Return to ‘Oz’
Adventurous troupe combines songs from ‘The Wiz,’ ‘Wicked’ and the original ‘Wizard of Oz’ to create show all its own
By JIM FARMER Friday, August 11, 2006
A revue of music from all three “Oz” themed stage musicals — “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Wiz” and “Wicked” — seems like foolproof entertainment.
But that’s not quite what Onstage Atlanta delivers with its new show, “The Oz Chronicles: The Concert.”
Using a diverse cast of 13, “The Oz Chronicles” zigzags between the three musicals, with different performers portraying the main characters. The opener, “One Short Day” from “Wicked,” utilizes the entire cast and is pretty lively.
Unfortunately, what follows is dandy one moment and awkward the next. And despite a concept that might seem terribly engaging for gay audiences, “Oz” is simply not the production it could be, marred by some lethargic numbers and inconsistency.
Megan Hodge and Kristie Krabe team for another offering from “Wicked,” the duet “What is This Feeling?” The two women harmonize well together and make the number a pleasant, give and take offering.
J’Nai Walker later lends her charisma and energy to “No Bad News” from “The Wiz,” another winning effort, and Clinton Dillard shows some flash in two solos from the same show.
The performer who really stands out is Laine Binder. She offers a husky delivery and a heck of a stage presence.
Binder is one of the featured singers in the first act finale, the show stopping “Wicked” signature, “Defying Gravity.” She tears into the song with a voice that matches the emotional intensity of the number. But after that, nothing comes even remotely close to that performance.
Amanda Leigh Pickard has a decent enough voice, displayed on “The Wizard and I” from “Wicked” and some other songs. But her big number of the night, “Over the Rainbow,” is surprisingly bland and forgettable.
Pickard’s delivery isn’t really strong or flexible enough for such a classic ballad. It winds up as one of the evening’s lost opportunities. Some of the other numbers are underwhelming to the point that they barely exist.
Director Scott Rousseau is a veteran, and he usually has a keen eye for detail and talent. But some of his performers here don’t seem well suited for the theater — at least not yet.
Emily Dillson is a high school student who seems utterly lost onstage, especially when the spotlight is solely on her. And when Megan Hodge returns for the solo “No Good Deed” from “Wicked,” the number is flat as a pancake, diminished by an unconfident voice.
Throughout “The Oz Chronicles,” the performers come onstage and give us a history of each musical. The action not only seems a little unnecessary, but it slows down the production as well.
Earlier this year, Onstage presented a well-cast and well-choreographed version of the Broadway smash “Urinetown.” That’s what makes the erratic nature of “The Oz Chronicles” so disappointing.
Onstage Atlanta is the kind of troupe you root for, that bends over backward to produce plays the city’s bigger playhouses should be doing. Yet this is a production that never really makes the most of its potential. Despite an appealing gimmick, this show is in need of some inspiration.
Elsewhere, Whole World Theatre presents the gay-themed prison drama “Fortune and Men’s Eyes” through this weekend.
Also, Georgia Shakespeare Festival closes its summer season with one of its most ambitious productions, Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses.” Starring Daniel May, Carolyn Cook and many others, the play employs a huge cast and an even bigger swimming pool onstage.
http://www.sovo.com/2006/8-11/locallife/theater/oz.cfm
By JIM FARMER Friday, August 11, 2006
A revue of music from all three “Oz” themed stage musicals — “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Wiz” and “Wicked” — seems like foolproof entertainment.
But that’s not quite what Onstage Atlanta delivers with its new show, “The Oz Chronicles: The Concert.”
Using a diverse cast of 13, “The Oz Chronicles” zigzags between the three musicals, with different performers portraying the main characters. The opener, “One Short Day” from “Wicked,” utilizes the entire cast and is pretty lively.
Unfortunately, what follows is dandy one moment and awkward the next. And despite a concept that might seem terribly engaging for gay audiences, “Oz” is simply not the production it could be, marred by some lethargic numbers and inconsistency.
Megan Hodge and Kristie Krabe team for another offering from “Wicked,” the duet “What is This Feeling?” The two women harmonize well together and make the number a pleasant, give and take offering.
J’Nai Walker later lends her charisma and energy to “No Bad News” from “The Wiz,” another winning effort, and Clinton Dillard shows some flash in two solos from the same show.
The performer who really stands out is Laine Binder. She offers a husky delivery and a heck of a stage presence.
Binder is one of the featured singers in the first act finale, the show stopping “Wicked” signature, “Defying Gravity.” She tears into the song with a voice that matches the emotional intensity of the number. But after that, nothing comes even remotely close to that performance.
Amanda Leigh Pickard has a decent enough voice, displayed on “The Wizard and I” from “Wicked” and some other songs. But her big number of the night, “Over the Rainbow,” is surprisingly bland and forgettable.
Pickard’s delivery isn’t really strong or flexible enough for such a classic ballad. It winds up as one of the evening’s lost opportunities. Some of the other numbers are underwhelming to the point that they barely exist.
Director Scott Rousseau is a veteran, and he usually has a keen eye for detail and talent. But some of his performers here don’t seem well suited for the theater — at least not yet.
Emily Dillson is a high school student who seems utterly lost onstage, especially when the spotlight is solely on her. And when Megan Hodge returns for the solo “No Good Deed” from “Wicked,” the number is flat as a pancake, diminished by an unconfident voice.
Throughout “The Oz Chronicles,” the performers come onstage and give us a history of each musical. The action not only seems a little unnecessary, but it slows down the production as well.
Earlier this year, Onstage presented a well-cast and well-choreographed version of the Broadway smash “Urinetown.” That’s what makes the erratic nature of “The Oz Chronicles” so disappointing.
Onstage Atlanta is the kind of troupe you root for, that bends over backward to produce plays the city’s bigger playhouses should be doing. Yet this is a production that never really makes the most of its potential. Despite an appealing gimmick, this show is in need of some inspiration.
Elsewhere, Whole World Theatre presents the gay-themed prison drama “Fortune and Men’s Eyes” through this weekend.
Also, Georgia Shakespeare Festival closes its summer season with one of its most ambitious productions, Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses.” Starring Daniel May, Carolyn Cook and many others, the play employs a huge cast and an even bigger swimming pool onstage.
http://www.sovo.com/2006/8-11/locallife/theater/oz.cfm
