Review: Magical THE WIZARD OF OZ at Theatre By The Sea

It's a bit of a risky proposition to take on a classic story that is a huge part of most people's childhoods. Do you try to change it up? Do you try to keep it true to the movie or book? How do you capture the wonder that a child would feel seeing it for the first time? I don't know exactly how one does that, but Theatre by the Sea certainly managed it handily with their new production of THE WIZARD OF OZ. Even a story as well-known as The Wizard of Oz seemed fresh and new but still perfectly timeless. Fantastic performances, amazing vocal talents and elaborate sets and special effects take this world of imagination and bring it right to life.

The story begins in Kansas where Dorothy live with Uncle Henry, Auntie Em and her dog Toto. The juxtaposition between the sets and costumes in Kansas vs the sets and costumes once Dorothy gets to Oz is staggering. In Kansas, everything is muted in shades of brown and tan--it almost seems like it's in black and white, even though it obviously can't be. Once Dorothy and Toto arrive in Oz, the color saturation of the costumes and sets is almost overwhelming. It's an extravaganza of hues that dazzle the eyes and the senses, and make the contrast between the Wicked Witch of the West's stark black garb that much more striking.

The performances in this production seem like they would be tricky to nail down as well. Certainly everyone in that audience is familiar with the classic Judy Garland film, and it seemed like many of the actors were taking their cues from those performances, but still managing to make the character their own. Danny Rothman and Richard E. Waits as Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion felt like familiar old friends, but still unique and charming in their own way. Stephen Petrovich was perfectly cast as scarecrow with his long, lean build and seemingly elastic face he imbues a trustworthiness and wisdom, even as he's protesting that he has no brains.

Our Dorothy in this production is Devon Perry, who has a sweet, beguiling innocence and an outstanding voice that sounds as warm and familiar as a favorite story. She is accompanied, of course, by her faithful pooch Toto, played to perfection by a dog named Dusty. In a production less dazzlingly wonderful, her wide-eyed innocence might become annoying or rote, but she's skillful enough to walk that line very cannily, and the fantastic sets and costumes add layer upon layer of wonderment to every scene.

The only downside to this otherwise exceptional production was Maria Day's lackluster performance as Elmira Gulch/ The Wicked Witch of the West. In the case of all the other actors, they seemed to be playing homage to the better known movie performances, whereas Day seemed to just be going through the motions of reciting her lines while doing a party impression of the Wicked Witch. It was quite disappointing, and perhaps she reined herself in to avoid seeming cartoonish, but instead it was rather boring.

Regardless of any hiccups, this is a solid production that any fans of the film or book series needs to see. The audience was gasping and cheering along with the action, and the whole theatre felt transported back to a more idealistic and familiar (albeit pretty dangerous) Land of Oz.

Tickets for THE WIZARD OF OZ are $47, $57, & $67. Musicals run Tuesdays through Sundays. Check Website for exact dates and show times. Tickets are available by phone (401) 782-8587, online at theatrebythesea.com, or in person at 364 Cards Pond Road, Wakefield, RI 02879.

Photo L to R: Stephen Petrovich, Danny Rothman, Devon Perry & Richard E. Waits. Photo by Stephen Richard Photography