RIYADH (Rahnuma): People in Riyadh have been enjoying a lavish new rendition of the beloved musical “The Wizard of Oz” for the last week.
The show — a celebration of the classic 1939 movie starring Judy Garland as the young heroine Dorothy Gale — is being performed for the first time in the Kingdom in the Red Hall at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University until Oct. 26. The stunning visual effects employed by the touring production — and, of course, the timeless, classic songs — have left audiences spellbound.
Marc Ciemiewicz, company manager at production company APEX Touring, expressed how important performing in Saudi Arabia is for the cast and crew.
“To be in a country that has never had an American musical theater performance is history-making, and that is what I think is the biggest honor for us,” he told Arab News. “We are part of history. It is something that we can tell our grandchildren: ‘You know what? I was (part of) one of the first shows that ever went to Saudi Arabia.’ That is very exciting.”
Ciemiewicz admitted that no one involved in the show was sure what to expect from a Saudi audience. “It’s a first-of-its-kind experience and we have met with incredible audiences who have absolutely loved the show. It has been such a wonderful thing to be able to bring such a show to a country that has never had that experience.”
The show has already toured twice in the US, then for 13 weeks in China. The regional tour began two weeks ago in Bahrain, before arriving in Dhahran and Riyadh. Its next stop is Jeddah.
