Off to see the wizard

Photo: Andrea Zucker

Who: Ballet Memphis
What: The Wizard of Oz
Where: The Touhill Performing Arts Center, presented by Dance St. Louis
When: January 24 and 25, 2014

When you think of the music for the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz," the first names that probably come to mind are Harold Arlen and E. Y. "Yip" Harburg. Their songs "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "If I Only Had a Brain" have been firmly ensconced in the Great American Songbook for decades. If you're a film music fan, you might also think of composer/arranger (and Broadway veteran) Herbert Stothart, who combined Arlen's tunes with original material into a seamless, Oscar-winning score.

Names that would probably not leap to the forefront of your cranium would be Benjamin Britten, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, and Zoltán Kodály. And yet the recordings of music by those 20th century masters that serve as the accompaniment for Ballet Memphis's dance version of the classic film are so well chosen that you'd think they were composed exactly for the purpose.

That canny choice of music isn't the only reason this ballet version of "The Wizard of Oz" was so entertaining, of course. Steven McMahon's eclectic and character-driven choreography, Bruce Bui's colorful costumes, Andrew Kovach's simple but effective sets, and Andrew Meyers' minimalist yet dramatic lighting all combined to make this a genuine "all ages" show. We saw it at the Saturday matinee, and the parents were clearly enjoying it as much as their Munchkin offspring.

Photo: Andrea Zucker

The scenario follows the film closely and, rather like Beijing opera, clearly assumes that the audience is familiar enough with the source material to fill in the details. When we saw the oversize, distorted shadow of Rafael Ferreras, Jr., (slyly fraudulent as the Wizard) flamboyantly gesticulating at Dorothy and her three companions, for example, it was easy to recall the oversize, distorted projection of Frank Morgan's face from the movie. Likewise, Travis Bradley's loose-limbed, acrobatic clumsiness as the Scarecrow immediately called to mind Ray Bolger's equally magical dancing in the original.

Ballet Memphis's "Wizard of Oz" is not, in short, for those who have somehow never seen the film. But then, given how popular the film has been over the decades, that's pretty small potatoes as criticism goes.

The company has assembled a wonderful cast of dancers for this tour. Julie Niekrasz (Glinda in the evening performances) was a wistful and charming Dorothy, Dylan G-Bowley an amusingly robotic as the Tin Man, and Kendall G. Britt Jr. the very essence of comic feline bravado as Lion. Crystal Brothers (Aunt Em in the evenings) was a wonderfully sinuous and gravity defying Wicked Witch while Virginia Pilgrim (Dorothy in the evenings) was cheerfully sugary as Glinda. Daniel Russell Cooke was a sympathetic Uncle Henry, and Bryn Gilbert made a strong impression in the small but vital role of the awful Miss Gulch.

Photo: Andrea Zucker

The corps de ballet (which included dancers from some of the smaller roles) filled in as poppies, snowflakes, flying monkeys (with some very evocative Fosse-esque choreography), and citizens of the Emerald City. Students from COCA's dance program portrayed the Munchkins and children of Oz. It's a nifty local tie-in and, again, a sign of the intelligence behind this production in that it saves the company the hassles of travelling with child performers.

It is, I suppose, possible that hard-core dance lovers might dismiss overtly commercial efforts like "Wizard of Oz" (although Ballet-Dance Magazine certainly seemed to like the 2007 premiere), but the fact is that very few performing arts organizations can survive these days without the occasional crowd pleaser. You can't champion newer and more innovative work (as Ballet Memphis clearly does; their motto is "reach further") without something guaranteed to pay the bills. If the size of the house this past Saturday afternoon was any indication, "The Wizard of Oz" is does that, and delivers a satisfying piece of dance theatre in the process. I'd call that a win-win.

The Ballet Memphis production of "The Wizard of Oz" played the Touhill Performing Arts Center January 24 and 25, produced by Dance St. Louis. The Dance St. Louis season continues February 28 and March 1 at the Touhill with Diavolo, a company of modern dancers athletes, gymnasts, ballet dancers, martial artists, actors, and stunt performers, the blurs the boundary between dance and circus arts. For more information: dancestlouis.org.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of January 24, 2014

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New this week:

St. Louis Actors' Studio continues its seventh season, themed Sins of the Father, with Arthur Miller's The Ride Down Mount Morgan through February 2. Performances take place at the Gaslight Theatre, 358 North Boyle. For more information, call 314-458-2978 or visit stlas.org.

My take: Fans of Arthur Miller have a rare chance to see two of his less-famous plays on stage this weekend: Kirkwood Theatre Guild's All My Sons and the Actors' Studio production of The Ride Down Mount Morgan. "The tightly wound, well acted production," writes Tina Farmer in her review for 88.1 KDHX, "envelopes the audience in the small theater, delivering a memorable version of a beautifully crafted drama. ..Arthur Miller's The Ride Down Mount Morgan is a wise choice for theatergoers interested in seeing an excellent performance of a seldom seen play by an icon of American theater. "

New Line Theatre Offline presents What The Hell Are We Doing Here? An Adult Cabaret on Saturday, January 25, at 8 PM. “New Line Theatre Off Line presents a quirky, decidedly adult evening of cabaret, featuring the New Generation of New Liners, Marcy Wiegert (Hair, Cry-Baby, Bukowsical, Night of the Living Dead) and Ryan Foizey (Cry-Baby, High Fidelity, Next to Normal, Bukowsical), with music direction by Justin Smolik and direction by Mike Dowdy.” Performances take place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information, call 314-534-1111.

My take: It looks like New Line's left-of-center approach to musical theatre and dedication to bringing non-mainstream shows to the local scene will be reflected in this cabaret evening, which can only be a good thing in my view.

Photo: Andrea Zucker

Dance St. Louis presents the Ballet Memphis production of The Wizard of Oz Friday at 8 PM and Saturday at 2 and 8 PM, January 24 and 25. Based on the popular book and movie, the ballet features choreography by one of Ballet Memphis’ own members, Scotland native and choreographic associate Steven McMahon, as well as music by Gustav Holst, Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughn Williams. Ballet-Dance Magazine describes Wizard of Oz as “an entertaining adaptation of this popular American Tale...a new classic.” Performances take place at the Touhill Peforming Arts Center on the UMSL campus. For more information: dancestlouis.org.

My take: Ballet Memphis, according to their web site, "annually produces more original work than any other company our size and continues to breathe new life into the classical ballets we’ve long enjoyed." Their motto, "reach further," can be seen in their season, which includes programs like World Wonders ("cultural fusion of some of the world's most creative music, art and dance in four dazzling works"), Peter Pan, River Project 2 (three ballets that "reflect the wonder of our famous natural and cultural resource," the Mississippi River) and En Pointe/En Vogue, about the "marriage of all things dance to the world of fashion, design and beauty." It'll be intriguing to see what they do with this bit of iconic Americana.

Held Over:

Photo: Stewart Goldstein

The Black Rep presents Jeff Stetson's The Meeting, based on a supposed meeting between Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., through January 26. Performances take place at the Emerson Performance Center on the campus of Harris-Stowe State University. For more information: theblackrep.org.

My take: In her review for 88.1 KDHX, Tina Farmer calls this an "effective, thought-provoking drama" that offers "a well-directed, well-performed look under the public veneer" of these important historical figures. "The new space at the Emerson Performance Center on the Harris-Stowe State University campus suits the company well," she writes, "and the technical aspects were to their usual high standards."

Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Michael Hollinger's Opus through February 2. "With only four days to rehearse for their most important performance ever, a world-class string quartet takes a chance by hiring a gifted but inexperienced young woman. Onstage the Lazara Quartet is pitch perfect but behind the scenes they're coming unstrung as the four artists battle the sweat, tears and pain that go into making extraordinary music seem effortless. This fascinating play is a passionate look at the delicate and complex relationships between artists' lives and their art." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

My take: I'm on the board of West End Players Guild, the group that did the St. Louis premiere of this play last April. I was a big backer of Opus in the WEPG play reading committee and remain a fan of this funny, literate, dramatic, and informed look at the often less than beautiful reality behind the performance of so much beautiful music. It's easy to be transported by (say) a late Beethoven quartet and lose sight of the fact that the performers are doing their jobs as well as creating art. Opus explores what happens when the worlds of commerce and art collide. "Here is a lovely play," writes Andrea Braun in her review for 88.1 KDHX, "well performed by a talented cast and it deserves an audience".

Circus Harmony presents Verismo, described as “the four seasons, circus style,” on Saturday at 2 and 7 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. Performances take place at City Museum, 701 N. 15th Street. Museum admission is free with your ticket purchase. For more information: circusharmony.org.

My take: The kids at Circus Harmony are always a highlight of Circus Flora's annual performances in Grand Center. Expect a fun, family friendly show in the small rign at City Museum. And don't forget to check out the museum's unique interactive attractions while you're at it; the place is truly a one-of-a-kind experience and a tribute the the remarkable imagination of its founder, the late Robert Cassily.