“Left of Oz”: Love, song and dance on the Yellow Brick Road

From Left to Right, Jazmin (Amelia Mae Paradise), Dorothy (Sarah Mosby) and Kat (Helene J.)

Who knew the denizens of Oz could be so human? It’s true when the stand-in for Oz is colorful San Francisco, and the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man are all vibrant denizens of the lesbian community.

On Friday, under the arching whale bone proscenium of the Ashby Stage in Berkeley, Stephanie Reif’s musical “Left of Oz” played to a gregarious and engaged crowd of young and old, regulars and new attendees, and gay and straight couples. The play begins with a young Dorothy (Sarah Mosby) coming out of the closet to her Aunt Emma (Val Scott) on the farm in Kansas, and follows her ups and downs as she heads to San Francisco, seeking love and adventure.

On the way, she meets a hippy-dippy stoner by the name of Jazmin (the Scarecrow equivalent played by Amelia Mae Paradise) and the gruff-but-loveable Kat (Helena J. filling the shoes of the Cowardly Lion). Dorothy also falls in love with aerobics instructor Toni (Tonilyn A. Sideco, a very loose adaptation of the Tin Man) and is menaced by Temptressa (Assistant Director and Wicked Witch of the West stand-in Adrienne Seltzer).

The story is less “Wizard of Oz” and more “Country Mouse in the Big City.” Dorothy’s adventures and travails are thoroughly modern, from navigating leather bars and rock concerts to a fluttery first date at a coffee shop. The parallels between the original “Oz” and “Left” are very loosely drawn, which suits just fine. The main narrative chugs along merrily of its own accord without hitting every beat of the 1939 classic, and allowing the story to stand on its own two feet showcases its strengths.

Both story and actors deserve mention for making this musical work: the sweet, awkward, and endearing courtship between Dorothy and Toni bring life and believability to the tale, while fine performances (especially from Amelia Mae Paradise and Helena J.) give the show it’s heart and soul. The scatterbrained, new-age, constantly loopy (and stoned) Jazmin is a brilliant take on the brainless Scarecrow.

But it’s Kat who really steals the show. Helene J. pulls off a pitch-perfect blend of swagger, flirtatiousness, and brash humor tempered with occasional flashes of vulnerability and self-depreciation. A lion not so much cowardly but aware of her own shortcomings, and boisterous in spite of them.

Mosby makes the most out of Dorothy, who as the archetypal ingenue is by turns wide-eyed, awkward, and head-over-heels in love. Scott’s Aunt Emma gets some humorous dialog and a chance to show off her powerful set of pipes in the opening number “Follow Your Dreams.” Stephanie Reif herself portrays the motherly Glenda Ellen (of Sonoma), while the Oz Dancers (Michelle Cooper, Jessie Marie Austin, Andy Major and Melinda Moore) shimmy and shake seductively in the numerous dance numbers.

Despite a sultry performance, the rubenesque Temptressa remains the weakest link in the chain of “Left of Oz;” a dea ex machina (along with Glenda Ellen) who comes out at the right time to goose the story along. As one of the few “magical” beings in the play (the story as a whole could easily be divested of its “Oz” trappings and remain an intact and believable tale), it’s almost as if Reif was unable to draw a closer-to-real-life parallel for the Wicked Witch and lifted her more or less intact from the original movie. If the human drama hadn’t been perfectly adequate to move the plot, this might have been less of an issue. As it is, the character feels a bit tacked on; popping out for an occasional soliloquy and disappearing just as quickly.

The play also suffers from mood whiplash late in the third act. Dorothy’s homecoming is interrupted by a spat between Glenda Ellen and Temptressa, a conflict at once potentially intriguing yet resolved in so perfunctory a fashion as to simply be drama for drama’s sake. Likewise the reuniting of the lovers Dorothy and Toni, whose explanation for her own disappearance is a drama bomb that lands with a resounding thud given the previous happy-go-lucky mood of the entire play. Credit again goes to Sideco, who’s earnest performance as Toni saves the final scene from swerving too quickly.

Despite these weaknesses, “Left of Oz” remains a fun romp; full of humor and heart, flashy sets and melodious musical numbers. At its best, it’s a simple testament to the power of love (regardless of who you share your affections with), featuring likable characters and catchy tunes. “Left of Oz” will be finishing out its run at the Ashby Stage tonight, July 17 and Sunday, July 18.

To learn more about “Left of Oz,” visit http://www.leftofoz.com/. For more events at the Ashby Stage, visit http://www.shotgunplayers.org/ashbystage.htm.

James Keith is the Arts and Entertainment Editor for the California Beat. Contact James at jkeith@californiabeat.org.