STAGE WIZARD KICKS OFF NATIONAL TOUR AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL
by Barbara Arnstein
Originally published in The Baum Bugle, vol. 33, no. 1 (Spring 1989), pgs. 22–23
Citations
Chicago 17th ed.:
Arnstein, Barbara. “Stage Wizard Kicks Off National Tour at Radio City Music Hall.” Baum Bugle 33, no. 1 (1989): 22–23.
MLA 9th ed.:
Arnstein, Barbara. “Stage Wizard Kicks Off National Tour at Radio City Music Hall.” The Baum Bugle, vol. 33, no. 1, 1989, pp. 22–23.
(Note: In print, this article was supplemented with photographs that have not been reproduced here. However, typographical errors have been left in place to accurately reflect the printed version. Please be aware that the telephone number and mailing address provided in this article are no longer relevant.)
On March 22, 1989, a live musical presentation of The Wizard of Oz made its world premier at one of the world’s great theaters, New York’s Radio City Music Hall. It was the first stop of a tour that will take the show to more than 70 cities in the United States during 1989 and 1990. The show is part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the 1939 MGM movie.
The show is a literal translation from the screen to the stage. Except for a few lines, the show’s lip-synched dialogue and songs are taken from the MGM movie. The costumes are also modeled after the MGM characters. (Bob Schiffer, a make-up artist who worked on the 1939 movie, recreated the original make-up appliances for the show.)
The most noticeable and intriguing change occurs after Dorothy disposes of the Wicked Witch of the West. To celebrate, the freed guards sing and dance a jazzy reprise of “Ding Dong The Witch is Dead,” —which brings to mind the triumphant processional scene filmed but cut from the 1939 film.
At the end, instead of waking up surrounded by Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and the farmhands, in this version Dorothy returns to an uninhabited farm. Then, she is mysteriously reunited with the entire cast to facilitate a grand finale.
In this show, the poppy field is represented by dancers in poppy costumes who dance a “deadly ballet”—until their power is negated by snowflakes which are also presented in human form. The two acrobatic snowflakes dangle high above the stage suspended from computerized tracks, an effect used by other Oz inhabitants to “fly” above the stage and even over the audience.
Among the many special effects, the most dramatic is the tornado scene when Dorothy rides on a cot suspended from a fabric-draped framework of a house. Additional special effects are created by the set which slides backwards at the end of each scene. Less impressive is Glinda’s entrance and exit on a large star, not nearly as delightful as her bubble in the movie version.
The live performance makes Oz appear more real than the movie. The Scarecrow and the Tin Man seem especially real stumbling around on the stage, and some of the special effects create a kind of magic. However, the movie’s warmth is lost in the big stage show and the stylized performance. The acting is secondary to the spectacular singing, prerecorded soundtrack, and computerized special effects.
Also at times the sense of fantasy is reduced through the compromises necessary to combine live actors with special effects. For example, it is disappointing to see Glinda unstrap a safety belt before descending from her star, strap it up again before being whisked away.
The original, highly imaginative costumes are true to the spirit of Oz. Some of the women of the Emerald City wear outfits that resemble 18th century French dresses. Others wear fantastical peasant garb. Each Winkie guard hat is topped with a vulture.
The play is produced and directed by Michel M. Grilikhes, who produced “Disney on Parade” and a similar large-scale production of Peter Pan. The cast includes Grace Grieg as Dorothy, Joe McDonough as the Scarecrow, Joe Giuffre as the Tin Man, and Guy Allen as the Cowardly Lion.
The smaller Munchkins who have no speaking roles are played by children. (In future productions, they will be recruited in each city where the production plays.) Toto is played by five cairn terriers, each of whom was taught two fifteen minute segments of the show.
The press party before the premier was a spectacular in itself. The food included fried chicken served in baskets like Dorothy’s, and ice cream served with cookies shaped like witch hats and slippers. It featured tables with Oz dolls and ruby sequined slippers filled with poppy arrangements. The room was decorated with a rainbow of balloons arching to the ceiling and a green cake replica of the Emerald City’s skyline. The soundtrack of the 1939 movie played continuously, and the Wizard himself performed tricks for each table. Celebrities (besides the Wizard) present included model Christie Brinkley and actress Susan Sarandon.
For information about cities and play dates, call MGM Arena Productions (213) 826-3144 or write 12304 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite 300, Los Angeles 90025.
SIDEBAR
Wizard Stage Show Used to Honor New York’s Top School Children
To kick off the new stage version of The Wizard of Oz, 57 New York City school children were honored by Mayor Edward I. Koch and City Board of Education Chancellor Richard R. Green and presented with certificates for excellence in brains, courage, and heart. The students were selected by their principal or teacher as examples of these qualities.
The ceremony took place at a special presentation at Radio City Music Hall on the day of the world premier. Each student was also given a copy of The Wizard of Oz donated by Scholastic Books and signed by the mayor. In a statement distributed by Radio City Music Hall, he said, “The Wizard of Oz has a special place in the hearts of children all over the world and it reaches out to an eager new audience today.”
Mayor Koch proclaimed the day “The Wizard of Oz Day” in New York and presented a copy of the proclamation to the show’s cast.
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