In the spirit of this holiday season let me begin with some well deserved applause. I want to tell Broadway Across Canada that their latest musical is awesome, and that any past bad blood between us is water under the bridge.
You see, this past spring I attended the fiasco that was Dirty Dancing. This performance was so bad — it’s possibly among the worst shows I have ever seen in Ottawa — I grumbled to myself that I would never see another Broadway Across Canada production again.
But then I learned that the Wizard of Oz was coming to town. As a huge fan of Frank Baum’s classic children’s book of the same name that was published in 1900, as well as the subsequent movies, TV shows, musicals and books that were inspired by the land of Oz, I decided to give this Broadway series another chance.
Am I ever glad that I did. This production of the Wizard of Oz, which runs at the National Arts Centre until Sunday, January 3, is fantastic. From the charming Toto (yes, they use a real dog), to the impressive Dorothy (played by Sarah Lasko), to the captivating videos and set design that create a magical stage, this joyful musical is a wonderful way to usher in 2016.
Of course, for the hipster cynics out there, you could nitpick . For instance, it’s true that the Munchkins are a bit tall, and that there were some minor snafus, such as clearly seeing the cables that hoisted Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, as she “flew” down towards Dorothy.
Focusing on these trivial details, however, would be a bit gauche. After all, if you ate a wonderful meal at a restaurant would you really complain about how the cutlery was set? Of course not.
Judging from the audience reaction the musical was also a hit with the crowd. There was the young girl dressed as Dorothy a few rows ahead of me that was grinning from ear to ear. Then there was the applause at various parts of the show that acknowledged a particular great tune — I can still hear Ding Dong the Witch is Dead in my head. Most of all, however, there was the man behind me who was giggling like a child throughout the show, and who at one point declared, “Flying monkeys? I love it!”
So let’s give credit where credit is due. This was a great performance and Broadway Across Canada should be commended for bringing it to Ottawa. As for the flying monkeys, I concur with my fellow audience member that they were pretty cool.
The Wizard of Ottawa is playing at the NAC until January 3. Tickets start at $39 and can be purchased online.
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