There's no place like the City Playhouse!

I went to see the City Youth Players production of THE WIZ at the City Playhouse. Actually, I have to admit that since my daughter Myrna was in it, I saw it four times! I'd never seen the show before, only the deeply flawed movie starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. Of course I was familiar with "Ease On Down The Road" but there were a bunch of songs I knew, but didn't know they came from this show ("Can You Feel A Brand New Day" and "No Bad News", for example).

What a cool show! THE WIZ ran for over 1,600 performances on Broadway in 1975, and won seven Tony awards, including Best Musical. I remember seeing a lot of Stephanie Mills on TV back then (she played Dorothy on Broadway). Obviously, the score is very '70s, which I love and has some great background vocal arrangements sung by a trio of lovely ladies. I also loved the use of dancers to portray the Yellow Brick Road and the Poppies and the Tornado! That's the magic of theatre for ya! When I went with my younger daughter's grade four class, the Tornado Ballet was a real favorite with the kids. This just reinforces my belief that kids should go to live theatre more often.

As usual, the music and vocal performances of this group were outstanding. But it was the scope of the production that blew me away. The intricate dance numbers, the special effects used for the wizard, the original use of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" number for the Kalidah Battle, complete with blacklight! Congrats to cast and crew and Megan, Wayne and Sid!

Of course I can't wait to see what they do with HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL which will play at the City Playhouse March 1 - 4. Get your tickets now -- they're selling out fast!

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