words rachel mok

Phil Whelan talks about an upcoming stage version of the movie said to be world’s most watched film of all time.

Somewhere over the rainbow the dreams you dare to dream may really come true, but Phil Whelan can hardly find time to dream at all. As director and conductor of The Hong Kong Singers’ production of The Wizard of Oz – a celebration of the film’s 70th anniversary – the classic tale means a ‘distinct lack of sleep’ for him. For though Whelan is careful about falling into the trap of recreating merely for the sake of recreating, the work he is putting into this production means it will also not be a ‘historical frame by frame re-creation’ of what has often been touted as the most viewed movie in film history.

‘There are a few key lines and “shots” from the film that have been immortalized one way or another and so they must be recreated on stage – little things,’ and the director gives an easy example. ‘In this script the witch says, “I’ll get you eventually, my pretty.” Well, why on earth add an extra word (‘eventually’) to one of the most famous movie lines there is? So I didn’t!’ But he also firmly believes that, although Victor Fleming and Judy Garland’s 1939 film version of Dorothy, Toto and the Wonderful Wizard is listed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, ‘every performance of every live show has surprises all of its own’ and he is not about to reveal all his production’s secrets before the curtain rises.

Whelan does let on, though, that ‘Frank Baum’s original Oz series of stories were “Hollywoodized” into one piece, with lots of other adventures left out. What the audience will see are references to these plus parts of songs and indeed one entire number that, for various reasons, the Hollywood guys decided to remove from the movie.’ Of course, audiences will still be encouraged to clap and sing along to numbers like Over the Rainbow, We’re Off to See the Wizard and Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, though Whelan is mainly focused on the overall effect and how the production holds together: He doesn’t want simplified musical theatre with skin-deep entertainment values. ‘My favourite part is adding layers to each character as we go on. Things often jump out and I’ll say “yes…that’s it” and so bit by bit we try to keep adding extra little dimensions to each element of the show,’ he says.

Much of the effect of the film rests with the contrast the initial and closing sepia scenes in Kansas make with the lurid Technicolor brightness of the rest of the action, which not only creates a surreal sense of fantasy but was also a technical breakthrough in filmmaking at the time. Stage resources are more limited and in comparison, Whelan says, ‘Creating a fantasy world in live theatre is more difficult than in a film as it’s vital to persuade the audience to suspend their disbelief. It’s a very different skill and we have a lot of really experienced theatre arts people helping us achieve this.’

In the lead – which Judy Garland made her own in the film – Whelan has cast Natalie Lipin, who recently appeared in West Side Story at the Lok Hing Lane open amphitheatre in Lan Kwai Fong. It doesn’t concern him, he says, that she will be acting under the shadow of the iconic Garland. ‘It’s true that Judy Garland is indelibly associated with the role of Dorothy. But we’re fortunate to have a lot of talented young singers here in Hong Kong. Natalie’s irresistible combination of a great voice, acting skills and experience in musical shows make her perfect for the role.’

And for the role of Toto, he has found a dog already quite familiar with the spotlight. Baby is the beloved pet of Janice Jensen, who plays the Wicked Witch of the West for Whelan. ‘Baby is part of Animals Asia’s Dr Dog programme,’ explains the director, ‘which brings joy and friendship to hospitals, hospices, homes for the elderly and centres for adults and children with disabilities. So she’s certainly used to all the attention. And she’s behaved beautifully in rehearsals. She’s a star, but we don’t speak dog and she… well, you know the rest.’

The Wizard of Oz runs from May 21-27 at 7:30pm and May 23-24 at 2:30pm at Sheung Wan Civic Centre Theatre. Tickets are $300 on May 22-24 and $270 for the rest of the run from URBTIX, 2734 9009. A charity gala performance on May 22 will support the Children’s Cancer Foundation – tickets of the best seats in the house are priced at $600 and proceeds will be donated to the foundation. Those tickets are available from The Hong Kong Singers at hksingers@hotmail.com.