Jeremiah Sparks, Henna Matharu with Shadow, Andrew Prashad, Ian Gilmore, and Kailin Glasgow in The Wizard of Oz directed by Michelle Langille. Photo by Stoo Metz.
I was recently listening to Mandy Patinkin’s podcast, which he hosts with his wife Kathryn Grody and their son Gideon, and he reminded me that Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg wrote the song “Over the Rainbow” for the film version of The Wizard of Oz to honour their parents, Samuel and Celia Arluck, and Lewis and Mary Hochberg, who fled the pogroms of Russia before their sons were born seeking freedom from persecution and stability for their family in New York. “Over the Rainbow” is, at its heart, a wish to be transported from a very dark and frightening place to somewhere where humans have the same freedom a bird has to soar. The film, which was released August 10th, 1939 seems antithetical in many ways to World War II, but Germany invaded Poland on September 1st that same year. In the stage version, which plays at Neptune Theatre until January 11, 2026, Dorothy begins “Over the Rainbow” by singing, “When all the world is a hopeless jumble/and the raindrops tumble all around/Heaven opens a magic lane/when all the clouds darken up the skyway/there’s a rainbow highway to be found…” and, indeed, the world that first met these words was, to put things lightly, a hopeless jumble with clouds darkening up the skyways, and I have to imagine that part of what made this film so beloved was the fact that it transported its viewers over the rainbow at a time when they desperately needed to be swathed in technicolour and treated to a joyful, heartfelt, magical little romp where a little girl triumphs over a wicked witch and finds enriching friendships along the way.
In the same way, today, as we are faced with a deluge of both bad and strange news from the doomscrollers we always carry around with us, Michelle Langille’s production of The Wizard of Oz at Neptune Theatre offers us a “merry old” respite Over the Rainbow as well.
The Wizard of Oz, based on the novel by L. Frank Baum, adapted from the film for the stage by John Kane, tells the story of a little girl named Dorothy whose sweet dog, Toto, gets into a heap of trouble with the town busybody, heartless Almira Gulch, who threatens to take Toto away and let the authorities deal with him. Before she is able to get her hands on him, Dorothy and Toto are swept up in tornado and transported to the Magical Land of Oz, where Dorothy quickly runs afoul of The Wicked Witch of the West. She is told that the answers she seeks await her in the Emerald City, and thus begins a thrilling, and sometimes dangerous, adventure.
In the Neptune version we begin very much rooted in genuine fear and sorrow, as Amy Reitsma, who plays Dorothy’s Aunt Em, and Garry Williams, who plays Dorothy’s Uncle Henry, are both quite devastating as they reluctantly hand adorable little Toto (played by professional scene stealer Shadow) over to Miss Gulch (Emma Slipp), and Dorothy, played by Henna Matharu, mirroring, I think, the audience’s response, is unconsolable. I found myself surprised by how emotionally affected I was at this scene, one that I have seen at least fifty times before, but I really felt the depth of the grief at being forced to hand over your dog to an unknown fate- perhaps never to see him again. This prompts Dorothy to run, and sets the rest of the story in motion nicely.
Most of the actors play duel characters- Kansas and Oz counterparts- so, along with being Auntie Em, Amy Reitsma also plays Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, who guides Dorothy with kindness, but also hints that there is more to her than just a bubbly personality. Kailin Glasgow plays the charming Scarecrow who first accompanies Dorothy on her quest, Andrew Prashad is wonderful at playing the often rusty Tinman, really rooting him in the reality that he used to be a man in love with a Munchkin maiden. Ian Gilmore plays the Cowardly Lion with a definite nod to Burt Lahr who originated the role in the film, but also finding many unique funny moments like swatting at feathers with his paws and using his tail as a microphone. Jeremiah Sparks’ commanding voice works so well as The Wizard of Oz, but I especially love the way he portrays Professor Marvel, the sort of confidence trickster Dorothy meets in Kansas just before the twister. We see his kind concern for Dorothy break through whatever opportunism he might have had on his agenda when he first saw her, and he cleverly hatches a plan in attempt to help her. This is then, of course, mirrored beautifully later once Toto begins sniffing around behind the famed curtain.
Emma Slipp is a considerably younger Wicked Witch than in the film, more in line with Elphaba from Gregory Maguire’s famed Wicked series, and she plays her as a fun mix between Margaret Hamilton and Dorothy Zbornak in that she is both menacing and funny, which I think the younger audience members will appreciate. Garry Williams plays the exuberantly absurd Emerald City Guard and brings a lot of warmth and spirit to this role. Henna Matharu and Shadow as Dorothy and Toto beautifully capture everything that folks love so much about Judy Garland and Terry in the original.
Holly Meyer-Dymny’s set is very interesting. The backdrop for Kansas is very two dimensional, along with being colourless as in the film, suggesting that Dorothy finds her life to be dull and devoid of meaning. The addition of the third dimension once Dorothy arrives in Oz captures the nuance of the place, and also makes it the more realistic of the two realms. Kaelen MacDonald’s costumes stay true to audience’s connotations with these iconic characters while also bringing in a few details unique to this production. My favourite is that Glinda has pink hair. Leigh Ann Vardy, as always, provides a stunning lighting scape.
The Creative Team is helmed by Director Michelle Langille, Choreographer Liliona Quarmyne, and Musical Director Chris Tsujiuchi, and together they have created a delightful show that really brings so much of this iconic film to life. Neptune’s stage is very small, which makes staging productions with as many moving (and flying!) pieces like this one challenging. Langille and Quarmyne have done well to work within the confines of the space, but also use a lot of creativity to give the audience the impression of Oz being a continually sprawling space. There is a really fun moment for Andrew Prashad to show off his tap dancing skills, and I enjoyed the way the puppetry was used in Munchkinland, although I did wish that there was a little more dancing from the Jitterbugs themselves during that particular number, especially because I couldn’t take my eyes off Jade Douris-Hara (in her Neptune debut!) as she was really in her element.
Even though the novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was published much earlier, in 1900, it is significant to remember that the film, and the music, was created on the very edge of fascism exploding across Europe, and that those initial audiences likely had quite a bit in common with us today. They were likely looking for a means of escapism into a brighter world, but also for a story that reaffirmed their values in a way that didn’t feel overly pedantic, and that wryly commented on some of the absurdities they faced in politics in a humours way, and, most importantly, for a reminder that just because someone seems impenetrable, enormously terrifying, and to have the whole world by the throat, it’s worth taking a closer look, using your brain, your heart, and your courage, to determine where the source of his power really lies, and whether much of it is only smoke and mirrors and a whole lot of bluster after all.
The Wizard of Oz plays at Neptune Theatre’s Fountain Hall (1593 Argyle Street) until January 11th, 2026. Performances run Tuesday to Sunday at 7:30pm with 2:00pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets range in price from $40.00 to $119.00 based on seating and are available to buy online here, in person at the Box Office at 1593 Argyle Street, or by calling 902.429.7070.
This show is approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes (including an intermission).
Please note: This show contains haze, fog, flashing lights, spinning visuals, pyrotechnics, loud noises, and frightening scenes for young children.
**No dogs were harmed by any witches in the making of this play.**
Babes in arms and children under four (4) years of age are not permitted to attend live theatre productions; please consider this rule when purchasing. Due to factors, like run time, our productions are not designed for very young children. All patrons must have a ticket. Children under 14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Neptune Theatre is fully accessible for wheelchair users. Neptune offers hearing-assistance devices, along with their masked performance and audio described performance. For more Accessibility Information Click Here.
