Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz are visiting Ottawa this week to share the message that “there’s no place like home”…
The National Art Center (NAC) in downtown Ottawa is hosting the performances, from Tuesday, December 29th until Sunday, January 3rd. Last night’s opening performance was supposed to be sold out, so I assume the empty seats visible were due to the heavy snowfall we received here in Ottawa yesterday.
The story of the Wizard of Oz is appropriate for children of all ages, from 3 to 93. The messages “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”, “be thankful for what you have”, “home is where the heart is” and of course, “there’s no place like home” are ones we can all learn from.
The original movie from 1939, an American comedy and drama starring Judy Garland, was memorable for the introduction of technicolor part way through the movie. Tonight’s theatrical production by Broadway Across Canada included all the old songs and characters with a few modern twists and jokes. I especially liked the “the lion sleeps tonight” line as the cowardly lion collapses, face first when the Wicked Witch of the West sedates Dorothy and her friends with the scent of poppies. The performance was amazing, and included a live “Toto”. Both dogs that play Toto, Nigel and his understudy Loki, were rescued from a humane society and a puppy mill respectively. This heartwarming fact that I read in the program adds to the appeal of the production.
My favourite part, apart from all the memorable, toe-tapping songs, was the contagious giggles from the youngest children in the audience.
Once a classic, always a classic.