Montford Park Players put on a wonderful, wonderful, ‘Wonderful Wizard of Oz’

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” is not the musical, but it is not the L. Frank Baum book, either. The Montford Park Players show is another wonderful thing entirely. Read our review below.

When will “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” be performed?

“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” will be staged by the Montford Park Players at 7:30 p.m., Friday to Sunday, May 1-30 at Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St., Asheville. Admission is free and open to the public.

Who stars in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”?

“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was adapted from the L. Frank Baum book by V. Glasgow Koste and directed by Erin McCarson. The show stars George Dippold as Frank Baum/Oz, Lauren Otis as Dorothy, Paula O’Brien as Scarecrow, Katie Alexander as Tin Woodman, Goober Berdine as Lion, Lucy Hester as Toto, Christine Hellman as The Witches, Strother Stingley as Uncle Henry/Guard, Jill Winkoff as Aunt Em, Reese Pifer as The Stagehand and Austin Tate as The Stagehand/Lion Understudy.

The show was stage managed by Caitlin Marshall with assistant stage management by Noelle Lane, choreographed by Kristi DeVille and costumed by Kelly Chambers with assistance by Olivia Emery. Lighting design was by Jason Williams and set design by Malorie McGalliard. Penelope Hellman was assistant to the assistant stage manager.

Review: “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by the Montford Park Players

Let’s get this straight right from the top: The Montford Park Players are not adapting “The Wizard of Oz,” the 1939 musical directed by Victor Fleming. Instead, the Players have staged an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” written by V. Glasgow Koste. That means no ruby slippers, no green-skinned witch and no “Over the Rainbow.” Dorothy, Toto and their three friends are all pretty much the same characters you know and love, minus a gingham dress or two, but their misadventures were a lot stranger in the book, and, consequently, on the stage.

One thing specific to the Baum book that “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” adapted was the four forms the Wizard took speaking to Dorothy and friends.

One thing specific to the Baum book that “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” adapted was the four forms the Wizard took speaking to Dorothy and friends.

One thing specific to the Baum book that “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” adapted was the four forms the Wizard took speaking to Dorothy and friends.

One thing specific to the Baum book that “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” adapted was the four forms the Wizard took speaking to Dorothy and friends.

In all honesty, I don’t like Baum’s book all that much. It’s meandering, bloated and, at times, quite dull. The film adaptation took its best parts – Dorothy and her pals, the yellow brick road, the “gifts” from the Wizard – and made them iconic, while the book diluted its narrative with kooky misadventures. Preparing for this show, I was trepidatious about how all of the minor escapades of the book would translate into a straight play.

Fortunately, I had the wrong idea about Koste’s “Oz.” The playwright’s solution to the idiosyncrasies of Baum’s book was to make Baum the narrator of the play. The story is framed as though the author was adapting his story for the stage himself. During the show, Baum, played by a very charming George Dippold, collected props for his characters, explained plot developments for the audience and even took on the role of the Wizard.

The impression that Baum was spinning his yarn in real-time created a loose, folksy vibe across the entire production. The set was minimal, solely made up of Baum’s three prop boxes and a curtain. Furthermore, the backstage was left open and visible from the stands. When they were not in front of the curtain, the actors were left to be themselves, changing into costumes, doing their makeup and watching the show in full view of the audience.

The open set was like a visual representation of the Kansas and Oz relationship in the story. Just like Kansas was “real-life” before Dorothy was transported to the magical land of Oz, backstage was reality for the actors before they transformed into their characters onstage.

Without the pressure of recreating the performances of Judy Garland and company, the actors were also free to bring some delightfully creative silliness to their parts. Paula O’Brien’s Scarecrow, for instance, sported a sterling Scottish accent. Lucy Hester, in an insanely committed performance, yipped and wagged better than a real Toto would. Christine Hellman, in dual roles as the Good and Wicked Witches, brought a wry hilarity with her.

The friends prepare to embark on the Yellow Brick Road.

Lucy Hester gave a committed performance as Toto.

Lauren Otis was a standout of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” as Dorothy.

The MVP of the piece, however, was Lauren Otis. Otis gave a lights-out performance as Dorothy. From her exaggerated Kansas accent to her understated comic timing, Otis went over the rainbow with the part. I haven’t laughed that hard watching an actor in ages.

The Montford Park Players’ 2026 season has only just started, but “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” will be a hard act to top. The Wizard himself couldn’t grant you a better time at Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre.