With the complete original cast reprising their delicious turns, returning to “The Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz” was always likely to be a good thing.And despite the change in scenery—Skokie’s Northlight Theatre is where Dorothy and her friends have landed since a tornado whisked them away from Chicago’s Viaduct Theatre sixteen months ago—the House Theatre’s hit revisionist take on the L. Frank Baum classic is in terrific shape, having lost little in transition to the suburbs.Indeed, despite an opening night technical glitch (that those clever Housters nonetheless turned into a joke by evening’s end), some original staging that was less than effective as played in Northlight’s three-quarters in the round configuration and an audience participation that was a little quieter than what would normally befit the House, it’s remarkable how much this show accomplishes in its two short hours.But all the visual and narrative inventiveness aside, I found that the show’s colossal heart remains in its ability to fully realize every quirky character it presents “for our consideration.”And time has only deepened the performances:Cliff Chamberlain’s Tin Woodsman’s icy determination belies a sensitive man of steel underneath, Paige Hoffman’s “Witchslayer” Dorothy penetrates even deeper emotional layers than the last time around and Stephen Taylor redefines the role of Scarecrow with a humor and tenderness that eclipses any lingering memory of Ray Bolger.Seeing the show a second time around I remain convinced that this production is in the great tradition of Britain’s finest Pantomimes.Virtually unknown in America, high-quality British panto productions are an event on par with the worthiest revivals of Beckett or Shakespeare, and valued by the national critics and audiences alike as much for their heart as for their art.Who knows where that tornado might whisk this House to next?(Fabrizio O. Almeida)
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, (847)673-6300. Thu 7:30pm/Fri 8pm/Sat 3pm & 8pm/Sun 2:30pm.$20 – $38.Through March 11
What’s In a Name? A Review of The Great Khan at Redtwist Theatre Michael Gene Sullivan’s new play is a lively reminder that those who came before are not just names to memorize in grade school. Their legacies, infamous or not, follow us in ways seen and unseen.
Not Quixotic Enough: A Review of the Joffrey Ballet's "Don Quixote" at the Lyric Opera House Performance-wise, the Joffrey Ballet's production of Yuri Possokhov's “Don Quixote,” running through June 12 at the Lyric Opera House, is terrific, displaying the company’s trademark combination of sterling technique and dramatic flair. There’s not a false step (other than the pratfalls by the effete aristocrat, Gamache, played with clownish glee on six-inch heels by Fernando Duarte) or an inelegant line…
