Photo Source: Jeremy Daniel
Now imagine what would happen if this Nick Jr. chica starred in "The Wiz." The result would be something akin to "The Yellow Brick Road," inspired by "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum, with a book by Mando Alvarado and Tommy Newman and music and lyrics by Jaime Lozano and Newman. The show's language lessons are lost in the effort to be hip for older children, and the attempts to teach younger children dilute any coolness.
The show is not without its merits. It's a great opportunity for children to see theater, and I was stunned by how still the multitude of children, presumably on summer camp field trips, sat throughout the duration. I've been at many other shows where the adults were more disruptive than these kids were.
Dora—there is no direct relation to the cartoon, though she does tote a backpack—is caught between two worlds. Her mother (a versatile Lexi Rhoades, who also plays Carnival Gloria, a monkey, and the Wizard) is throwing her a quinceañera, the Latin American tradition for a girl's 15th birthday. Instead of relishing her family's heritage, Dora (a playful Virginia Cavaliere) would rather have an iPhone and dance to Beyoncé. Then the uninvited La Curandera (Natalie Toro, who also plays La Bruja) interrupts the celebration and casts a spell on Dora, sending her into Oz.
The traditional story unfolds from there with a few tweaks. The Tin Man becomes the Iron Chef (an operatic Frank Viveros), with a body made of pots and pans and a passion for cooking. Cedric Leiba Jr.'s pintsize Mountain Lion lacks courage and also has a bit of an Enrique Iglesias flair. Ryan Duncan's fun-loving Scarecrow doesn't stray much from the original and harbors a desire to be a college professor. Toto is a Chihuahua, portrayed by hand puppet in the aforementioned backpack, and the ruby slippers unlock the power of dance. There's a dance off that includes everything from Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," and the children got both dance references.
While I was somewhat surprised that they recognized Beyoncé, I was impressed that they caught the Jackson reference. Devanand Janki and Robert Tatad's choreography lacks creativity, and "El Camino Amarillo" ("The Yellow Brick Road"), the show's answer to "Ease on Down the Road," uses the same dance steps again and again. The generic pop score is short on diversity, and the shallow lyrics muddle even the simplest Spanish words.
Roger Hanna's simple, flexible set works well for the constantly changing scenery, and Sydney Maresca's costumes, from Dora's cotton candy–colored quinceañera dress to La Bruja's skull-laced red number, suit the characters well. The Iron Chef's pots-and-pans ensemble is particularly intriguing.
If entertaining an elementary schooler is the end goal, then this show is a great option. It's free, it's short, and the kids seemed to like it. However, the show's entertainment value supersedes its educational merit. The lessons too often get lost in the writers' quest for comedy, and while the children may laugh, parents and teachers might have more work to do at home and in the classroom after the curtain falls.
Presented by Theatreworks USA, by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Foundation, at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St., NYC. July 27–Aug. 19, Schedule varies. Tickets are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis in person on the day of the performance, distributed one hour prior to curtain. For info: (212) 627-7373 or www.theatreworksusa.org.
