‘The Wizard of Oz’ redefines classic

October 27, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

It’s the rare occasion in musical theater when an iconic production seemingly can be redefined. However, this is the case with “The Wizard of Oz,” which for nearly a decade has been reaping the benefits of existing in a post-“Wicked” world.

Obviously, the unlikely parallel story of the witches not only became a Tony Award-winning hit musical but also has created some interesting, if not awkward, moments for the current national tour of “The Wizard of Oz,” which comes to Cleveland on Friday through Sunday at the Palace Theatre.

“The other night I heard a woman coming out at intermission asking when are they going to sing that song ‘Popular,’” said Director Norbert Joerder, calling from New York City. “She thought she was seeing ‘Wicked,’ so there seems to be a little confusion. What’s interesting is, I find that movie is so beloved by everybody, that’s why they all go back to it. And ‘Wicked’ was a wonderful take on it and brought a whole new audience in. So now everybody has great feelings about ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ and they want to see what we’ve done with it onstage.”

These days, most productions of “The Wizard of Oz” are defined by its special effects. You know, witches melting, monkeys flying and houses falling. In fact, Joerder said there was quite a learning curve. While his past included the Broadway revival of “Camelot” along with New York City productions of “Forty Second Street,” “La Cage Aux Folles,” “Gypsy” and “The Music Man,” the modern “Over the Rainbow” tale of Dorothy and her friends the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow was like staging a rock concert.

“Technically, it’s a nightmare with the whole tornado. Some of the scenery is projected, and we have flying bicycles, dogs, monkeys and a witch on her broom who actually throws fireballs,” Joerder said. “So it’s not just putting up a musical; it’s kind of putting up something that I never had to handle before. When we opened this tour in Oklahoma, we had so much smoke on stage that when we got to Munchkin Land, all the fire alarms went off and we had to evacuate the theater.”

The touring production is based on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s celebration of the 1939 MGM movie with classics “Over the Rainbow,” “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead” and “If I Only Had A Brain.”