The Wizard of Oz, presented by Repertory Philippines, promises to be a magical show the whole family will love. Photo courtesy of Repertory Philippines.
The Wizard of Oz,one of the greatest family musicals of all time is touching down in Manila as Repertory Philippines brings this classic treasure beginning August 18 at Onstage, Greenbelt, Makati City.
The musical is an adaptation of the all-time classic children’s novel originally written by L. Frank Baum, with music by Jeanne Bargy and Jim Eiler, and lyrics by Jim Eiler.
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,” said Joy Virata, Artistic Director of the Repertory Children’s Theater and the Director of the production. “I wanted to excite that fantasy by using movement that’s outside of everyday life. The musical will introduce fresh, yet tasteful, 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 Tinman as a popping, breaking, and locking robot in some of the dance scenes.”
Cara Barredo as Dorothy Leisl Batucan as Glinda the Good Witch in Repertory Philippines' staging of 'The Wizard of Oz,' opening on August 18. Photo courtesy of Repertory Philippines.
Director Virata is excited about how the musical is evolving in order to bring new energy and ideas to musical. She adds, “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.”
The cast is composed of the following: 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.
Pinky Marquez as the Wicked Witch of the West. Photo courtesy of Repertory Philippines.
The ensemble is composed of Janine Tolentino, Shalee Vicencio, Nicky Trivino, Ina Salonga, Daniella Gana, Gold Soon, Marie Delgado, Karyl Factora, Dingdong Rosales, Josh Ramirez, Jon Mamaid, Fran Jose, Edu Briones, Luis Nieto, Eric Mercado and Onyl Torres.
So, are you ready to click your heels together and join the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion, Dorothy and her little dog Toto, as they journey through the magical land, helped and hindered by the Witches of Oz, to meet the Wizard and obtain their heart’s desires ?
The musical runs from August 18 through December 16. All performances are at Onstage, 2/F, Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas cor. Legazpi St., Makati City.
For inquiries: call (+632) 571-6926 or 571-4941. Or, email info@repertory.ph or log on to www.repertory.ph. Tickets are also available through Ticketworld at (+632) 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph. Repertory Philippines is now accepting reservations for schools, civic groups, and corporate sponsorships. Visit www.repertory.ph, subscribe to youtube.com/repertoryphils, and “like” Rep Phils in Facebook.
