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... And Her Little Dog, Too! | Blair Irwin’s soaring voice helps her come out ahead of a scene-stealing pooch in The Citadel’s production of The Wizard of Oz.

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Citadel Theatre

THE WIZARD OF OZ
Directed by Bob Baker. Book by John Kane, based on the novel by L. Frank Baum. Music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Starring Blair Irwin, Julien Arnold, Jeremy Baumung, John Ullyatt. Shoctor Theatre, The Citadel. To May 31. Tickets available through the Citadel box office (425-1820).
***1/2

Given the crappy economic climate, I’ve been to several theatre productions lately that ask audiences to imagine details a hurting budget can’t provide. Not so with The Wizard of Oz, which reminded me what generous funds and people determined to bring magic to the stage can do.

Choosing to mount a piece so ensconced in popular culture is a daunting task, but The Citadel has risen to the challenge, drawing on the talents of a 15-piece orchestra, a 17-adult, 16-kid cast, and a backstage crew of 20 to pull it all off.

But the show’s true star is the costume and set designer Leslie Frankish, who begins the visual narrative with a one-dimensional, shallow set depicting a troubled Midwest. The black pastel clouds and blue and rust colour palette speak both to the Great Depression and to a more generalized mood of economic woe, making it easy to identify with Dorothy’s desire to escape.

And escape we do. After an impressive twister scene replete with special effects, we find ourselves thrust deeper into the stage (both literally and figuratively), entering the magical world of Oz. Frankish’s Oz set is a visual marvel, with its colourful, rounded shapes, polka-dot lighting, and giant singing trees. My favourite part was the song and dance of the kids who played the Munchkins, dressed like a cross between Oompa-Loompas and Strawberry Shortcake dolls. Director Bob Baker was smart to let them in on the magic, because their obvious enthusiasm for the show only enhances its imaginative spell.

Driving the production is newcomer Blair Irwin, who does justice to Dorothy, the story’s plucky gingham-pinafore heroine. Despite offering a softer version of “Over the Rainbow” than Judy Garland did in the 1939 movie, her voice is sure to impress. (And the kids I spoke with during intermission unanimously agreed her sidekick Toto — a miniature Pinscher/poodle who shares the role with a miniature schnauzer/Bichon — was the best part of the show).

Dorothy’s companions — The Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion, played respectively by Jeremy Baumung, John Ullyatt, and Julien Arnold — all prove strong anchors, pumping life into every scene through physical comedy. While it occasionally feels like they’ve been given a bit too much time to ham, their commitment to folly is infectious. (Like his turn in A Midsummer Night’s Dream a few years back, Arnold is perfectly content to wear elements of the set for an entire scene, crowning himself the motley king of all things ridiculous.)

The performance does lose a bit of its momentum in the second act, partly because the visuals pale in comparison, and partly (I imagine) due to sheer audience fatigue. But despite a slow start, the production holds onto its magic thanks to constant set changes, witches and monkeys that fly across the stage, and actors who use side and back entrances, repeatedly breaking the fourth wall.

The Citadel’s version offers a few special touches of its own (like a great jazzy number by sequined crows), but overall it sticks closely to the iconography of the 1939 MGM classic. The performance goes all out for you in a bid to make you buy into the fantasy. If you’re willing to suspend disbelief, it’ll do just that.