There’s nothing quite like The Wizard of Oz to get me feeling festive.
That may seem confusing to some, but Dorothy, the yellow brick road and the merry old land of Oz always manage to get me in the Christmas spirit. With just a week to go until Christmas Eve, I got to see The Wizard of Oz on stage at the Liverpool Empire.
The new musical, based on the famous story by L. Frank Baum, has arrived in Liverpool following a celebrated run at the world-famous London Palladium. The iconic story is more than well known, but I’ll never get tired of all things Oz.
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The classic story, during which Dorothy Gale finds herself in a strange new world, has been adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams, retaining the essence of the story while updating and modernising it. In place of the movie’s transition from black and white into colour, the show used the futuristic setting and use of technology in Oz to set it aside from plain old Kansas.
The production pays clear homage to the 1939 film, but manages to stand apart as its own entity too, bringing something new and exciting to the classic. Oz takes on a more modern aesthetic, with much of the backdrop shown as projections on a huge screen and minimal set changes throughout.
The musical numbers are absolutely the best part of the show, with perfect renditions of the movie songs – and some new ones added for Professor Marvel/the Wizard (Alex Bourne) and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Emily Bull makes for the perfect Glinda the Good, with a stunning voice and all the goodness of a good witch, while Aviva Tulley gives Dorothy Gale new life, with an iconic rendition of Over the Rainbow which she makes all her own. She does an impressive job of not attempting to be a Judy Garland impersonator, giving Dorothy enough attitude and oomph to wow the crowd at every turn, while keeping true to the character.
Benjamin Yates (Scarecrow), JLS star Aston Merrygold (Tin Man) and Nic Greenshields (Cowardly Lion) prove charming, endearing and hilarious throughout. However, I wasn’t quite convinced the Tin Man needed an extended robot dancing sequence during the ‘if I only had…’ number.
Toto, a puppet operated courtesy of Abigail Matthews, proves loveable and captivating, making it easy to forget there’s not a real dog on stage. The standout star of the show was by far Nic Greenshields’ Cowardly Lion, who had the audience laughing loudly and cheering at every turn – particularly during a moment when he proudly declared himself a friend of Dorothy.
Liverpool's RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner and Dancing on Ice finalist, The Vivienne, takes on the role of the Wicked Witch of The West, giving the audience a wickedness and panto-esque villain that wasn’t too scary for the younger audience but certainly made for an entertaining watch with menacing commands over the flying monkeys and a flawless performance of Red Shoes Blues. However, Wicked has no doubt skewed my view of the Wicked Witch of the West, making it almost impossible to see the character as entirely evil, so much so that it almost felt like I was in on a secret the whole show.
Bright, colourful and all-things dazzling, the show lived up to my high expectations, giving all the whimsy and jubilation you’d expect from The Wizard of Oz.
The Wizard of Oz will run at the Liverpool Empire until Sunday, January 7, 2024.
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