(Above: The Wizard of Oz brings its eight decades worth of magic to Actors Cabaret for a five-weekend run; lead roles are played by, left to right, Kate Fairbairn as Dorothy, Cameron Graham as the Lion, Colin Gray as the Scarecrow, and Chad Lowe as the Tinman; photos by Jim Roberts)
By Randi Bjornstad
Hurricanes and tornadoes have bedeviled many parts of the United States and the rest of the world this year, but fortunately, when one lands at Actors Cabaret of Eugene, instead of destruction it brings with it songs, dances, witches good and bad, and a bunch of other characters and scenes that have delighted audiences since the original Wizard of Oz movie was released 79 years ago.
This version of the perennially popular show was done first by the Royal Shakespeare Company, based of course on the story by L. Frank Baum, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg.
As expected and anticipated, it includes all the familiar, singable songs: We’re Off to See the Wizard; If I Only Had a Brain; The Merry Old Land of Oz; Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead; and the most famous of all, Over The Rainbow, as teenager Dorothy Gale takes her dream adventure to the faraway land of Oz, only to discover that, after all, “There’s no place like home.”
Emily Westlund is Glinda the Good Witch in Actors Cabaret’s production of The Wizard of Oz; photo by Jim Roberts
The Actors Cabaret version has a 27-member cast, under the direction of Anthony Krall. Cameron Graham is choreographer, with vocal direction by Michael Watkins and costumes by Mary Jensen and Joe Zingo.
Kate Fairbairn plays Dorothy and also Aunt Em. Many other performers also play the double roles that represent characters in Kansas and Oz, including Cameron Graham as the Cowardly Lion and Zeke, Colin Gray as the Scarecrow and Hunk, Chad Lowe as the Tinman and Hickory, Cyndy Duerfeldt as the Wicked Witch and Miss Gulch, and Scott Machado as the Wizard and Marvel.
Other feature roles include Emily Westlund as Glinda the Good Witch and Jeff Wisdom as Uncle Henry.
The cast also includes Paul Anderson, Tyler Blaser, Kieren-Vincent Coleman, Hailey Eckhart, Olivia Ferrell, Abigail Frazee, Story Frazier-Maskiell, Amber Hagen, Janis Hayes, Amelie Holden, Lilia Holden, Hillary Humphreys, Chelsea King, Melia Machado, Lauren Moore, Celeste Rossetto Dickey, Donovan Seitzinger, and Katelynn Williams.
The Wizard of Oz
When: 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 16-17, 23-24 and 30, and Dec. 1, 7-8, 14-15; and 2 p.m. matinees on Dec. 2 and 9
Where: Actors Cabaret, 996 Willamette St., Eugene
Details: Tickets available for show only or show-and-meal or by advance reservation for show and meal; tickets are not available online the day of the show
Tickets: Show only, $16 to $27; show and dinner, $34.95 to $49.95; show and brunch, $34.95 to $42.95, available at the box office, 541-683-4368 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, or online at actorscabaret.org/tickets
Information: actorscabaret.org
