Lions, tigers and bears. Oh my! This was my first time at a school-produced play. I went to go to see the play in its closing weekend with my best friend.
We sat down and opened our programs, realizing two things: that this play would be long and that it would involve a lot of singing. Suffice to say, we were extremely unprepared for what was to come. But, hey, you can’t blame us—we were only going for extra credit. However, much to our surprise, we ended up thoroughly enjoying this student production led by Kathy Hubbard.
In case you have been living under a rock, The Wizard of Oz is the story of a Kansas girl named Dorothy and her dog Toto, both of whom have been swept off to the Land of Oz by way of tornado. To find her way home, Dorothy, along with the help of the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tin Man, follows the Yellow Brick Road to meet with the Wizard and defeat the Wicked Witch of the West.
The play started about ten minutes after we arrived. The first person out was Dorothy, played by senior Jasmine Sim, followed by her loyal companion Toto, played by an adorable St. Bernadid fifth grader, Alessandra Rubalcava. I have to give props to Sim for being able to keep that classic wispy, airy, yet mildly annoying voice while taking on the role of Dorothy.
Right after this first scene, we were introduced to all of the main characters. There was senior Gaby Rubalcava, who took on the roles of Miss Gultch and the Wicked Witch of the West. Even though she had more stage time as the Wicked Witch, I felt that this performance was much stronger. Next came Aunt Em, played by senior Emma Gressett, who also played Glinda The Good Witch. Personally, I felt that she was one of the best performances of the night, largely because of how natural and effortless her acting was.
We then saw Dorothy’s fellow companions in Oz: Tin Man, Lion, and Scarecrow, played by Patrice Berry, Donte Owens and Donge Tucker, respectively. As a group, I believe they worked well and played off each other beautifully. Individually, every single one of them embodied their character perfectly. But I have to say, the superstar was definitely Tucker as the Scarecrow. His performance was a perfect mix of over-the-top theatrics and believable acting.
As for the music and choreography of the play, the actors were accompanied by a small group of musicians from Poly’s own musical program, and the singing and dancing were not outstanding, but they were not half bad. I must admit that the whole shebang was actually very enjoyable. There was a total of twelve musical numbers, including the “Jitterbug,” a deleted scene from the original film.
The sets and props were fairly simple. There was nothing too fancy, just the typical high school sets (and not the ones in High School Musical, I can assure you) with hand-painted backgrounds of trees, walls, and a disappointing Emerald City, that did not bear any resemblance to emeralds in any way. You would expect some bedazzles somewhere, right? As for the costumes, props to all the costume designers, for all the costumes were great, fun, and playful, adding another dimension to the play.
There was a quick intermission between the acts, where I had a disappointing donut and my friend and I raved about how Toto looked exactly like Vivi-Anne from Dance Moms. Fifteen minutes later we were seated again and were transported back into Oz for the fantastic ending which features the Wizard himself. Adan Gonzales’ performance, of the Wizard and Professor Marvel, was one of the most enjoyable. He was funny, and his body language and eccentric behavior made for some wonderful acting.
Overall, I think this play deserves a solid 4/5 stars. I can’t even imagine the amount of effort that goes into these productions, and I highly admire the dedication of the whole cast.
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