The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz Visits B&B

       
       No matter what great show you have seen at the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre,  like "Chicago", "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers", "Singin' In The Rain", and "It's A Wonderful Life"  to name a few, their current presentation of  "The Wizard Of Oz" easily joins them. This Beef & Boards version of  "The Wizard Of Oz" is superior  to any other.


       It is possible you would think you might become bored due to the familiarization of the story and music, but that positively is NOT  the case. There is never a dull moment. Even with the familiarity you still can not anticipate what comes next. Enormous credit is due every member of the cast and crew.


       The glorious cast is full of tremendous talent. I have no idea where to start. Of course the main quartet (Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion) hold  this tremendous show together. Lisa Bark is terrific as Dorothy, who sings "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". Doug King is perfect as the Scarecrow. His nimbleness is a beauty to behold. The Tin Man is Jeff  Stockberger, whose professionalism certainly adds to the production. The Cowardly Lion is brilliantly portrayed by Jayson  Elliott, who  sometimes gets big laughs imitating Bert Lahr's comedic character from the movie. I wish he would have done more Bert Lahr. He is hugely entertaining, especially his laugh.


       Trisha Shepherd as the Good Witch Glinda is superb. Aside from her television talent, she has a glorious voice and tremendous acting ability. She looks like a million bucks in her costume. Her first entrance flying over the audience is spectacular. Lynn Perkins is also eye popping as the Wicked Witch, especially when she melts. Her evil laugh can be heard down on the Circle. Deb Wims and Darrin Murrell  are very effective as Dorothy''s Aunt and Uncle. Even the little munchkins are impressive as well as the crows,  the soldiers, and the apple trees. Everyone contributes  to a wonderful show.


       The title role along with Professor Marvel is portrayed by the delightful Eddie Curry. Incidentally, his dog Gracie plays Toto, the dog. Eddie is so smooth on stage. He can play any role with aplomb. His expert direction along the excellent choreography by Ron Morgan makes for a super evening. Other crew members that deserve mentioning are Michael Layton for his set design, Ryan Koharchik for his lighting and especially Jill Kelly  for her costuming. This terrific show runs through July 15th. In my opinion every performance should be sold out.