Director Mark Carter reflects on his lifelong love of The Wizard of Oz ahead of CTORA Theatre's upcoming production
Storyline sticks true to the 1939 film based on L. Frank Baum’s novel, from the elaborate costumes to the incidental underscore
Mark Carter.
The Wizard of Oz. Photo by Canna Zhou
CTORA Theatre presents The Wizard of Oz from November 3 to 12 at the Granville Island Stage
MARK CARTER HAS been a fan of The Wizard of Oz since he first saw the film at five years old.
The director, who’s at the helm of CTORA Theatre’s upcoming production of the whimsical musical, says the story—which he’s seen so many times he knows it by heart—has been on his bucket list of shows to work on for as long as he can remember.
With The Wizard of Oz being such a widely beloved tale over the years, there are many versions of the story out there, which was first told in L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz before it was adapted into a film in 1939. CTORA Theatre is presenting the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1987 musical, which includes all the original songs from the film, right down to the incidental underscore.
“A lot of the other versions out there have some changes, and it’s usually to do with the music, or it might be with a few of the scenes,” explains Carter on a call with Stir. “But this version was the closest to the movie, and that was what I insisted on—if we’re going to do The Wizard of Oz, this is the version that I would prefer, because I really want to keep it in that world of the movie. I want to pay homage to the movie, but at the same time, make it our own.”
Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC, the show at the Granville Island Stage features Camryn Macdonald as Dorothy Gale, a young girl who gets swept off her Kansas farm by a tornado that drops her in Oz, a magical new land. Dorothy must find her way home along the Yellow Brick Road, where she meets a cast of adored characters—including the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and Glinda the Good Witch—while fending off attacks from the Wicked Witch of the West.
It’s important to honour accuracy when working with a well-known plot, explains Carter, to ensure that fans are happy when all is said and done. Being a superfan himself, staying true to the original storyline is also a personal mission for the director.
“Especially when you’re dealing with any sort of iconic shows, and when you do classics—because this is a classic—people have a certain expectation level of what they’re going in to see,” Carter says. “And I think sometimes it’s really good when you can change it around and give them something really new and exciting, but a lot of times you also upset the people that are there, because they have their own love of the movie.”
The Wizard of Oz. Photo by Canna Zhou
The costuming is one element that really evokes the film’s magic, from the tip of the Tin Man’s silver funnel hat right down to Dorothy’s sparkling ruby-red slippers. Carter also says he’s left easter eggs from the film throughout the production, which are familiar moments that lifelong fans can connect to.
One of his favourite scenes in the production is an elaborate dance number called the Jitterbug, featuring choreography by Ken Overbey, which pays homage to a part of the movie that was cut in post-production. “There is a line that still actually exists in the movie where the witch says, ‘I’ve sent a little insect along to take the fight out of them,’” says Carter. “And that is her sending off the Jitterbug. The Jitterbug makes them all dance to tire them out before the monkeys come in and take Dorothy away.”
There’s been an atmosphere of fun and positivity during rehearsals, the director shares, with many of the cast members bonding quickly and developing friendships. From the talented bunch of kids playing flying monkeys, to more than 20 characters performing on stage together during an epic Munchkinland scene, there are many moments to look forward to.
“There is a real sense of creativity in the room, and just real positive energy and support for one another, and that’s the type of room that excites me,” says Carter. “And it’s surprising how much energy gets used, you know, just being positive and being creative. By the end of the day, we’re all exhausted. I’m as exhausted as them, and I haven’t been dancing!”
When the film’s 50th anniversary rolled around in 1989, Carter recalls taking a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood in California and being fascinated by all the behind-the-scenes books about the film that were released at the time, detailing everything from the making of magical moments to injuries on set. Above all, he says, that adoration of The Wizard of Oz he’s felt since his childhood is what he hopes to translate into the upcoming production.
“Before we had VHS, or DVD, or anything like that, it came on once or twice a year, and so it was a real special occasion when it came on,” Carter reminisces. “And every time I would see in the TV Guide The Wizard of Oz was going to be on on Sunday night, I looked forward to it, because it was such a beloved story. I fell in love with the characters, and I fell in love with the story. I just hope that somebody else out there can fall in love with it for the first time, or rediscover it and fall in love with it again, because it is a timeless family classic.”
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