The Wiz

The Wiz
Ignite Theatre
Aurora Fox Arts Center
Aurora, CO
January 7-29, 2017

Earlier this month, Ignite Theatre announced that their January run of The Wiz would be their last. After seven years, the company will be shutting its doors. It made attending the show bittersweet.

Before the show began, one of Ignite’s board members pointed out that the set was composed of pieces from the previous 30 productions by the company. It was interesting, however, sentimental collection did little to set the scene for The Wiz.

The story for The Wiz is familiar even if many of the songs are not. The script seemed choppy and the band usually overpowered the vocalists. All these elements made the story hard to follow – it’s fortunate that most of us already know it.

The cast was young – overall the singing was stronger than the acting. A high point was the song “Lion,” by the Cowardly Lion. His performance was over the top and fun. Dorothy and her other friends were more generic.

The costumes for the show were well thought out as modern clothing and yet relating to the traditional characterizations. The Tin Man’s silver jeans and shirt were perfect for him and Dorothy’s silver sneakers were sparkly enough to make traditionalists happy.

After the show the majority of main characters circulated with the audience still in their costumes. Dorothy, in particular, made herself available to meet the children and take photos.  It's these special moments that make local theaters special for patrons.

The Wiz was not Ignite’s strongest production. But it is an enjoyable way to say goodbye to a talented member of Denver’s theatre community.