THE WIZ – Book by William F. Brown; Music and Lyrics by Charlie Smalls; Directed and Choreographed by Christopher Page-Sanders; Music Direction by Alex Burse. Produced by Town Hall Arts Center (2450 Main Street, Littleton) through April19. Tickets available at 303-794-2787 or TownHallArtsCenter.org.
THE WIZ is not some wimpy pale story about a lost girl in a magical land or a WICKED-adjacent fantastical tale. THE WIZ, under the artful direction and choreographic dreams of Christopher Page-Sanders, is an explosion of joy, a jubilant expression of discovery and friendship, a homage to Black culture and music, and, most of all, a walloping good time for everyone present, on stage and in the audience. You haven’t seen dancing like this since the last Page-Sanders production. It’s both primitive and polished, cultural and cosmopolitan, high-spirited and hilarious. The primary dancers who used their waist-length hair to create the tornado kicked off the fun. The whole evening moved with its own heartbeat of energy and excitement.
A familiar tale told a new way, the creators of this seminal work of art have earned their place in the lexicon of meaningful musicals. This cast of exciting talent tells their story with enthusiasm; everyone on that stage is having a good time. No matter what happens, they are going to sing and dance and laugh their way through it. That joy spills over into the audience, and you are uplifted. Agape with wonder. Stretching your neck to see what’s going on in the other corner of the stage. Waiting with anticipation for the next song – the next entrance of a new outspoken character. What are they going to do now?? Even if you’ve seen the show before, this is a brand-new way of looking at it. Well done, Mr. Page-Sanders.
Casting is always crucial to the successful rendering of a big production. This cast of 18 has pulled together some of the best singers and dancers in Denver. Led by Thurzday as the reason for being here, Miss Dorothy on her magical journey, they are in good hands. She is confident in her performance yet tells a tale of uncertainty that blossoms into knowledge and gratitude. She is abetted along the way with her friends, the Scarecrow (Angel Miguel Garcia) with rubbery legs and more brains than he knows; the Tin Man (Simeon Wallace), whose heart beats with a hip hop rhythm; and the Lion (Daevon Robinson), the first to jump into a fight and the first to jump out. The end of the road came when they finally reached The Wiz (Colleen Christmas-Garner), who offers her own brand of wisdom and assistance.
Dorothy also has the help of a couple of Big Mama characters along the way. Glinda the Good (Cha’rel Ji’Cole) starts her down the Yellow Brick Road (illustrated by hats worn by the dancers). Cha’rel then has the fun of returning in Act II as the totally opposite Evillene who “don’t want no bad news,” but gets it anyway. This girl looks exceptionally wicked when she makes her grand entrance. Whew! Wouldn’t want to run into her in a dark alley. The surprise of the evening for this viewer was the appearance of Shakira Abney-Wisdom as the comic Addaperle. Having only known Shakira as an educator, who knew she could sing and dance like this.
What a treat this whole cast gave the watchers. This was an ensemble that clicked, backed by choreography that was solidly set on their bodies and music that came from their hearts. Backed by a six-piece band who were having their own brand of fun, the evening rocked. We all know it takes a village. It seems that Town Hall pulled out all the stops on this production with a set designed by master designer Brian Watson which provided a colorful platform without getting in the way of the dance, well designed props by Maru Garcia, a subtle yet dynamic light design by Amanda Fisk, and a sound design by the always creative Curt Behm. Not only that, but they had at least ten people backstage (like the Wiz herself) pulling the strings to make everything on stage happen. Special kudos go to Emily Valley who created an amazingly varied set of costumes which included crows, monkeys, brick roads, tornados, and all manner of colorful characters. Finding the meaning behind the costumes became part of the fun of watching.
This is a good one. This is a great way to end a week or start a new one. Or attend the DAF performance on April 13th and feel good that you are donating to a worthwhile cause while you get to enjoy an exciting evening. Go on – you’ll love it!!
A WOW factor of 9!!