Left to right: Kevin Lauver as the Scarecrow (North Olmsted High School senior), Isabel Sansom as Dorothy (Magnificat High School senior), Brian Schuler as the Tinman (St. Ignatius High School junior), Michael Conroy as the Wiz (St. Ignatius High School senior) and in front, Brennan Kilbane as the Lion (Fairview High School junior).

Non-traditional version of ‘The Wiz’ wows audience
By Sue Botos
Insights
Published Dec. 1, 2010

From the announcement by the unseen Wicked Witch of the West, anyone in the audience for Magnificat High School's production of "The Wiz" could tell this was not going to be the traditional trip down the yellow brick road. In fact, the road itself actually came alive, '70s style.

A stellar ensemble fueled the musical by Charlie Smalls and William F. Brown, based on the classic tale by L. Frank Baum, of a Kansas farm girl's adventures in the land of Oz. Originally performed by an all African-American cast, opening in 1975, the show reframes the original in a way relavant for the time. But how does a cast not even born yet in the 1970s take on this challenge? With humor, research, and an explosion of tie-dye.

The "Groovin' Groupies" — several singers attired in bell bottoms, platform shoes and head bands — provided background information at the start of the show, outlining the "populist movement" of the '70s, where the "little guy" (munchkins?) went up against big business (The Wiz?). Dorothy's slippers are silver and not the usual ruby to stand for money, they quipped.

Senior Grace Sullivan was far from the traditional Auntie Em, belting out "The Feeling We Once Had" in a silver evening gown, which was revealed after chorus members removed her house dress. This process of "flipping" was used throughout the performance rather than off-stage costume changes to portray characters' inner personas. Tinman Brian Schuler, a St. Ignatius High School student, showed his "man about town" persona with a "flip" to a zebra striped hat and jacket for his rendition of "Slide Some Oil on Me."

Senior Isabel Sansom led the cast as the perfect Dorothy, her voice soaring over "Soon as I Get Home." She and the other yellow brick road travelers played well together. North Olmsted High School senior Kevin Lauver was a hilarious rubber-jointed scarecrow, flipping and flopping over the stage with ease, while Brennan Kilbane portrayed a cowardly lion in therapy to deal with childhood issues. Of course, there was "the little dog, too", Eliza Lockhart as Toto.

The road itself came to life with four roller skaters wearing yellow leg warmers and skirts. Chorus members wore tie-dyed body suits over which they "flipped" costumes for "hippie" munchkins, poppies, Emerald City residents and even the tornado which transports Dorothy to Oz.

This Oz also featured another witch, with the addition of the delightfully goofy Addaperle (senior Nicole DeAnna), as the good witch of the south, who cruised around on a tricycle.

Although making a more brief and less green appearance, Evillene, the wicked witch of the West (Elizabeth Sweeney) was no less memorable, as she belted out the gospel influenced "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News," surrounded by her flying monkeys.

Of course, what would "The Wiz" be without the Wiz? St. Ignatius senior Michael Conroy's title character strutted about in a leisure suit and zebra striped platform shoes, giving the order to do in the wicked witch, who ultimately met her fate with a splash (of water). The Wiz granted the travelers their wishes of courage (lion), heart (tin man) and a brain (scarecrow) and stayed true to the original also by floating away from Oz in a "hot air balloon" — psychedelic colored of course — leaving Dorothy behind. Glinda, the good witch, came floating down the aisle in a shower of bubbles to direct Dorothy home with three clicks of her heels. In this version, Dorothy is allowed to keep the shoes to come back to visit with her friends anytime.

Although the time period, costumes, and music were different, this Wiz's message was the same as the original, "There's no place like home."