© The Daily Oklahoman
Aug. 3, 2003


Lyric brings magic of 'Oz' to city stage
by Rick Rogers

Audiences gasped when the half-ton chandelier fell to the stage in "The Phantom of the Opera." They marveled at the deafening sound of a helicopter in "Miss Saigon." And they cheered when Norma Desmond's Hollywood mansion suddenly rose from the stage.

Yet, long before these theatrical special effects invaded the musical theater, stage technicians had to figure out ways to simulate a tornado, create flying monkeys and give the impression that a witch was melting.

Unless you've grown up without television, it's obvious that we're talking about "The Wizard of Oz," L. Frank Baum's classic tale of Dorothy's journey to the merry old land of Oz.

Lyric Theatre has scheduled "The Wizard of Oz" as the centerpiece of its 2003 season. It is Lyric's first outing with "Oz," which will be directed by Joel Ferrell. Audiences may remember Ferrell's work on Lyric productions of "Phantom" in 1993 and "Peter Pan" in 1994.

"The Wizard of Oz," which was filmed by Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer in 1939, was subsequently adapted for the stage but didn't achieve any significant popularity until England's Royal Shakespeare Company mounted a production in 1987.

A decade later, New York's Madison Square Garden added "The Wizard of Oz" to its ever-expanding repertoire. That production has since become popular with regional theater and summer stock companies.

"I think the whole idea of 'Oz' is so embedded in the consciousness of the American public," Ferrell said recently. "To gather in a big dark theater, to experience something that is so familiar yet new, is an indescribable experience.

"An audience comes to this with such a warm spot in their heart. There also is this huge sigh the minute the overture kicks into 'Over the Rainbow.' It's deeply affecting."

Adapting a film musical for the stage can be a risky proposition, especially when the original film was considered a classic. The stage versions of "Singin' in the Rain" and "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" were both critical and commercial failures.

So, what sets "The Wizard of Oz" apart from other classic movie musicals? If you strip away the special effects — the tornado, the pyrotechnics, the flying sequences — you still have a heartwarming tale of a young girl's struggle to get back home.

Years after filming "The Wizard of Oz," Margaret Hamilton, the character actress who portrayed the Wicked Witch of the West, attributed the show's enduring appeal to the idea that going home is a yearning we all share. Whether "a happy one, a complete one or a broken one, it was still home and where you belong."

While the show's special effects are inextricably linked to the story of Dorothy's famous journey, they ultimately function as "the frame for a good picture," said Ferrell, who recently concluded a six-year stint at Casa Manana Theatre in Fort Worth, Texas.

"Anything that's potentially a distraction from the four characters is a worry. The worse thing that could happen is that people come away talking about nothing but technical effects."

Yet, any successful production of "The Wizard of Oz" must not depart too radically from the original, mainly because audiences have certain expectations of the show.

"I tend to use the word 'homage' when discussing the stage version," Ferrell said. "You want to pay homage to the movie, but that's where it stops. The movie had the benefit of close-ups, dolly shots and other cinematic tricks.

"The fun of a show like this happens when you give audiences something they already know but then trump it. Sometimes, really simple devices make the biggest statements. It's all about creating movie magic through stage magic."

On stage
What: Lyric Theatre presents "The Wizard of Oz."
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker.
Information: 524-9312.


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