Review: BACK TO OZ at Mark Taper Forum

The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion have been parts of our collective consciousness since before any of us were even born. First published as the novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” in 1900, its author L. Frank Baum penned 13 sequels and even planned a theme park based on the series in Southern California — years before Disneyland — though it never came to fruition. Then, of course, the 1939 film has endured through the past century casting an indelible watermark on our culture.

Of course, it’s not just the book series and the movie: Disney made a belated, misguided sequel in 1985 called “Return to Oz”; there was an animated TV special of the same name in 1964; there have been stage versions, including the ’70s Broadway sensation “The Wiz”; there have been graphic novels and miniseries, spinoffs and merchandising, awards and acclaim, not to mention the literary offshoots by Gregory Maguire and the musical (stage and cinema) adaptations of his novel, “Wicked.” Even The Muppets got involved back in 2005! All of that is to say, Baum’s stories are part of our fabric and have been for generations and will be for any foreseeable generations as well.

Now, MUSE/IQUE, a nonprofit performing arts collective, has launched an affectionate and informative revue called BACK TO OZ: FROM THE WONDERFUL WIZARD TO THE WIZ, TO WICKED: AN AMERICAN FAIRY TALE, incorporating moments and memories from countless Oz stories and adaptations. Conducted by artistic and music director Rachael Worby, the show weaves a colorful tapestry of music, humor, and history. While reinterpreting classic songs — like a jazzy version of “Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead” and a haunting take on Elton John’s Top 10 hit “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” — Worby also takes us down that Yellow Brick Road starting with the original novel and takes us right to the Emerald City with songs from “Wicked,” revealing tidbits that most of us don’t know. For example: “Over the Rainbow” was birthed through another popular Yip Harburg and Harold Arlen tune, “Paper Moon.” The origination of the name Elphaba for Maguire’s novels: It’s an homage to L. Frank Baum, using syllables from his three names. The tuba played in the orchestra is the same one that was used in the 1938 scoring of “The Wizard of Oz.” Worby is a marvelous speaker, spinning her tales warmly like they’re bedtime stories.

She’s supported by fantastic lead singers Carmen Cusack, LaVance Colley, Nathan Granner, the DC6 Singers Collective (an LA-based ensemble), and the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra, all of which carry more than their weight even if the DC6 are underutilized. Not all the reinterpretations work as well as others. “If I Only Had a Brain” is a little too dirge like, and there is some over-singing that overshadows some of the songwriting. But those are quibbles when most of the night is a wonderful affair, electric with nostalgia, wonder, and joy. The energy from the performers is infectious, translating to the audience, and even though there is a vein of wistfulness running through the night — the story is, after all, about searching for one’s home — it’s a pleasantly sweet pang of yearning. BACK TO OZ is a worthy entry in the legendary history of the Oz story.

Photo credit Haoyuan Ren, courtesy of MUSE/IQUE

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