Off to see the wizard

Sage Merritt / News Virginian
Published: March 4, 2008

The Cowardly Lion is on Xanax, the Tin Man can do "The Robot" and the Scarecrow wears Chuck Taylors. The Good Witch of the North has great style (but not such great magic), the Wicked Witch of the West carries a bullwhip and Dorothy herself has "some serious attitude."

The world of "The Wiz," opening Friday at Stage 4 Theatre in Verona, is a land of bright colors, soulful songs, jazzy dancing and sharp dialogue. Originally written by Charlie Smalls and William F. Brown and first performed on Broadway in 1975, this local production of "The Wiz" stars some notable theater talent and is directed by ShenanArts' most famous face, Colton Berry. With the help of his production team, Berry directed the show long-distance while on the West Coast for American Idol during the last few months.

"The vocals are amazing, the acting is amazing and they're so funny," said Berry. "They are super talented. They stuck with me while I was gone, stuck with me directing by phone and e-mail. The production team who took over while I was away is phenomenal. All of the behind-the-scenes work, too; you can tell the show is really well put together."

The cast includes India Eaves as Dorothy, Matthew Johnson as the Lion, Michael Riley as the Scarecrow, Mariah Jenkins as the Good Witch of the North, Jamie Gunn as the Wicked Witch of the West and Jake Frank as the Wiz. "The Wiz" is Jenkins' first performance with ShenanArts.

"The fun stuff is definitely just acting it out and being with these people," Jenkins said. "They are phenomenal actors and actresses, and Colton is amazing. He makes us give our all. The play itself is fun. - My character is definitely the sassy 'I-got-the-attitude' witch. I'm with the Munchkins. They love me."

The dialogue and songs in "The Wiz" are snappy, playful and a little bit slapstick, promising plenty of laughs. The costumes and props - the Lion's Xanax bottle and huge Afro, for instance - add to the spectacle.

"The whole thing is hilarious," Eaves said. "It's not the regular, typical Oz. Everybody is themselves, they all add comedy and their own flavor to it. Everybody brings something to it that makes it funny. This is a great show. It's something I'm so ready to do."

Lots of fast-paced choreography keeps things moving in "The Wiz," with the tornado, the yellow-brick road and a flock of crows all interpreted by a group of dancers. The main characters also find plenty of opportunities to kick up their feet.

"There's a lot of dancing," Eaves said. "It's hard to sing, act and dance at the same time. And in high heels. It's different, but it's fun, and it's hilarious. You have to just keep breathing."

The characters themselves take a serious turn from what audiences might expect. The Wiz, played by Jake Frank, is a soul-singing, big-haired rock star in a white jumpsuit.

"I was born to wear this hair," Frank said, with a laugh. "The Wiz, he's really big on himself, you know- So you've got to take the two people who love themselves the most out of anybody - Elvis and James Brown - and that's the Wiz. He's more gospel than Elvis. He's got people getting hit by the spirit and fainting around him. He's the real deal. This isn't exactly the story of the Wizard of Oz. It definitely deviates."

The show runs March 7-9 and 14- 16 at ShenanArts' Stage 4 Theatre in Verona (next to RiteAid). Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in Staunton at the Bookstack or You're a Star! (in the Colonial Mall). Waynesboro ticket vendors are Shear Dimensions Salon and Day Spa and Daily Grind. Tickets may also be purchased or reserved by calling the Stage 4 Box Office at 540-248-1868.