It’s the Muny tradition, still continuing as they enter their second century: The show must go on. The Wiz began at 9.36 p.m. on opening night. They’d hoped for earlier but a second round of steady rain put things off again. Stalwart audience members stuck around though, mostly covered in the pavilions on either side of the seats, but a few hoisting their umbrellas and remaining in their seats. (Note to self: This is not a good idea if you have a large non-waterproof purse, even if it’s under the seat.)
It was worth it. Most of us know The Wiz is an adaptation of the classic book and movie The Wizard of Oz, with a very mid-Seventies “Super Soul” (a phrase in the original title) vibe. Not even the Muny can manage to stage a literal tornado – although Uncle Henry’s line, “There’s a big storm coming,” brought laughter from the audience. The tornado was a crew of dancers whirling and spinning and moving Dorothy, played by Danyel Fulton, from Kansas to Oz. Dance has been well-integrated into the show, and it’s a spectacular part of it, thanks to Camille A. Brown’s work. The video screen backdrop was a great help, but mainly it was the dancers.
Fulton’s Dorothy sounds wonderful and while she doesn’t look like a little girl, she easily gives the feeling of a sturdy very young woman responding to difficulties with her head up and her feet steady. Well, with one exception – a bit of stage had gotten a little moisture after the reliable stage crew had dried it. (Those great trees will continue to drip, one realizes.) She slid during a dance number, recovered and carried on with aplomb. A well-balanced trio of players are opposite Dorothy. Jared Grimes is the Scarecrow, James T. Lane is the Tinman, and the Lion comes to us in the person of Darius de Haas. It’s pretty much impossible to pick a favorite among the three, although in all honesty, the Lion has an easier time impressing show-goers because he has that tail to play with. But they’re all delivering just what’s needed.
E. Faye Butler plays two witches, sisters at opposite ends of the charm spectrum, Addaperle and Evillene, but has a whale of a time with both. Aunt Em, Demetria McKinney, is as warm as the other character she plays, Glinda, the third witch sister. (One ponders transposing these three to the scene in Macbeth….) And then there’s the Wiz himself, Nathan Lee Graham. He’s not a physically large guy, but he’s seemingly as big as the Muny stage. He roars, he romps, he slinks, he dazzles.
Denis Jones has pulled all this together, with Edward E Haynes Jr.’s scenic design and Greg Emetaz’s video design. The costumes are absolutely amazing, stellar stuff from Leon Dobkowski, showing a sense of humor that’s perfect for this material. Leah Loukas had her hands full with the many wigs involved, also light-hearted if not light-headed.
This is such a fun show, it’s hard to understand why there hasn’t been a full revival on Broadway. Meanwhile, grab the chance to see it here.
The Wiz
through June 25
The Muny
Forest Park