The Minnesota Children’s Theatre Company is back for the spring with a two-hour whimsical production of “The Wizard of Oz,” as Dorothy and her friends find the true meaning of home.
The production opens with a tribute to the original 1939 film as muted colors cover the stage, but once Dorothy, played by Aniya Bostick, is swept up into a tornado, the whirlwind of a colorful adventure begins.
The little girl from Kansas is dropped in the middle of what she will come to know as Munchkinland. The Munchkin ensemble’s quirky blue-patterned costumes and vocal talent were enough to convince any audience member that they, too, might have traveled somewhere over the rainbow.
The two dogs, Alfie and Nessa, who played Toto, were my favorite characters out of them all. As soon as they entered the stage, the audience cooed with “Aww!” Throughout the production, they licked the characters, entered on cue and even dared to dart out of the Wicked Witch’s basket.
Scarecrow, played by Dean Holt, is the first character Dorothy encounters. What was more impressive than his physical humor was the strength of his knees as he threw himself around the stage. Dorothy recruits him to join her on her journey to see the Wizard, and he hopes that the Great and Powerful Oz will give him a brain.
As the pair travel the yellow brick road, they encounter yet another character in the Land of Oz: Tin Man, played by Regina Marie Williams. Rusted from being stuck out in the rain, Dorothy and Scarecrow help their new friend loosen up as they realize he only desires a heart. Williams’ dance number that followed and her strong vocals created a warm sense of nostalgia, reminding me of the timeless magic I experience whenever I go to CTC.
Traveling through a dark forest, the motley crew meets the Cowardly Lion, whose over-the-top nature had the audience giggling. During his various vocal numbers, his goofy accent made the singing at times hard to understand, but overall, his performance was one of the most memorable. The back and forth nature of Lion finally finding courage but quickly losing it and bursting into tears had the audience rolling with laughter.
When the yellow brick road finally takes Dorothy and her friends to the Wizard, I expected there to be more of a grand reveal. While Oz does appear as a looming, floating head, the repetitive smoke effects after every sentence he spoke removed any sort of magic I felt.
The flying monkeys screeching in the second act left some children, and me, covering their ears from the noise, and their costumes did not match the quality of the costumes I saw in the first act. Additionally, after Dorothy kills the Wicked Witch, all the characters immediately celebrate and simply move on. Overall, the second act of this play felt rushed, and the effects made it appear low-budget at times.
However, the Emerald City scenes in the second act were by far the highlight of this production for me. Glimmering green lights and glitzy, over-the-top accessories made these scenes pop with magic. Once again, the ensemble blew me away with their dancing and eccentric commitment to their characters.
Despite some minor bumps in the yellow brick road, CTC’s “The Wizard of Oz” was a sweet, refreshing break from the 2024 “Wicked” movie frenzy.
“The Wizard of Oz” will play from April 21 to June 14 at the Minnesota Children’s Theatre Co.
Grace Woelfel can be reached at woel8456@stthomas.edu.
