The Wizard of Oz (2009)
What theatrical wizardry was on show when Middle School students performed the much-loved American musical The Wizard of Oz in Adamson Hall from October 27-30. The exceptional standards already associated with this recent addition to the Adamson Theatre Company’s annual program (The Middle School musical) were once again on display in this polished version of a timeless piece of musical theatre. What a pity that, after all those exhilarating adventures on the yellow brick road, we eventually had to go back to Kansas. The show looked marvellous, sounded brilliant, and moved with the fluency of a well-oiled farm cart. The details at every level of performance simply transported the capacity houses for more than two wondrous hours. Their reluctance to leave the experience was evident in the thunderous and sustained curtain calls every night.
The world of ”Oz” was spectacularly evoked, from the cutest Munchkins imaginable, to flying monkeys, crooning Crows, testy Trees, mischievous Jitterbugs, soporific poppies, robotic Winkies, and the bright green Ozians of the Emerald City. The cast of nearly 90 was superbly led by the lynch-pins of the narrative: Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, the cowardly Lion, and the two witches. In these roles, the exceptional talents of Meg Duncan, Nick Davey-Green, Ben Symon, Branford Gruar, Syd Zygier (wicked) and Zoe Castran (good) respectively were everywhere on display, in their vocal colour, as well as in their beautifully-modulated and thoughtful characterisations. These fine and already seasoned performers may well have carried the bulk of the load, but they were brilliantly supported by those in less featured roles.
Many accolades, of course, to the creative team: Nathan Armstrong and Clare Cooper (Directors), Rachael Findlay (Student Director) Sarah Patterson (Vocal Direction), David Mowat (Musical Direction) Sarah Ho (Choreography), Tony Scanlon and Sam Cook (Designers), Stephanie Des Barres and Jill Welch ( the gorgeous costumes), and Sabino Del Balso, Peter Foley, James Barber-Wilson and David Browne (Lighting and Sound). Their combined talents for putting on a show with professional polish provided a vivid atmosphere in which the abilities of the actors and singers were able to flourish, in all their depth and richness.
Program
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