The Wiz
at Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary

Reviewed on April 24, 2014

Marissa Giuliani
Lakeshore Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to

Flying houses, munchkins and wicked witches oh my! One glimpse into Dorothy's journey as portrayed in Blessed Trinity's production of The Wiz, and it's clear you're not in Kansas anymore. A modern adaptation of the timeless classic by L. Frank Baum, The Wiz is an upbeat tale of chasing your dreams and believing in yourself, with the added bonus of a score soulful enough to make you want to ease on down the yellow brick road.

The story begins when Dorothy (Melissa Alunni), a young girl from Kansas, finds herself a long way from home after a tornado has transported her to the strangest of cities. She is informed that the only way to get home is to find the great and powerful Wiz in the Emerald City. Along the way she meets a scarecrow in need of a brain, a tinman longing for a heart and a cowardly lion seeking courage. The four newly acquainted friends make their way to the Emerald City but soon find themselves in a bit of trouble as The Wiz only agrees to help them once they've killed the wicked witch Evillene, a feat surely impossible.

Laced with comedy and excitement, the soulful musical was entertaining from beginning to end thanks to the spirited cast whose energy never wavered despite the demanding choreography and numerous songs. The ensembles were excellent at collectively providing variety to the show and keeping the production interesting.

The soulful stylings of certain actors truly made the show, bringing to the stage an outstanding musical aspect. Memorable performances included Aunt Em (Rachel Malevich), whose passionate voice perfectly fit the characteristic blues of the deep south. Evillene (Sara Valvasori) gave an outstandingly powerful performance of "No Bad News" and Glinda's (Stephanie Deshane) extraordinary musical talent was definitely fitting for the good witch of the south.

The talents of Blessed Trinity's cast were also evident in the characters of Addaperle (Joslyn Galloway), the hilarious witch of the north whose eccentric style and contemporary humour made her an audience favourite, and The Lion (David Wilton), whose excellent stage presence and quick comedy kept viewers entirely entertained.

Simple but incredibly designed sets with the help of marvellous costumes allowed for the audience to be transported to the exclusive land of Oz. The orchestra, although wonderful, was unfortunately a bit too loud and sometimes overwhelming compared to the voices of the actors. However, the live music added to the overall entertainment of the show.

All in all, the show was delightful. The cast did an excellent job of portraying the absurd tale of friendship, courage and self-confidence with music that had viewers singing along in anticipation for more. Blessed Trinity did an excellent job in their production of The Wiz, proving that sometimes whatever it is we're searching for, is already inside of us.

Norah Chaput
Laura Secord Secondary
Submitted for publication to

This past weekend the audiences of Blessed Trinity Secondary School were whisked off their seats into the magical land of Oz. In its first ever musical, Blessed Trinity performed The Wiz, a soulful twist on the timeless fantasy written by L. Frank Baum.

We followed Dorothy, played by Melissa Alunni, down the yellow brick road and shared her experience in the land of Oz. Alunni's acting brought the youthful and curious Dorothy to life. She was committed to her character throughout the show, and her delightful singing added to Dorothy's charismatic character.

Quickly joining Dorothy on her journey to meet the Wizard was the Scarecrow, portrayed by Xanthi Zourntos. Having a female play the Scarecrow added diversity to the musical. Singing a song at the beginning of the show, Scarecrow expressed her desire to receive a brain and explained that nothing would get in her way. Zourntos had quick comedic timing that added to her character and helped lighten some of the darker content in the musical.

The immalleable Tinman, played by Thomas Kaplaniak, joined Dorothy and the Scarecrow on their way to see the Wizard, in search of a heart. Kaplaniak opened as a very timid character but as the musical progressed, so did his confidence in his role.

The final character that accompanied Dorothy was the Cowardly Lion. Played by David Wilton, his meek lovable character actually had a dominant and comfortable stage presence. With his quick comedic timing, he was a true crowd pleaser.

In Act Two we were introduced to many darker and eccentric characters including the Wiz, played by Gerrit Luimes, and Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Sara Valvasori. Both actors commanded the stage and captivated the audience with their powerful personalities. Rounding out the cast was Glinda, the Good Witch, played by Stephanie Deshane. Her onstage movements were soft and her singing was flawless. Glinda taught Dorothy the secret to getting home and through a transition of complex lighting and powerful music, Dorothy found herself back in Kansas.

Many musical transitions carried the show through the changes in scenery. They were upbeat, lively and engaged the audience. The choreographed dance combinations with the Munchkin ensemble was fun and entertaining. The use of lighting and smoke machines helped add a magical effect to many transitions and each was accompanied by the live student orchestra.

The Wiz was a wonderful performance. Like Dorothy, the audience escaped from reality into Blessed Trinity's magical land of Oz and was brought back to find there really is "no place like home"!

Jade Biggar
Ridley College
Submitted for publication to

Travel down the Yellow Brick Road and into the Land of Oz where the fantastical meets reality. Now add a Gospel chorus, a few sassy witches and a New Orleans vibe and you've got yourself The Wiz. The lively adaptation of the classic story was brought to life on The Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School stage. Friendship, self-discovery, and bravery found their way to the stage, creating a lovable show.

The show opens in Kansas where an unenthused and unmotivated Dorothy seeks adventure. The play follows her as she finds that adventure in a new land searching for the place that she longs to be while stopping to make a few friends on the way.

The show had many memorable characters, but one cannot talk about The Wiz without mentioning the protagonist Dorothy, played by Melissa Alunni. Dorothy longs to leave Kansas and her prayers are answered when she winds up in Oz, an exciting place filled with a zany group of people and a few other talking objects. Her mission is to return home, but first she must visit the Wizard and deal with the challenges presented to her. Alunni did a great job of playing Dorothy, a girl that the audience couldn't help loving and sympathizing with. Through a range of songs and interactions with the other cast members, Alunni brought Dorothy to life on the Blessed Trinity stage.

As the audience traveled on the adventure with Dorothy they were introduced to three very important characters: Scarecrow, played by Xanthi Zourntos; Tinman, played by Thomas Kaplaniak; and Lion, played by David Wilton. These three characters formed Dorothy's support system as she traveled on her journey home. All three brought comedy and light to the stage. Being without a brain, courage, and a heart never got these characters down as they danced and sang their way through life.

As the play came to a close the audience was introduced to one more character -Glinda, played by Stephanie Deshane. As soon as she stepped on stage she took command as the Good Witch. When she started to sing she entranced the audience. Every note was perfect with a flawlessness in her voice.The entire time she was on stage all eyes and ears were glued to her. It was a treat to listen to her beautiful voice and watch her establish herself as a powerful character in only a short time.

The sets and props gave a New Orleans feel to the show and the set changes were done quickly and efficiently.

All in all, the show was lively and definitely a treat to watch. Blessed Trinity transported the audience fully into the world of Oz.