We're Off to See the Wizard

The Wizard of Oz is one of those things that will never die, like baseball and Dick Clark. As someone who once played a bit part in a multi-thousand-dollar high school musical production of the classic L. Frank Baum tale (I recall people flying on wires and an actual, trained Toto that was fond of string cheese), I can assure you of this--people take their Oz very seriously. From the book to the classic 1939 film to the '70s revamp The Wiz, time and time again Oz has proven its timeless appeal, a precursor to the popularity enjoyed by other well-crafted fantasy tales like Star Wars, Star Trek and Harry Potter. They're all just fairy tales, really--some of them just have cooler props. And just as J.J. Abrams released his contemporary revamp of the Star Trek franchise, stage director Todrick D. Hall (whose previous credits include Oprah's Broadway version of The Color Purple) has put his stamp on Baum with OZ, The Musical, which rolled through town earlier this year with former American Idol contestant Diana DeGarmo in the role of Dorothy (Grammy-nominated Christian singer Stacie Orrico takes her place this go-around). Take a modernized trip to Oz 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St. Tickets are $20 to $35. Visit ticketmaster.com.
Sun., May 24, 7:30 p.m., 2009