BWW Reviews: THE WIZARD OF OZ Thrills Audiences at Stagecrafters

By Dr. Anton Anderssen

Now on stage at the beautiful Baldwin Theatre in Royal Oak is Stagecrafters' current production, The Wizard of Oz. This mega musical finishes out a highly successful season for the amazingly talented group. If you are looking for something different from Judy Garland's version, this one has just the right amount of difference to make it interesting without losing the magic of the L. Frank Baum story.

The show begins in 50 shades of gray; all color is suppressed. Unlike Garland's version, this Dorothy (Gabrielle Phillps) is a bit more sassy and bold in the way she deals with her Kansas colleagues. Munchkinland is quite different from the MGM version; here, they love the color blue - and everything is a glorious rendering of that skyward color beyond the rainbow. Even Glinda (Randi Hamilton) is decked out in blue from her hair to her shoes, totally different from the golden brown fairy in the pink dress played by Billie Burke.

You will see scenes totally different from the film - I loved the three black crows, three apple trees, and a complete jitterbug routine. The performance by Matthew Miga (Hickory/Scarecrow) was awesome, mindboggling and nothing short of amazing. He was agile, spritely, and had a million volts of energy in him. I loved the tap dance by The Tin Man (Bradley Ellison) accompanied by his arborites, and the gorgeous voice of The Lion (Jerry Haines) rivaled anything Bert Lahr could pull off. The Guard of Emerald City (Rich Wilson) gave an excellent performance - not too campy and not too stuffy.

Randy Wrisinger has a sixth sense for picking great talent that audiences will love to see. This show is a real winner - you can't lose! The Wizard of Oz runs through June 22.

Advance tickets for performances are $20 on Thursdays, $22 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Tickets may be purchased online at www.stagecrafters.org (online handling fees apply) or by phone at 248-541-6430 using Visa or MasterCard. All seats are reserved. If shows have not sold out, tickets can be purchased at the box office one hour prior to the performance for an additional $2.00 per ticket. Student, military and senior discounts are available for specific performances. The Baldwin Theatre is located at 415 S. Lafayette, Royal Oak.

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The Wizard of Oz Cast and Crew by Community

Jerry Haines Zeke/Lion Berkley

Kate Bagdon Munchkin Beverly Hills

Gabriel Farnetti-Gerstler Lollipop Guild Birmingham

Don Gerstler Ensemble Birmingham

Carter Montri Barrister Birmingham

Cassie Najor Ensemble Birmingham

Harper Hodgson Ensemble Chesterfield

Therese Wisnewski Chorus Clarkston

Coleen Genette Chorus Clawson

Nicholas Genette Fiddler Clawson

Emilie McClelland Chorus Clawson

Lucy McClelland Munchkin Clawson

Reese McClelland Munchkin Clawson

Ron Otulakowski Professor Marvel/Wizard of Oz Eastpointe

Jo-Jo Troia Toto Farmington Hills

Bill Glace Uncle Henry Ferndale

Randi Hamilton Glinda Ferndale

Eric Henrickson Ensemble Ferndale

Matthew Miga Hickory/Scarecrow Ferndale

Nancy Zott Ensemble Ferndale

Deanna Daly Chorus Harrison Twp

Bill Davenport Chorus Lake Orion

Gabrielle Phillps Dorothy Lake Orion

Cole Skory Flying Monkey Lathrup Village

Spencer Clark Mayor Lincoln Park

Buddy VanLoon Ensemble Oak Park

Regan Castle Ensemble Pleasant Ridge

Grace Seyferth Munchkin Rochester

Nancy Cannava Chorus Rochester Hills

Erica Battle Producer Royal Oak

Brendan Battle Flying Monkey Royal Oak

Ed Berger Chorus Royal Oak

Alexa Dewey Munchkin Royal Oak

Billy Dixon Ensemble Royal Oak

Jeanne Dolson Producer Royal Oak

Helen Frizzo Auntie Em Royal Oak

Bailey Golding Chorus Royal Oak

Madeline Golding Munchkin Royal Oak

Tina Golding-Jewett Chorus Royal Oak

Bryan Hanes Coroner Royal Oak

Ethan Heckman Lollipop Guild Royal Oak

Stephanie Schim Chorus Royal Oak

Liz Schultz Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch Royal Oak

Sarah Soraghan Munchkin Royal Oak

Randy Wrisinger Director Royal Oak

Rich Wilson Guard of Emerald City/Ensemble Royal Oak

Jo Woods Chorus Royal Oak

Bradley Ellison Hunk/Tin Man Southfield

Meredith Ellison Chorus Southfield

Christiana Perrault Ensemble Southfield

Alan Semonian Chorus Southfield

Jacob Burns Flying Monkey Sterling Heights

Meg Brokenshire Ensemble Troy

Mandy Marsili Munchkin Troy

Kulin Oak Lollipop Guild Troy

Kevin Mazur Ensemble Warren