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Preview: The Wiz

 By Charles Hutchinson »

YORK Stage Youth will “Ease On Down The Road” in The Wiz, but not a roadway of the usual yellow brick variety.

Instead, the York company will replace it with 45 square feet of disco-light flooring and street dancers dressed in yellow and gold.

The first production by the newly formed offshoot of York Stage Musicals will run from Thursday at the Grand Opera House, York, where more than 50 performers aged nine to 30 will perform the updated, fast-paced version of the Wizard Of Oz tale by L. Frank Baum.

The Wiz is best known for Sidney Lumet’s 1978 film version starring Motown soul queen Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow.

For York Stage Youth, Dorothy will be played by Alana Gibb; the Scarecrow by Stuart Rae; the Tinman by Luke Dunford; and the cowardly Lion by Alex Papachristou, who has retained the peroxide blond mane he first sported in September when playing Cousin Kevin in The Who’s rock opera, Tommy.

The high-energy chorus of new and familiar faces will take on the roles of Crows, Poppies and Yellow Bricks, not forgetting the Munchkins.

Look out too for Reece MacMahon and George Stagnell on their return to the Grand Opera House stage after catching the eye as Fat Sam and Bugsy Malone respectively in the Live Nation Stage Experience 2008 production of Bugsy Malone in August.

The Wiz is directed by Robert Readman, who played the show’s title role in Shipton Theatre Company’s 2003 production under the direction of Scott Garnham, then 18 and now treading the boards of London’s Novello Theatre in Eurovision satire Eurobeat.

This time the lead role will go Martin Lettin, back on stage after a year’s break, while Pascha Turnbull will be Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, reprising her part from the 2003 show.

“This production brings The Wiz in all its funk soul glory to a wider York audience”, says Robert.

“It’s a wonderfully upbeat show, suitable for all ages, and in such bleak times, theatre is the perfect remedy. I promise this show will have you dancing all the way home after experiencing the choreography by Lesley Hill.”

Assistant choreographer Jessica Hardcastle concurs.

“Fans of The Wizard Of Oz and Stephen Schwartz’s Wicked will love The Wiz. With a funky-retro soundtrack brought to you by musical director Michael Thompson’s 16-piece band, songs like Ease On Down The Road and Y’All Got It will be brought to life in true disco mode.”

Thompson’s band members will include Hungry Ghosts’ drummer Clark Howard, back behind his drum kit after playing Tommy in Tommy.

The Wiz will run from November 20 to 22 at 7.30pm plus a 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Ticket are £10 to £16, with concessions available, on 0870 606 3595 or via yorkboxoffice@livenation.co.uk

21-11-2008 by Dan