I saw the first national tour back in the '70s, and the tornado was done the same way (a long black cloth extending from a female dancer's head), while other dancers moved around her carrying (what looked to be) chimney sweep brooms (fanning out at the top, etc.). They turned the small house around in circles as they changed the set to Munchkinland. It was nearly 30 years ago! And I still remember it vividly. Very effective. Geoffrey Holder's directorial staging was amazing throughout the entire show. The yellow brick road was represented by four hugely-tall male dancers with yellow afros, yellow-bricked tail coats, and long yellow staffs. It was all very stylized, but it worked!
In addition to the cut tracks mentioned previously, I also miss the Emerald City dance number from the Broadway show called "Pssst." It was a heavily disco-ized fashion show when Dorothy and her friends first arrive. Everyone paraded around in their haute couture costumes, speculating on who the 4 new arrivals were. Very cool. I wish more music had been put on the OBCR.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Updated On: 9/11/05 at 10:08 AM