Anyone that knows me will tell you that I love going to the theatre. Over the years I have watched hundreds of shows in London, other European cities and New York. For me, nothing beats watching brilliant actors performing to a live audience, especially when they are joined by a love orchestra. London’s wizard had me excited!
The Palladium
Last week I popped along to the famous London Palladium to watch the latest celebrity version of ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ It was the first musical I had seen this year and I was intrigued because it included a well known comedian, Jason Manford as the lion and a UK TV legend, Gary Wilmot as the Wizard himself.
Stunning Performances
Dorothy was played by Georgina Onuorah who is fairly new to theatre, having recently graduated but having already impressed audiences in ‘Oklahoma.’ Her voice was stunning and her smile was infectious. Her charisma and skill made Dorothy relatable and helped to keep the narrative going smoothly. She was supported by Christina Bianco as Glinda. Christina had previously acted in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Raincoat. Her range was incredible and she came across brilliantly too.
Using a screen to show certain events, with videos and animation, was a great idea. It was a clever way to allow them to change sets whilst moving the story on.
When I went, Diversity’s Ashley Banjo was off so the Tin Man was played by an understudy. He was an excellent dancer and I would never have guessed he wasn’t part of the main cast (unless I had been expecting Ashley – which I was).
The lion was played by Louis Gaunt. He had been successful in the West End version of Mary Poppins as Bert. He was very funny and full of energy.
What an incredibly talented cast!
I especially liked how they altered some of the songs to include a little bit of rapping and some modern dance routines. A little more funky than before.
Final Thoughts
This was a lively production with some funny, modern spins that made it even more relevant. The singing was amazing and the dancing was first rate. I loved the backdrops, the pace, the orchestra and especially Glinda. I have since noticed she has a funny Youtube where she imitates famous singers. Check it out:
Thank you for taking the time to read my post about the current Palladium version of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ in London.
Have you ever been to see musical theatre? Do you have a soft spot for a certain musical? Would you go to see London’s Wizard?
For another of my recent reviews, have a look at The Barbie Movie Is Cleverer Than You Think – and perhaps drop a comment too.
I absolutely love musical theatre. Toronto has world-class theatre, but we’re lucky to have a small professional theatre company in our area that puts on amazing productions. Last month, I went to see Joseph and yesterday I finally saw Kinky Boots for the first time. It was fabulous.
Aww I love those two too. My fave so far was a production of Gypsy with Imelda Staunton in.
Joseph is my all-time favourite. I’ve seen it several times, including with Donny Osmond way back in the 90’s. This was my first time seeing Kinky Boots. My daughter and I had tickets in 2020 but it was cancelled because of the pandemic. I haven’t seen Gypsy. I will look out for that one.
Not in person (unless you count being in the cast of high school musicals; I had minor parts, as I was not a good singer or dancer).
Me too.
It sounds like you had a fantastic time seeing The Wizard of Oz in London! I love musicals, but it has been a while since I’ve seen one.
I bet there are great shows in beautiful Copenhagen.
They do, but with musicals, the songs are often in English, but the speaking lines will be in Danish
That is cool. I cannot wait to find a reason to go back to Denmark. I always travel by train but it works for me.
I hope you can visit again soon!