Over the Rainbow... To Manila!

MANILA, Philippines - Travel down the magical yellow brick road for an unforgettable experience as “The Wizard of Oz,” the greatest family musical of all time and the most magical adventure of them all, touches down in Manila as Repertory Philippines brings this classic treasure to Onstage, Greenbelt, Makati City.

The Wizard of Oz promises to be a production with breathtaking special effects that will sweep audiences away, from the moment the tornado twists its way into Kansas.

 The Wizard of Oz is an enchanting adaptation of the all-time favorite, with its wonderful music by Jeanne Bargy and Jim Eiler and book and lyrics by Jim Eiler. However, this musical adaptation is not based on the MGM film, and does not include any of the songs from that film.

After a tornado whisks away a young Kansas farm girl, Dorothy, to the magical land of Oz, she starts her quest to find the mighty Wizard of Oz who has the power to send her back home. Along the way she meets a Scarecrow, a Tin Man and a Cowardly Lion who help her on her journey.

 “The Wizard of Oz is a fantasy – it’s magical and dreamlike,” says Joy Virata, artistic director of the Repertory Children’s Theater and director of the production. “I wanted to excite that fantasy by using movement that’s outside of everyday life. The musical will introduce fresh new dance moves into the show. The idea was to keep the music straight, but make the choreography showier, flashier and bigger to the eye. There will be freestyle street dance vibe. We’ve got the Scarecrow doing waving and bugaloo and the Tin Man as a popping, breaking and locking robot in some of the dance scenes.”

Virata is excited about how the musical is evolving in order to bring new energy and ideas to The Wizard of Oz. Says Virata, “What has really lit up the show is the experience of music and dance that highlights the talent in the young cast. That is a perfect match for our Repertory Children’s Theater. People will recognize the show and characters they’ve always loved, but they will feel the energy from a new generation of performers who love Dorothy as much as their grandparents do.”

“This will be the second time we’re doing Jim Eiler and Jeanne Bargy’s version of The Wizard of Oz, and this time around, I think, is better,” she adds. What I love about doing children’s theater is that the whole artistic and production team gets caught up in the fun of imagination and thus is able to turn that imagination into fun for children on stage. It was especially fun directing The Wizard of Oz.”

The cast is composed of Cara Barredo and Giannina Ocampo as Dorothy; Liesl Batucan and Kyla Rivera as Glinda the Good Witch; Pinky Marquez and Rem Zamora as the Wicked Witch of the West; James Stacey and Arnel Carrion as the Scarecrow; Hans Eckstein and Nic Campos as the Tin Man; Oliver Usison and Mano Domingo as the Lion; Nathalie Everett and Ayam Barredo Eckstein as Aunt Em; Rem Zamora and Chino Veguillas as Uncle Henry; Bobby Superales, Jim Ferrer, Deo dela Cruz and Clark dela Riva as the acrobats and monkeys.

The Wizard of Oz runs until Dec. 16 at Onstage, 2/F, Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas cor. Legazpi St., Makati City. Call 571-6926, email [email protected] or log on to www.repertory.ph. Tickets available through Ticketworld at 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.