The crinkling of snack bags slowly gives way to the swell of the overture. A projector flicks on; the black-and-white screen crackles and skips as the opening credits roll. The show is about to begin.
I’ve never watched a film in a proper movie palace. But I’m guessing it feels a lot like the opening moments of Centenary Stage Company’s winter production of the beloved musical “The Wizard of Oz,” which has entered its third and final weekend through December 14.
Fresh on the heels of “Wicked: For Good” in movie theaters,” Centenary’s musical pays tribute to the show’s cinematic charm from its first movie palace-esque moments. In the playbill, director and choreographer Michael Restaino writes that the movie provided the soundtrack of his childhood. You can feel that long-running affection in the production. This version sticks close to the original, following the familiar trace of well-loved character moments and story beats.
We start in a Dust Bowl-era Kansas where the paint peels from every surface and the color has washed out of every garment. No wonder Dorothy is in such a hurry to leave– especially the bright-eyed, wide-smiled Dorothy played endearingly by Elaine Ragusa. She’s got energy to spare and a little dog to save from the petty machinations of neighbor Miss Gulch (Lea Antolini-Lid with contagious enjoyment of her dual roles).
Enter a helpful tornado. The storm sequence is the first of many to showcase Centenary’s spectacular SFX for this production. Thunder crashes, lightning flares, houses spin and land with a crash somewhere… else.
As etched into millions of childhood memories, the 1939 movie leapt from black and white to Technicolor once Dorothy stepped into the magical otherworld of Oz. Limited by the bounds of physical reality, costume designer Jolene Richardson manages to pull off the same effect through the power of fashion.
Gone are the dusted-gray overalls of Kansas. The Munchkinlanders swarm the stage in a kaleidoscope of colors and textures. It’s enough to make Miranda Priestly take notes.
Despite a warm and colorful welcome, our intrepid heroine must make her way back to the barren Kansas plains. She’s joined by her hapless sidekicks Scarecrow (Mark Edelstein), Tinman (Michael Willis), and Lion (James Russo). With a couple of tra-la-las, they’re off on a jaunty journey to meet that famous wizard.
The cast embodies these familiar roles with zest. Nothing’s tired about their performances. Ragusa embodies the role of the classic Hollywood ingénue with sweet sincerity, and her faithful companions balance her well. Willis’ Tinman stands out with a sonorous baritone that channels older times, sometimes touching on timelessness.
The smaller roles shine with their own memorable moments. Stephen Davis as Professor Marvel and the eponymous wizard makes an affable presence, while Ally Hagan’s Glinda sparkles like a magical Elle Woods crossed with Cinderella’s fairy godmother, and perhaps a glimmer of Ariana Grande.
Each member of the ensemble uses their time in the spotlight well. I’m thinking especially of the guard who at first denies Dorothy & Co. an audience with the wizard. When days pass after seeing the show and you’re still thinking about the smaller roles, that’s the sign of a dedicated cast.
Yet the most memorable character may be not a person, but the land of Oz itself. The ambitious set pieces radiate inspiration, from dreamy backdrops of a yellow brick road twining through the sky or an eerie bare-branch forest where foul creatures might lurk. Mist floods the edges of the stage, and unexpected sparks literally bring the set to life. (Fair warning: One loud sound effect in Act I set a baby in the audience wailing. Be prepared.)
The physical sets and props might drop jaws. The Wicked Witch’s lair, the gate to the Emerald City as intricate and imposing as the Gates of Moria, a wizard’s head like something out of a Universal Studios theme ride—your memory will flash images from these memorable sets a long time later.
By the end of the story, Dorothy learns that there’s no place like home. But with a magical world so lovingly and lusciously rendered, I wouldn’t blame Dorothy—or anyone in Sunday’s sold-out matinee performance—from planning a return trip to Oz.
See “The Wizard of Oz” for its third and final weekend through Dec. 14 at Sitnik Theater in Hackettstown.
For more information or to buy tickets, visit https://www.centenarystageco.org/.
Chip O'Chang is an educator, fiction writer, and lifelong resident of New Jersey. He has also written for My Life Publications and NJ Indy. He lives in the NJ Skylands with his partner, two cats, and and a bearded dragon.
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
