Dorothy and her friends get a clever makeover in The Wiz.

Book by William F. Brown. Music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls. Based on the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Directed by Ryan Mooney. Musical direction by Christopher King. A Fighting Chance production. At Performance Works on Thursday, April 21. Continues until April 30

There’s no place like the theatre.

The Wiz was conceived in 1974 as an all-black take on The Wizard of Oz. 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.

In this version of William F. Brown’s script, it’s a malfunctioning TV set, not a tornado, that sucks Dorothy out of her dull Kansas home life into the magical land of Oz. Director Ryan Mooney makes countless other witty updates: the Wicked Witch of the East is killed by a tossed speaker at a street party, her ruby slippers are a pair of red high-top sneakers, and the Tin Man swills his lubricant of choice from an unmarked bottle.

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 aawwws. The Wizard is an empire-building daytime talk-show host, and Jennifer Suratos neatly captures the imperiousness (“Oh. I don’t gotta do anything”) beneath the charm. But 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.

The other leads are also strong: Emily Canavan has a star turn late in the show as Glinda, singing “Believe in Yourself” with the power and glamour of a pro. And Arielle Tuliao is a terrific singer who beautifully captures Dorothy’s sweet innocence.

The ensemble tackles Charlie Smalls’s soulful songs (the best-known is “Ease on Down the Road”) 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.