The latest production of the favourite classic musical, The Wizard of Oz has London applauding loudly, and little wonder, with its production pedigree. An Andrew Lloyd Webber collaboration, choreographed by Arlene Phillips and with sets designed by Robert Jones, the show was a hit made to happen even before its star-studded Dorothy strutted on stage in her magical red shoes.
The imagination of the British public was caught by the production when auditions were held for the lead role in the form of a reality TV show that drew millions of viewers. The pre-publicity aside, the production of The Wizard of Oz follows closely on the 1939 film, which is a hard to beat act and has proved a definite crowd-pleaser.
For those who don’t know, the classic story has young Dorothy whizzed away from Kansas in a whirlwind and deposited in the Land of Oz, where she must follow the yellow brick road through all sorts of adventures to find the Wizard, in order to return home. Technically, The Wizard of Oz in the West End is a marvel of visual extravagance, with three revolving stage sections working on hydraulics to make 25 scene changes, so there’s constant action.
