck and her costume assistants Adele Russell and Ken Berry for coming up with all sorts of quirky aesthetics for this merry bunch of munchkins!) You have the ‘Munchkin Tots’ who represent the Lullaby League in their adorable little tutus and tights (Amelia Hoffman, Addison Stump, Caroline Swanson, Jane Swanson) and then the ‘Munchkin Tough Kids’ who represent the Lollipop Guild with their hats and lollipops (KJ ‘Keon’ Davis, Alexander Hoffman, Zoe Kazanzides, Audrey Russell.) There’s also an entire bunch of Citizens of Munchkinland including Jenny Hoffman, Cris Fluke, Karl Starks (who makes a delightful Mayor) Rafael Regales, Lelia Hopkins, Elena Storey, and Cheryl Crockett. Several members of the these Munchkins double and triple up as Ozians (Peter Conrad, Cheryl Crockett, Cris Fluke, Jenny Hoffman, Lelia Hopkins, Zoe Kazanzides, Sherry Peck, Rafael Regales, Richard Reichley, Audrey Russell, Karl Starks, Elena Storey, Addison Stump) and as Winkie Guards (Peter Conrad, David Boersma, Michael Boersma, Brenda Mullens, Ron Oaks, Sherry Peck, Richard Reichley.) And keep your eyes out for Rafael Regales… who’s wearing so many hats in this show (including stage manager!)… but perhaps his best is as Nikko… the Commander of the Flying Monkeys!
Now we must, must talk about the true star of the show. Mr. Coconut. Who is Mr. Coconut? The most impressive and well-behaved stage animal I’ve ever seen. (And let me tell you, I’ve been reviewing shows all over for almost a dozen years, I’ve been seeing shows and in shows for twice as long…and when I say this is the best behaved show-animal on stage, that means something.) Mr. Coconut, the adorable mixed-breed-rescue-pup (rescued through Animal Allies Rescue Foundation— animalalliesrescue.org ) is playing the role of Toto, Dorothy’s precious little canine companion who puts the whole show in motion when the wretched Almira Gulch comes to take the poor pup away. Mr. Coconut is very calm, so very focused, and so very adorable, you simply won’t be able to take your eyes off of him. And it’s his stage debut (which seems impossible for how very mellow and adorable he is.) He’s an integral part of the production and makes this show that much more impressive.
Onto the stars of the two-legged variety. You have the glorious and angelic voice of Jocelyn Taylor gracing the roles of Glinda the Good Witch of the North. And while the Glinda character doesn’t get too many songs (at least not in this version of OzDust narrative) Taylor lends her superb soprano sound to the production and it is heavenly. Eschewing the more traditional pink and glittery garb of Glinda, Taylor opts for a more mellow turquoise, which looks stunning on her, and just makes you think she’s a radiant bright blue cloud drifting in to help Dorothy whenever she finds herself in trouble. Trying and succeeding to imitate the overall vocal delivery of Margaret Hamilton (the original Wicked Witch from the 1939 film), Diana Burson does a fine job of terrifying all the little children, making everyone loathe her as both Miss Gulch and the green-faced menace, the Wicked Witch of the West. Particularly when she’s snapping at poor Uncle Henry (Richard Reichley who doubles up as the Emerald City Guard and a Winkie Guard) and poor Aunt Em (Cheryl Crockett, who delivers that “wish I could tell you what I really think of you” line perfectly!)
With witches out of the way, that paves the road for the Wizard (Ken Berry.) Professor Marvel and The Wizard of Oz, one in the same and much like Diana Burson, trying emulate her 1939-film counterpart, Berry has a very good delivery on his Professor Marvel character. (There were some projection-based-technical-hiccups that prevented ‘the wizard’ from being as imposing as perhaps we would all hope, but when he reveals himself from behind the green curtain, he’s every bit the wizard you expect him to be.)
A brain… well Stephen Gaede has certainly got one of those, which is what makes him such a good candidate for being The Scarecrow (and the farmhand Hunk.) He’s vocally animated, physically animated, spiritually animated, and it’s a wonder he stays upright when he’s flopping and falling all over the stage as the scarecrow. With a lovely voice lending itself to “If I Only Had a Brain” you get a merry little moment with Gaede in this role. And he’s the best of the main four when it comes to skipping to the rhythm of the song when they all go “off to see the wizard” down the yellow brick road. (And shout out to Ron Oaks and the construction crew for the fold-out-road ramp that becomes the Yellow Brick Road. It’s a very clever way to lay that out in the restrictive and cozy space of their new home!)
A heart…David Willerup may not be as silver as Jack Haley but he’s just as funny and just as full of heart. With a lovely voice just like Gaede, his version of the “If I Only Had A…” song is sweet and lovely.
The nerve… not quite the same as a brain and a heart, but Doug Storey definitely has nerve. And pluck, and spunk, and comic timing. There’s quite a few little zingers in there that make his character quite funny and much like Willerup and Gaede, doing their best to pay homage to Ray Bolger and Jack Haley, Storey is channeling Bert Lahr when it comes to this cowardly king of the forest. The trio of Gaede, Willerup, and Storey make for fine supporting performances, especially once they’re all on their way to see the wizard and help Dorothy on her quest to return home.
As for Dorothy, played by Natalie Russell, well she’s just a gem. Sweet and lovely and filled with all of those dramatic emotions that played so well for Judy Garland in 1939. And when Russell sings the memorable “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” its simple and dulcet and you just drift away, thinking back on every wonderful childhood memory you have about The Wizard of Oz. Full of joy and a bit of brains, heart, courage, and genuine cheerfulness, Russell is the right fit for this role in this production.
So are you off to see the wizard? The wonderful wizard of oz? You should be! And you should be doing it over at The Woodbrook Players! Be sure to check the dates carefully, as mentioned, several of the performances are no longer available because they have already sold-out.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission
The Wizard of Oz plays with the Woodbrook Players at Govans Presbyterian Church— 5828 York Road in Townson, MD. Tickets are available in advance online. Please note several performances are no longer listed as they have sold-out.
