Dogs leap and twirl, actors sing and soar and bubbles float into the lights as children squeal from the front row. “Wizard of dOgZ” does not follow the yellow brick road — it flips over it, paws first.
Running through Sept. 28 at The VORTEX, this musical-circus mashup reimagines “The Wizard of Oz” with aerial tricks, original music and four scene-stealing dogs. The Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion all wag their way into Oz, played by trained pups under the guidance of Circus Chickendog founder and UT alumnus Darren Peterson. While VORTEX provides the stage, Peterson, his dogs and the human cast — Melissa McKnight and Balyssa Bell — bring the magic.
“They’re dogs. They dog,” said McKnight, who directs, writes and stars as Dorothy. “Animals are unpredictable little creatures. We’re animals and we’re unpredictable little creatures. … sometimes they don’t do exactly what you think they’re going to do, and rolling with that can be both fun and a challenge.”
The entire show rests in the hands and paws of just three performers and four dogs, creating a setup that demands constant collaboration and flexibility. This improvisational spirit, however, keeps the show alive and showcases the loving relationship between the actors.
“(Bell is) in a back bend, and the dogs are going to jump off of her stomach,” Peterson said. “Dragonfly saw her face right there, close to the floor, and started licking her face for thirty seconds in a tech rehearsal. That is what I want to exhibit in the show. You can’t script that. That’s what I love, is seeing how much the dogs love doing it.”
Bell — a performer, aerialist and Saint Edwards neuroscience professor who plays four roles and designed the dogs’ costumes — finds humor in the dogs’ unpredictability.
“It’s funny because all the lighting people and the stage manager are trying to set up cues and, no, the dog’s gonna do what the dog’s gonna do,” Bell said. “It’s funny if the dogs do what they’re supposed to, but it’s often funnier if they don’t.”
Beyond the tricks and fur, Wizard of dOgZ champions a deeper mission — reshaping how people relate to animals. Peterson, an advocate of positive reinforcement training, sees this shift as transformative for both dogs and humans.
“There’s a revolution in dog training going on right now, and the old school methods are going away,” Peterson said. “It’s changed my life. It’s made all of my personal relationships richer.”
While Wizard of dOgZ leans into its silliness with puns, one-liners and puppetry, it still hits a sincere note.
“Folks that see it, especially if they’re into the performing arts, can really appreciate the craft that goes into creating something from scratch,” McKnight said. “Especially nowadays, times are hard, and I would love for people to walk away with a little bit of joy. I hope hearing some cute songs and seeing dog tricks and great circus acts gives people the joy they need in their lives.”
