Rainbow Magic Shines in A.C.T.’s Fabulous Land of Oz
American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) has done something marvelous. They’ve combined the excitement and sense of community that happens during Pride in San Francisco, along with a giant glitter bomb of childhood nostalgia and whimsy, mixed with Tony Award-winning creativity, that produced a new take on “The Wizard of Oz” that stays true to its roots. They have not changed a word of the Broadway adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s beloved story. Instead, the purposefully queer cast gives new and nuanced meaning to each line.
Katrina Lauren McGraw captivates as Glinda in The Wizard of Oz, performing at A.C.T.’s Toni Rembe Theater now through Sunday, June 25, 2023.
Photo credit: Kevin Berne
The show opened Wednesday, June 8th at the Toni Rembe Theater. Chanel Tilghman as Dorothy Gale tugs at our inner children as she sings her heart out on a farm in Kansas. Meanwhile, a Tasmanian Devil, interpretive dancing, hell child of a hurricane is brewing and its beard is sparkly. I am going to tell you that Travis Santell Rowland’s Tornado performance is truly something to behold.
Chanel Tilghman (Dorothy) and Ada Westfall (Professor Marvel) explore emotions as a result of being overlooked.
Right now so much of the LGBTQIA+ community is fighting to exist in peace in this country. Drag performers are being labeled as “criminals”. This production is an eloquent San Francisco “fuck you” to the political machines seeking to demonize a community that grows stronger in its resilience every day.
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The costumes are designed by Tony Award-winning David Zinn (Edward Albee’s Seascape at A.C.T) and have a wonderful blend of eras that could tell a story of LGBTQIA+ and San Francisco fashion on their own. There is some summer of love, glamorous 70s drag, 80s exuberance, 90s club culture, and even dashes of the Polk Street scene feel woven in.
So go see El Beh dancing in a shiny green mermaid dress as the guard to Oz. Enjoy Danny Scheie’s Scarecrow who capers about the stage with a crushed milk container on his head. Laugh as Darryl V. Jones does his heart-seeking Tin Man dance. Have a PeeWee’s Playhouse flashback when you visit Munchkin Land. There is every reason to smile from beginning to end.
Meanwhile in Oz, El Beh (Guard), Chanel Tilghman (Dorothy), Cathleen Riddley (Cowardly Lion), Danny Scheie (Scarecrow), andDarryl V. Jones (Tin Man) are waiting for you.
The Wizard of Oz is directed by Tony Award–nominated director/choreographer Sam Pinkleton (Soft Power and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) and will play at Toni Rembe Theater through June 25.
Find your Tickets and Show Times Here: act-sf.org
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