The pathways leading to The National Theatre in Washington are mostly paved with gray concrete and well-trodden gum, but for the thousands of people flocking to the theatre lately, they may as well be made of yellow brick.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 2011 musical adaptation The Wizard of Oz started its run at The National Theatre on May 3 and will continue until May 15. The musical doesn’t need much explaining for most people; it’s essentially a carbon copy stage adaptation of the classic 1939 film. It stars all the characters you know and love, including Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Witches of the West, North and East and even some assorted munchkins and flying monkeys.
The National’s production, directed by Jeremy Sams, does a phenomenal job of putting the film onstage, its flaw being that some of the action suited to the screen does not necessarily translate when performed live. However, with musicals like The Wiz and Wicked often dominating the theater scene with more nuanced takes on the classic tale, The Wizard of Oz is not afraid to give you exactly what you expect — they’re performing the story everyone knows and they’re performing it well.
Sarah Lasko, a graduate of the University of Maryland, stars as Dorothy and carries the show with the likability, stunning vocals and certain naivety that the gingham-clad heroine has come to be known for.
The rest of the cast also proved to be splendid. Morgan Reynolds delivers a well-executed amicable Scarecrow and Aaron Fried’s Cowardly Lion is as close to Bert Lahr’s from 1939 as you can get. The only character who seemed to go a bit off book was Jay McGill’s portrayal of the Tin Man, who had a low voice that would sometimes slip from lovable tin woodsman to a confusingly dressed terminator.
The true star of the show (and arguably the most famous) was a little black terrier named Nigel who played Toto. Nigel, a rescue who flourished under the tutelage of trainer William Berloni, has also appeared as Toto opposite Ashanti in a production of The Wiz in New York City in 2009. He even has television credits, including appearances on “The Today Show” and “Dogs 101.”
What really brings the film to life onstage is the fabulous work of scenic and costume designer Robert Jones. The stage begins as a muted tan Kansas, with humble farming costumes and ramshackle houses. As the musical progresses the audience is taken through an absurdly bright munchkin land, an expectedly green Emerald City and a spooky witch’s castle, complete with flying monkeys whose costuming were so well done that they proved genuinely scary. Along with practical effects, the production also took the musical into the 21st century, often utilizing an enormous screen to portray the chaos of a tornado or the power of the great and mighty Oz.
With The Wizard of Oz at The National Theatre, you aren’t in for any surprises. But if you’re looking for a musical that’s entertaining and fit for any age, this is a safe bet. You could say this musical consistently hits home, which is great because, as we all know, there’s no place like it.
