Review: The Wizard of Oz: The Toto-ly Awesome Family Musical conjures joy on the Winter Garden stage | Canada Voices

• Title: The Wizard of Oz: The Toto-ly Awesome Family Musical
• Written by: Matt Murray
• Director: Ted Dykstra
• Actors: Dan Chameroy, Jordan Bell, Georgia Bennett, Andrew Broderick, Jonathan Cullen, Saphire Demitro, Eddie Glen, Sierra Holder, Tyler Pearse, Julia Pulo, Kirstyn Russelle, Vanessa Sears
• Company: Canadian Stage in association with the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres
• Venue: Winter Garden Theatre
• City: Toronto
• Year: To Jan. 5, 2025

“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain,” the not-so-wonderful Wizard of Oz instructs in the classic 1939 film. To this day, the wizard’s reveal as an all-too-human con man remains one of the best moments in cinema, a gut punch to the idea of believing in magic and panache.

In the case of Toronto’s annual holiday pantomime, the man behind the curtain has always been Ross Petty, the producer, director and performer who for nearly three decades made sure the show happened every year. When Petty retired in 2022, the city’s holiday season lost a bit of sparkle.

Thanks to Canadian Stage, the holiday musical is back for 2024, with Petty on board as “executive director emeritus.” For the most part, the project has maintained its festive cheek. This year’s source material is The Wizard of Oz – and to writer Matt Murray’s credit, the script indulges in very few Wicked references.

We meet Dorothy (Six’s Julia Pulo, in fine vocal form here) on an eggplant farm in Guelph, Ont. L. Frank Baum’s Aunt Em has been replaced with Plumbum, a beloved recurring character. Seeing the sassy sidekick back onstage (played as always by Dan Chameroy with razor-sharp wit and huge heart) feels like reconnecting with an old friend. Even after the break, Plumbum’s lost none of her sparkle, both metaphorically and literally: She’s dressed this time in a fabulously gaudy purple tutu designed by Ming Wong.

Soon enough, that infamous tornado hits Guelph, eventually landing Dorothy and Plumbum in a mystical land called Torozto. Props to Murray for finding every possible “Oz” pun in the city (and then some). You’ll never see Ossington Street (Ozzington Street) or Yonge-Dundas Square (Dund-oz Square) the same way.

From then on, it’s essentially The Wizard of Oz as you’ve come to expect it, but with a hefty dash of Toronto humour. Local politicians of decades past haunt the CN Tower; hipsters harangue the un-haute in the west end; Parasite-esque mansions dot rolling piles of money in Forest Hill. It’s all very silly, and it’s all very fun.

Dorothy’s friends are as lovable as they’ve ever been. Scarecrow is played with jolly flair by panto pro Eddie Glen, and Jonathan Cullen and Saphire Demitro bring up the rear as Tin Man and Lion, respectively.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Oz (or a panto) without a villain to boo. Vanessa Sears, fresh off her debut season at the Stratford Festival, hams up the aptly named Nastina for all she’s worth, belting up to the stratosphere as the wicked witch tries to steal Dorothy’s ruby Blundstones.

Director Ted Dykstra works with his tight team of creatives to conjure utter joy on the Winter Garden stage, with pop-culture allusions both brash and subtle to appeal to audiences across the spectrum of age. Choreographer Jennifer Mote has snuck in a few TikTok dances – eagle-eyed Gen Zs might spot the routine made viral by Charli XCX’s Apple – and music director Mark Camilleri leads a delightful band. (Camilleri’s arrangements of pop songs such as Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For? and Chappell Roan’s Hot to Go! are great, too, and help those tracks land comfortably in the world of musical theatre.)

But Petty’s absence looms large over the production, despite the living legend’s credit in the program. I found myself missing his irreverent “ad breaks” – a feature of his pantos that poked fun at their funders. I wish, too, that the ensemble had a few more people in it; group dance numbers could have used a touch more energy on the night I attended.

A prerecorded guest appearance from Mayor Olivia Chow, as well, is a bit gimmicky. (No need to spoil who she’s playing: You can probably make an educated guess.)

There’s a learning curve to pantomime for audiences, too. Boos and cheers are encouraged; questions asked by the actors are meant to be answered. My performance’s relatively quiet crowd could’ve used a how-to guide on how to heckle.

Those quibbles will almost certainly be ironed out next year. If Canadian Stage is wise, they’ll hold on to the Petty panto and not let go.

It’s a touch trite to point out that this year’s production highlights the idea that “there’s no place like home,” but, hey, The Wizard of Oz has remained a classic for a reason. There’s no show like the panto, there’s no city like Toronto and there’s no bestie like Plumbum.

In the interest of consistency across all critics’ reviews, The Globe has eliminated its star-rating system in film and theatre to align with coverage of music, books, visual arts and dance. Instead, works of excellence will be noted with a critic’s pick designation across all coverage. (Television reviews, typically based on an incomplete season, are exempt.)