By Gillian Brunette
One of the many highlights of the much-anticipated show the Wizard of Oz will be the cast who, in addition to singing, will be dancing their way around the Algonquin Theatre stage in April.
For many, dancing will be a whole new experience but, thanks to the show’s choreographer Suzanne Baxter, they should be just about foot-perfect by opening night.
In addition to the main actors, the cast of Oz includes a number of talented youngsters. However, working with a large group of mostly inexperienced children does have its challenges, Baxter said.
“That’s because (the routines) have to be simple enough for them to learn, yet interesting enough to be effective. That’s the challenge. If it’s too difficult they’ll never get it, and I want this to look as professional as possible, not like a bunch of little kids at a dance recital.”
Baxter understands young children well. She and husband Don have two: four and half-year-old Miltie and Grace, three. As well, she began her own dancing career at the tender age of five, in Hamilton. “I learned to dance first with ballet, then got into jazz, and a bit of tap,” she recalled. “Later, I joined a dance troupe doing small shows for functions and special events.”
COME DANCING: Choreographer Suzanne Baxter is surrounded by some of the young dancers who will appear in the Wizard of Oz, which opens at the Algonquin Theatre on April 16.
She was 19 when she was hired for the Las Vegas-style show at Deerhurst Resort. It was 1982. “I saw an ad in the Hamilton Spectator, auditioned and got the job.”
Baxter remained at Deerhurst for six years, and then moved on to various other gigs before returning to the Deerhurst show in 1993 for a further six years.
“Then I left and established my esthetics business and, soon after that, I got involved with local productions,” she said, adding that her first acting part was in a Bracebridge play titled The Amorous Ambassador.
As a former professional dancer, Baxter segued into choreography with little difficulty. Her first show was Michele and Jim Collins’ production The Sound of Music at All Saints’ Sutherland Hall about seven years ago. “That was the best experience,” said Baxter.
Next, Baxter co-choreographed the North Muskoka Players’ production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Algonquin Theatre with Annette Casullo, also a former Deerhurst show performer. Then came Aida, which she co-choreographed with yet another Deerhurst show alumna Camille Dziewurski.
Baxter was sole choreographer for Fiddler on the Roof and Annie, the latter being her favourite to this point. “Working with all those little girls was wonderful,” she said.
Asked to explain the process of choreographing a show, Baxter replied: “After listening to a song a million times, I put it into sections and, in each section, there might be a different formation. I let the lyrics guide me as to what (the dancers) will be doing when choreographing individuals,” she explained.
“In a situation like Scarecrow or the Tinman numbers, you can sometimes brainstorm with the actor. For instance, Scarecrow is going to be doing a lot of falling and I’ve not done falling choreography before, so we will have to work on that.”
Baxter also watched the movie version of Oz. “I have taken some ideas from that. The audience expects certain dance steps they have seen for years, such as the jog along the Yellow Brick Road. That’s so much part of what Oz is. Furthermore, a classic like the Wizard of Oz shouldn’t be re-invented. You have to stick with the original ideas,” she said.
The Wizard of Oz is presented by the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, the North Muskoka Players and the Huntsville Rotary clubs, and opens at the Algonquin Theatre on April 16 for nine performances. Tickets are $80 for a family of four, $25 for adults and $20 for youth under 18, and are on sale now at the Algonquin Theatre box office on Main Street, by dialling 789-4975, or online at www.algonquintheatre.ca.
