Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably have at least some vague idea of what The Wizard of Oz is about. You know, it’s the one where Dorothy and her little pooch Toto get swept off into a crazy magical land, collecting a scarecrow, tin man and lion before facing off against a wicked witch and a whole bunch of winged monkeys. Developed from the beloved MGM screenplay, the London Palladium production of The Wizard of Oz contains all of the hit sing-alongs from Arlen and E.Y. Harburg’s Academy Award-winning movie score, all the favourite characters and iconic moments, plus a few surprises along the way (such as new songs by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber).
When it comes to a production as big as The Wizard of Oz, you’d best believe that the casting is top notch. Aussie musical theatre legend and acclaimed star Anthony Warlow is taking up the roles of The Wizard and Professor Marvel, while Lucy Durack will play Glinda the Good Witch and Jemma Rix channels her dark side as The Wicked Witch of the West. The all-important role of Dorothy has gone to rising star Samantha Dodemaide, taking on her first lead in major production after shining in the chorus. The rest of the main troupe is filled in with experts – Eli Cooper will play the role of the Scarecrow, Alex Rathgeber will play the Tin Man, and John Xintavelonis will play the Lion. The ensemble cast includes Paul Hanlon as Uncle Henry and Sophie Weiss as Auntie Em alongside a huge pool of homegrown talent.
Want to find out what’s actually over the rainbow? You can grab tickets to The Wizard of Oz through QPAC right now.
