The reviews for THE WIZ are in, and it seems to have all the makings of another FCP Hit!
From Jo Ledingham, Vancouver Courier
“Undaunted by all this history, Fighting Chance Productions’ Ryan Mooney skips down his own yellow brick road and offers his fresh, pop culture take on The Wiz.”
“Jenny Moase, spookily Palinesque, brings the house down with “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News” and a death scene to die for.”
“Jenn Suratos is really in her groove when she sings, “Y’All Got It!”
“Blaney, Fontaine and Parsons all hit their marks vocally and dramatically; Parsons plays the Cowardly Lion with a gay, heavily made-up Michael Jackson or Prince with flamboyancy that makes his performance a whole lot of fun.”
“Petite Tuliao is pigtailed Dorothy in cut-offs and, instead of magical silver shoes, magical red high top runners. She may be small but she packs a powerful voice while executing choreographer Dawn Ewen’s fancy footwork.”
“The good news is that there’s no skimping on the band—Graham Clark, Daniel Fortin, Jane Milliken, Mark Richardson and Nico Rhodes—under the musical direction of Christopher King. They pump out a big sound that kept some of us hanging around after the curtain.”
“Small on slick, huge on heart—that’s Fighting Chance Productions and this show.”
From Raul Pacheco, Hummingbird604.com
“Ryan Mooney, artistic director of FCP, has built an ensemble of fantastic young actors who give their all in each and every production they perform in.”
“The Wiz is a must-see, witty, irreverent and funky production.”
“Sean Parsons is as always, incredibly funny in his incarnation of The Lion, although for God… that hair, that hair!”
“Nick Fontaine, who owns my heart with every performance I see him at, showcases his voice for the first time since I last saw him in Rent.”
“Lucas Blaney melted my heart with his portrayal of a brain-less scarecrow, and his vocal abilities are notable.”
“The one who steals the night and who is absolutely brilliant (without any detriment to the rest of her cast) is Arielle Tuliao in the role of Dorothy. Man, does that girl know how to sing, and HOW! Arielle is going places, trust me on that one.”
“I was absolutely in love with each and every number.”
“Jennifer Suratos as Aunt Em, and Glinda (Emily Canavan) have some powerful pipes, and they aren’t shy about showcasing them.”
From Kathleen Oliver, Georgia Straight
“Though the multicultural cast of this Fighting Chance production is largely white, the show retains a strong sense of the street. And its playful references to contemporary events make it a delightful ride.”
“Director Ryan Mooney makes countless witty updates”
Mooney also makes clever nods to today’s world in the form of characterizations. “Sean Parsons’s cowardly Lion is an adorably soft-spoken, androgynous man-child in drag, whose every utterance elicits sympathetic “aawww”s.”
“Jennifer Suratos neatly captures the imperiousness beneath the charm.”
“The evening’s high point comes courtesy of Evilline, the red-power-suited, dainty-rifle-toting Wicked Witch of the West, governor of “Ozlaska”. Jenny Moase’s apoplectic delivery of Evilline’s “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News”, and her subsequent death scene, are deliriously over the top.”
“Emily Canavan has a star turn late in the show as Glinda, singing “Believe in Yourself” with the power and glamour of a pro.”
“Arielle Tuliao is a terrific singer who beautifully captures Dorothy’s sweet innocence.”
“The ensemble tackles Charlie Smalls’s soulful songs with aplomb, and Dawn Ewen’s choreography fills the stage to bursting with youthful energy and athleticism.”
“Karen Van Es’s colourful costumes help make the jubilation palpable—and infectious.”
“Christopher King ably directs a five-piece band whose cool precision eases us on down this thoroughly delightful road. It’s a trip well worth taking.”
From Mark Robins, GayVancouver.Net
“Clever, funny and with a few outstanding performances, this production should be enough to make you want to ease on down to Performance Works.”
“Lucas Blaney captures the loose-limbed Scarecrow with ease and it was fun to watch as his innocent vacant look remained until he actually receives his brain.”
“Nick Fontaine as the Tin Man pulls out a beautiful rendition of “What Would I Do If I Could Feel”.”
“Sean Parson’s portrayal of the Lion as some sort of Tim Curry sweet transvestite outcast from Rocky Horror brought another fresh spin.”
“Arielle Tuliao does a nice job as Dorothy and as she sings of “Home” in the show’s finale I saw not a few in the audience wiping away tears.”
“It was Jenn Suratos in the dual role as Aunt Em and the great and powerful Wiz who nails both her songs and characters. From her opening number “The Feeling We Once Had” as Aunt Em, to the inspirational “Believe in Yourself” towards the end as The Wiz, Suratos proves her versatility and talent. Her impersonation of a certain famous talk show diva had me laughing at loud.”
“Making me really sit-up and take notice though was Emily Canavan who makes her appearance late in the show as Glinda the Good Witch. Her show-stopping “If You Believe” nearly had me on my feet.”
“Choreographer Dawn Ewen once again gives her cast a work out and I continue to admire that she is not willing to dumb-down her choreography to the lowest common denominator. This cast works hard under Ewen’s direction and it translates well.”
From Ed Farolan, ReviewVancouver.org
“Give Ryan Mooney any musical and he converts it to magic.”
“Jenny Moase, in my opinion, was the show stealer.”
“I enjoyed the energy, the gusto, the love of theatre that these young thespians displayed: the acrobatics of Lucas Blaney, the transvestite transformation of Sean Parsons, the soulful singing of Nick Fontaine and the childlike innocence of Arielle Tuliao.”
“Choreographer Dawn Ewen did a fantastic job with the dance numbers, and Musical Director Christopher King did a superb job with the songs and music.”
“So be sure you don’t miss your chance to catch this show.”
LEALA SELINA: Leala is simply thrilled to be in her first Fighting Chance production! Originally form West Yorkshire in England, Leala immigrated to Canada in 2002 where she discovered her love of acting! As a graduate of the ASAS program at Capilano University Leala currently auditions for film, television and Theatre while working towards completing her theatre degree. Leala recently played Constanza in Amadeus where she won best supporting female actress in the Greater Vancouver Zone Festival. She is also a member of The Shameless Plugs sketch comedy group! Some past roles include: Constanza in Amadeus, Kate in She Stoops to Conquer, Milady de Winter in The Three Musketeers, Sarah in Female Transport, Renee in the Female Version of The Odd Couple, Jane Lamb in Glamorgan, Rosamund in Fair Rosamund and her Murderer, Mary Magdalene in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot & Snowy in HONK! Leala thanks her family and Kyle for their constant support and hopes you enjoy the show!
NATALIE SCHNECK: Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Natalie Schneck received her theatre training at SFU Contemporary Arts. She has had the opportunity to perform in works created by Jerome Bel, Eliza Newman-Saul, Radix Theatre, Neworld Theatre, Theatre SKAM, Nature Theater of Oklahoma and Rainforest Theatre. Natalie also co-produced hive: the new bees for the 2009 Vancouver Fringe Festival. Recent projects include dramaturgy for Mariano Pensotti’s La Marea (Push 2011) and performing in Jenna Rae Jacobson’s short film, Tranquilizer that will show at Vancity Theatre in May 2011. Natalie is currently working on Natalie in the Morning (Joanna Garfinkel, Martin Gover) and Beutfl Prblms (Radix Theatre); she is also co-creating Troika, a Ukrainian play that will run at Little Mountain Studios in August 2011.
TONI NIELSEN: Toni is thrilled to be working with Fighting Chance for the first time. Hailing from Lloydminster, SK, Toni is no stranger to the stage. She began dancing at the age of 3, performing all over Saskatchewan and Alberta. Some dance credits include The Nutcracker with the Alberta Ballet and the Grey Cup Half Time Show. Toni is a graduate of the Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts and just completed work on an episode of Fringe (FOX). Toni is looking forward to getting back on stage and would like to thank everyone who made this amazing opportunity possible.
APRIL CAMERON: April Cameron is a graduate from the Capilano Acting for Stage and Screen Program. Previous credits include Pridefly in The Ash Girl, Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Cara in The Vic. Recently she had a principal role in TLC’s Untold Stories of the ER. She is thrilled to be involved in a Fighting Chance Production play and hopes everyone enjoys the show!
