It’s so cleverly done that there is something in it for everyone, whether you are three or a hundred and three. “The responses we are getting from theatre goers and from meeting people at the stage door shows just how much people love this production.
The bare essence of the lines, songs and characters are there but there is a fresh take on all the characters because of the people who play them – which makes it very interesting and a lot of fun for the audience. The Lion and the Wicked Witch are probably two of the most iconically caricatured of the characters, and bringing ourselves to those roles has worked absolutely fine. “The last thing we would want from audiences is boredom at seeing an exact replica of the film. “Absolutely! From Dorothy to the Witches to the characters, everyone gets to make their own role,” John says.
#Andrew lloyd webber wizard of oz free#
With the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion, have you all been given free rein to create the characters by your own stylings? “I get some great lines in the show this rewrite of the book by Jeremy Sands is really funny for getting some massive laughs and sometimes applause, so I’m absolutely relishing in the role.” Having played Pumba and a Warthog in The Lion King, I seem to be making a career out of playing animals. “He’s like Santa Claus everyone loves him and he’s not scary because he’s a big chicken. John tells us about his role as the Cowardly Lion. “But it has also been updated with five new songs and some very funny gag scenes people are very surprised at just how funny the show is.”
#Andrew lloyd webber wizard of oz movie#
“And the book itself has a whole lot more detail that you don’t get in the movie or even in this stage production our stage show stays very true to the movie so people are going to love it in that sense,” John says. Undoubtedly, The Wizard Of Oz movie is an absolute classic. And for the first time they don’t need to do as much because they’re not running the show the main work is done by Dorothy and the friends. They’re playing the same characters, but with different characterisations. “The both jumped at it when they got the phone call from the producers. We speak with John X, and begin by discussing Lucy and Jemma’s return to the Land of Oz. Working alongside a fabulous ensemble cast, rising star Samantha Dodemaide plays Dorothy, her first leading role in a major musical, with Eli Cooper as the Scarecrow, Alex Rathgeber as the Tin Man, and John Xintavelonis as the Lion. It also includes some brand new songs by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.įollowing highly successful seasons in Brisbane and Sydney, The Wizard Of Oz comes to Adelaide with a stellar cast and a few surprises to delight seasoned and new fans alike.Īnthony Warlow is The Wizard and Professor Marvel, while Lucy Durack and Jemma Rix reprise their Wicked roles as Glinda the Good Witch and The Wicked Witch of the West respectively. And Scarecrow is molested by manically cawing ravens who threaten to derail his rendition of “If I Only Had a Brain”.The London Palladium production of The Wizard Of Oz contains all the songs from the original film and all the favourite characters and memorable moments. In the scene where the gang fall asleep in a poppy field, there’s a vending machine bearing the slogan “Drink Popp圜ola”, in a callback to Pepsi’s opiate origins. The witches zoom in on motorbikes, not brooms. Still, at least director Nikolai Foster’s zippy, imaginative revival injects a bit of wit, mostly through neat visual touches. The creators of mega-hit musical Wickedunderstood that people love this story for its themes of friendship and acceptance, but I don’t think this show does: not least because it engineers a totally unnecessary mini-romance between Dorothy and Scarecrow. There’s also a disappointing lack of scenes showing the camaraderie between Dorothy’s band of misfits.
In one promising moment, Cowardly Lion declares “I’m a friend of Dorothy”, but instead of preening, he slinks back into the closet for the rest of the show. Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice and Jeremy Sam’s adaptation sticks closely to the movie, adding a few forgettable songs and valiantly avoiding almost all opportunities for camp or silliness. Still, her presence is not enough to rescue the humourless, often charmless script.
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