Day 429 Rise on Point, Twirl, or Jump Down the Yellow Brick Road with The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT)- The Wizard of Oz

 

The iconic 1939 Movie, The Wizard of Oz, was a staple in my son’s and my childhood. The story from the classic 1900 novel is a timeless tale that has morphed into many versions.  Pittsburgh Ballet’s premiere of  Septime Webre’s large-scale ballet takes you down the Yellow Brick Road on point, with twirls, jumps, and much more. The beauty of the dance, mixed with special effects, an extravagant set design, and even some puppets, transports you to the wonderful world of OZ.

Reflection

My son and I have a long-time relationship with The Wizard of Oz.  Mine started with singing   “Somewhere over the Rainbow” when feeling episodic childhood sadness. At age 5, my son carried the character dolls around the house, gripping Dorothy the tightest. I recently visited the National History Museum in DC to see the ruby slippers.  I was worried that the ballet interpretation would not stand up to our love for the story. However, PBT exceeded our expectations by capturing each part of this magical tale with each step in the dance.

The Ballet follows the movie closely from the tornado to the Emerald City.  Being so familiar with the narrative, you can relax and enjoy the language of the movement.  

Opening in Kansas, three male dancers are the focus on the farm until the tornado upstages it all. Items ruffled by the wind are projected across a screen backdrop, lights flash, and Dorthy flies through the air suspended on cables.  Everything abruptly blackens with a crash.  A wave of bold colors spread like falling dominoes throughout the stage as Dorothy opens a door to Oz. I wanted to stand up and applaud.

This was a more modern-looking Oz with geometric shapes and vibrant colors. The music had a jazz flair. There were dancing grasshoppers and so much action.  I found myself counting Dorthy’s consecutive spins like those in Swan Lake- “wow.”

The best part was the yellow brick road.  The bricks, or should I say dancers in yellow, lifted Dorthy with a constant ripple of smooth transfers. She was above the ground more than on it.  The Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion each had a different dance style. I particularly enjoyed the isolation body movement of the Tin Man and the strong jumps and turns of the Lion.

There was a lot of flying in this show from Glenda, the Wicked Witch, and yes, even monkeys. An amazing puppet charmed as Toto the dog. The show hit every magical moment with fantastic choreography. It was a night to enjoy the journey down the yellow brick road with perfection by PBT.

 (The Wizard of Oz runs May 9 - May 18, 2025, for tickets, go to https://pbt.org )                                         

Sources

https://pbt.org

25-26 Season https://pbt.org/performances/

https://pbt.org/performances/the-wizard-of-oz-with-the-pbt-orchestra/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2zdYIF5DAY

 

 

 

 

 

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