HOLLAND, Mich.–Director Marcus Denard Johnson has a clear vision for what The Wiz is today and he hosts an out-and-out celebration at Hope Summer Repertory for their opening production of the 2018 season.

Johnson splashes the stage with bright colors and directs a cohesive story line that celebrates the traditional Wizard of Oz story in a very modern way. The Wiz itself first hit the Broadway stage in 1975, but this is no period piece.

If there are not as many actors of color in the cast as there was in the original, part of that must be credited to the fact that this show is performed in repertory with all the other shows of HSRT’s season. However, most of the major roles go to people of color, including making The Wiz a woman, Madeline Jones, who doubles as Aunt Em.

The show’s star is Maya Lagerstam, the young Dorothy with a powerful set of lungs. If you want to see some outstanding belting, you don’t want to miss Lagerstam’s performance in this show. She is able to fill the entire theater with her voice and make the rafters tremble.

She also has tremendous charisma that constantly draws the eye to her—even when she is in a crowd of more colorfully and wildly costumed characters. Her stage presence is commanding and she is fully confident in every moment on stage—which is nearly the entire musical.

That said, Lagerstam also handles the tender moments of the show quite adeptly. Her Dorothy is strong and independent, but still has her moments of fear, of doubt, and of gentle kindness. Lagerstam handles all of those emotions well, showing an acting range that is as wide as her considerable vocal range.

Jones does a lovely job with the contrasting roles of Aunt Em and the Wiz. She opens the musical (after a delightful overture with off-stage singing) with the heartfelt “The Feeling We Once Had,” a beautiful tribute to the relationship between an adult woman and her growing child (even when she is an aunt and not a mom). In that role, Jones is down-to-earth and pure Kansas. When she returns to the stage as the Wiz, she is completely altered—she brings power, pizzazz and an otherworldly aura to the intimidating character. She transforms again later in the musical and captures all the flavor of a Gospel song in the middle of the Emerald City.

Chaz Sanders is the Scarecrow, and he flops and bends in all the necessary ways to convince the audience he is made of straw. It is a fun role and Sanders handles the comic nature of it with ease. Brandon A. Wright is the Tin Man and manages some pretty incredible dancing in a very stiff costume.

The Lion, played by Marcus Martin, did a wonderful job of romping through the stage, snarling and fighting before revealing his more fearful side. Martin and Lagerstam had great charisma and it was clear the two characters had a special bond.

Jasmine Walker played two of the witches, but it was as the Wicked Witch of the West that she shined the most, especially in singing the number, “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News.”

Sanders also doubled as the choreographer and what a show for choreography! There was one big dance set after another and each one featured fantastical movement and dance. Even the smaller numbers had some over-the-top choreography, such as when the dancers in yellow body suits, top hats and canes representing the Yellow Brick Road took to the stage to mark the path that Dorothy and her friends had to travel.

There was also a fantastic dance set early in the show when the tornado hit. Sanders’ choreography, Andrew Vincent’s costumes and Alan Piotrowicz’ lighting and projection made for a thrilling number that set high expectations for the rest of the show—expectations that were met.

Vincent clearly had a blast with his costume design—from the dome-shaped Munchkin outfits decorated with bright cut-outs to the outfits of the Emerald City denizens which hearkened to the Hunger Games to each of the Oz residents that Dorothy either befriended or fought. All of them were fantastical and contributed to the storytelling. It made for a constantly fascinating stage picture, one painted with an array of colors that set each mood.

Piotrowicz’ lighting and projections were responsible for creating each scene and making sure that Johnson could keep the show going at a break-neck pace. The two combined to create the yellow brick road, to move the characters from location to location and to bring extra bling to each scene.

Johnson, who makes his first HRST appearance after acting, directing and teaching theater in New York City since 2008, brings all these disparate elements together in his singular vision that makes “The Wiz” contemporary and exciting. He focuses on the themes of finding home, making friends, and learning how to find oneself on life’s journeys.

There is much to love in HSRT’s “The Wiz,” the first production of their new artistic director. If this show is any indication, the 47-year-old professional company has some exciting days ahead.

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