December 7, 2011
Review
"Wizard" triumphs
by Argus
While it was once a yearly Deep River tradition, indeed the highlight
for many of both the local cultural calendar and of the school year for
many high school students, in recent years the Mackenzie High School
musical has become an increasingly intermittent affair, to the point
where this weekend’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” marked the first
such event since 2008.
As a result, it is probable that for the majority of the student cast
and crew members this was the first major school musical production
they have had the opportunity to participate in, and perhaps for some
the first that they can even remember.
Given this, and combined with the fact that this is the first school
musical for not only many of the performers but also for the newly
amalgamated Mackenzie Community School as well, the level of quality
and entertainment on display this weekend was spectacular.
This was not only a wonderful production in itself, but in many ways a
symbolic message to the community that the level of excellence for
which Deep River schools have always been known will continue into this
new era.
The cast throughout this performance did a wonderful job bringing the
magical Land of Oz to life, but special mention must be made of the
performers of the play’s largest roles.
Particular credit must go to the show's lead quartet of Dorothy, The
Scarecrow, The Tin Man and The Cowardly Lion.
Severn Brown did a wonderful job portraying the Tin Man’s kindness, in
spite of his claims not to have a heart, as well as making the most of
his comic moments, while Zack Fogal’s floppy, limp movements as the
Scarecrow could convince the audience that he really was made of straw.
While all of the cast members were spot on in their comic timing and
delivery, special mention must be made of Lucas Ruhnke’s often
hilarious turn as the Cowardly Lion.
And of course Nataliya Korolevych must be commended for her work as
Dorothy, bringing real emotion to her concern for her dog Toto and her
sadness at having to leave her friends in Oz, as well as her beautiful
rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
The chemistry amongst these four was superb, and combined with the
perfect costumes throughout (the Tin Man being particularly impressive
in this regard, as well as the sudden burst of colour with the
appearance of the Munchkins) brought these iconic characters to life on
stage in a way that was both instantly recognizable and refreshingly
unique.
Special mention must also be made of Melissa Cox’s simultaneously nasty
and delightful Wicked Witch, Daria Turner as the bumbling Wizard and
Angela Richmond’s kindly Glinda the Good Witch.
It must be said that during the Friday night performance attended by
this reviewer, there were a few technical mishaps, mainly in relation
to the use of projected backgrounds which were sometimes miscued or did
not appear.
In addition it sometimes appeared that some of the younger cast members
struggled with some of the more complicated dances they had been given;
however, both of these minor problems were more than compensated for by
the use of several highly impressive special effects, such as the
entrance of the flying monkeys, Glinda’s gliding entrances and the
melting of the Wicked Witch, as well as by the enthusiasm of the young
actors.
Additionally, from towards the back of the auditorium it was
occasionally necessary for audience members to work a bit to hear the
un-amplified actors, especially in some of the songs; however, the fact
that the actors did manage to make themselves understood quite clearly
through the vast majority of the performance is a testament to the hard
work and skill of these performers.
The music and singing was excellent throughout, scene changes were
performed smoothly and the sets were simple yet effective.
All in all this was a triumphant premiere production for the Mackenzie
Community School, and with any luck, the first of many.
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