The Wizard of Oz

As always, the end of term production by this young and artistic group was very enjoyable, full of verve, talent and enthusiasm.  However this year, possibly with having the MD and orchestra tucked away out of sight, there wasn’t quite the usual excellent balance between the orchestra and the stage.  Many times the underscoring drowned out what the characters were saying, thus loosing some of the plot.  There were also quite a number of extraneous buzzings and strange noises from the soundbox which did rather interrupt and spoil the enjoyment of the show.  Houselights occasionally came on and off for no apparent reason.

Dorothy (Rosie Hadley) held the stage very competently and sympathetically; she interacted with the other members of the cast in a very adult and professional manner and in particular her loving handling of Toto (Bruce the dog – the ‘Star’ of the show) was a joy to behold.

The three main male characters, Joe Hadley (Huck the farmhand & The Scarecrow), Jonnie Taylor, (Hickory a farmhand and the Tin Man) and Tom Flather (Zeke the farmhand and the Cowardly Lion) practically stole the show.  Their interaction with each other, on the farm, with Dorothy and as their individual characters was the epitome of individual acting talent and team work which would have taught many an adult how to ‘give’ and ‘receive’ lines and movements between individuals on stage.

There was some super supporting action from the lesser characters, in particular Glinda, the Good Witch of the North (Megan Elsegood).  The tone, clarity and excellent diction of her singing together with her pleasing stage presence will, I am sure, make her a favourite leading lady of many Societies in the future.  The Wicked Witch of the West (Jenny Lee) has the makings of a superb character actress.

Comedy was well provided by the Crows, the Jitterbug Dancers, the Lollipop Guild and in particular the Trees – well done girls for keeping those hats balanced all the time.

This was a well presented and well costumed show but, one criticism – please make sure all the costumes are pressed and in a pristine condition as befits the characters.  The Good Witch of the North would have looked even more pretty with a less crumpled dress and some of the Munchkins looked as if they had been sleeping in their costumes for weeks!!!  Backstage crew – please make sure that when holding back curtains etc your hands/forearms do not show!!  There was a ‘magic’ hand stage left for quite some time during Act I – surprising how much it detracted from the main characters on stage.

As ever the perfectionist, I nit-pick and point out the unnecessary errors. But, nevertheless, I have to say that this was a very enjoyable production, very well performed by the future performers and talents of our Societies and thoroughly appreciated by the audience.

To those going to University – best wishes for a happy, successful time there and a lucrative and rewarding future.  How pleasing it was to see so many of the ‘older’ members of the Society in the audience cheering on their associates.  Many Congratulations.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.