The Basics: The Wizard of Oz, at Lancaster Opera House at 21 Central Avenue, Lancaster, NY 14088. For tickets, visit www.lancasteroperahouse.csstix.com or call the Box Office at 716-683-1776. Starring Isabella Bindemann, Connor Hesch, Joe Greenan, and Michael Wells. Production runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm from November 22 through December 8, 2024.
Thumbnail Sketch: Dorothy Gale and her little dog Toto are whisked away to the magical land of Oz, still in their house, which remains relatively intact when a rip-roaring tornado tears through the Kansas farmland and picks it up. The house lands on and kills the Wicked Witch of the East, which creates an enemy of the Witch’s sister, the Wicked Witch of the West, to Dorothy and Toto. Glinda the Good Witch meets Dorothy and advises her to seek help from the Wizard to enable her to return home to Kansas. Dorothy is encouraged to follow the yellow brick road to meet the Wizard, and en route, she meets some new and wonderful friends: a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion. Once they meet the Wizard, he asks the group to bring him the broom of the dreaded Wicked Witch of the West to earn his help.
Runtime: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.
The Players, the Play, and the Production: Unless you have been living in a bunker for the last 85 years, this material should be familiar. The classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is probably the first movie musical that a majority of the US population has seen. I know it was my first movie musical. It sparked unspeakable joy, wonder, curiosity, and hope in me as a young child. I would wait with great anticipation every year for it to air on television. We did not have VHS tapes, DVDs, Blu-rays, or streaming services. Waiting made it so special.
Judy Garland (Dorothy), Ray Bolger (Scarecrow), Jack Haley (Tin Man), Bert Lahr (Lion), Margaret Hamilton (Wicked Witch), Billie Burke (Good Witch), and Frank Morgan (Wizard) as their characters were perfection. Each actor was memorable and truly unique. They are etched in our minds and are ensconced in almost every aspect of American pop culture. I still have my Mego Wizard of Oz Emerald City and Wicked Witch Castle playsets, along with all of the little figures, and endlessly played out all of the movie scenes as well as creating new adventures (think Dorothy goes to space and meets Captain Kirk and Mister Spock). I know every line, every song, every lyric. This film is deeply important to me. Every year, my mom, sister, and I would gather all our favorite snacks, get comfy in our chairs, and experience the sheer magic of The Wizard of Oz, a cherished memory.
Before the Lancaster Opera House outing, I only saw three stage productions of The Wizard of Oz. Recreating a classic movie, particularly this one, is very challenging. No matter how much talent the live actors have, competing with the larger-than-life stars we all know so well from the silver screen is impossible.
The first production I saw was in 1998 at the theater at Madison Square Garden. Roseanne Barr was the Wicked Witch of the West. She was still extremely popular, coming off her eponymous sitcom. She was fun, ate the stage up, and the show was a visual spectacle. I left with a big smile and warm feelings because it was fun.
Similarly, not even a year later, I saw the purr-fect Eartha Kitt as the Wicked Witch of the West and Mickey Rooney as the Wizard. Eartha looked divine and had a refreshing glamorous charm, and Mickey was adorably kooky, fumbling around that big stage with a look of awe and bewilderment. Lastly, I saw a big, gaudy production in the West End at London’s Palladium (incidentally, where Judy Garland gave legendary performances) in 2011. It was a spectacle and heavy on flash. All three versions had high-quality production values and were enjoyable but lacked the film’s humanity.
The Lancaster Opera House production played to a near-sold-out house, and while I enjoyed it overall, particularly the performances of the four leads, it lacked the charm and warmth of the film without the spectacle of the previous theatrical versions. All around, the cast was great; they sang and danced beautifully. The WNY-based cast manages to infuse enough of their own unique personas into their roles to keep their portrayals from being impersonations.
Isabella Bindemann has the spunk to play Dorothy. She was outstanding, and her “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” performance was powerful. In the beginning, Dorothy is a bit harsh when she tells one of the farmhands she hates them because they agree that Mrs. Gulch should take Toto, and they can’t go against the law. It shocked me because I don’t remember Dorothy uttering that line or hating anyone but the Wicked Witch, and it felt out of place and out of character. Ms. Bindlemann does a fine job of acting and dancing throughout and will undoubtedly have a busy musical theatre career.
I loved the handsome, energetic Connor Hesch (Scarecrow), the vocally rich and light-footed Joe Greenan (Tin Man), and full-of-gusto, good-humored Michael Wells (Lion) as Dorothy’s companions on this journey.
Each actor sings and dances well and possesses the acting skills to endear them to the audience. They each have a distinct physicality alone and prove great chemistry collectively while dancing in unison. The nimble Mr. Hesch (Scarecrow) and the limber Mr. Greenan’s (Tin Man) performances made them feel like they were made of straw and metal. Hesch is adorable as the Scarecrow. He has a vibrant athleticism to his dancing, which I love. He brings an agile energy to the stage and has a strong singing voice, “If I Only Had a Brain” was a highlight for me.
Greenan (Tin Man) not only sounds gorgeous in “If I Only Had a Heart,” but his dancing is brilliant. He truly is so light on his feet, smoothly graceful, and robotic simultaneously. Mr. Wells, as the Lion, has long been a favorite performer of mine. He has a great stage presence, excellent comedic skills, gorgeous pipes, and is a polished dancer. All three actors brought slapstick, quick comedy to the party, which adds to and heightens the enjoyment of this all-too-familiar story.
Emily Yancey plays Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and Aunt Em. She looks like she is having fun in her big pink, poofy gown, accessorized by a bubble-blowing wand. She seems to float on stage as a radiant angel and sounds incredible. This girl can sing; she doesn’t get much chance in this show, but it is very pleasant to hear when she does. Clara Tan is fine as the Wicked Witch of the West/Mrs. Gulch. She looked stylish in her updated black cocktail dress and boots. The Witch, along with the Scarecrow, are my favorite characters. I love the iconic character of the Wicked Witch, and I feel there were missed opportunities with her character here. Jon May plays the Wizard. He is always solidly entertaining and dependable. I liked his scenes with Dorothy (Bindlemann) as Professor Marvel at the show’s beginning.
The ensemble is stacked with some of WNY’s best triple threats; all are at home carrying the lead of a show and enhancing any ensemble they happen to be in. Aimee Walker is eye-catching and drop-dead gorgeous as the lead jitterbug. She easily handles Tara Kaczorowski’s creative and intricate choreography. The “Jitterbug” was a treat and worth seeing the show alone. Sydney Conrad, a pitch-perfect Babe in last season’s The Pajama Game, also radiates charisma from the stage. The attractive and talented Matt Ritler, Robert McKnight, Kira Whitehead, Meg Pierce, Ms. Walker, and Ms. Conrad are all rhythmic, expressive dancers and passionate performers.
The main characters’ costumes were distracting. Dorothy had a light blue dress cut about two inches above her knee and her entire décolletage on display. Maybe I’m old, but this outfit did the actress a great disservice. From the audience, It read like a Halloween Costume of a “Naughty Dorothy.” The Tin Man and Cowardly Lion costumes did not match the quality I have come to expect at the Opera House. And I wasn’t alone; several patrons around me commented on Dorothy’s dress, the flimsiness of the Tin Man outfit, and the lack of ears and shaggyness of the Cowardly Lion’s ensemble.
Other elements of the show didn’t quite hit the mark for me either. Toto was a puppet, with a young man running alongside him throughout. The puppet itself was too big and distracting. Aidan Durkin is cute as a button, and he worked Toto very well, but the overall illusion didn’t work. It would have been better if Mr. Durkin was Toto. Furthermore, the set was underwhelming compared to other shows I have seen at the Opera House. I felt that while there were some clever moments, overall, there was an overuse of the screen and underuse of set pieces, which made me lose the sense of immersion I usually enjoy in theatre.
Directed by David Bondrow, the show moves along at a decent pace. As mentioned previously, it has some genuinely great moments. I have loved every production I have seen at the Opera House over the past few years. They always hire top-notch performers, have high production values, and the shows always look and sound amazing. Unfortunately, you can’t win them all. Aside from my petty gripes, there is much to love here—primarily the dedicated, super-talented cast, the incredible singing, and the choreography. This production will undoubtedly serve its purpose and entertain our community.