Getting back to the original question of alternatives to flying. We did a production of
Wizard of Oz last year and here is what we did.
For Glinda - we used a moving light that tracked across the
backdrop or
proscenium. When the light got to the
ground, Glinda stepped out. Ideally I would have put a rotating
gobo or or something in the spot, but in this production was unable to. The idea is that Glinda is a
bubble when in the air, and turns into a person on the
ground.
For the flying monkeys ( assuming you mean when they attack Dorothy and friends) we used a lot of low shin busters with patterns and to make it dark and spooky. The monkeys came in jumping and cavorting and attacked. The idea was that they landed just offstage and were 'bouncing' under their own
power as they entered.
Not sure where you are thinking of the Witch. I assume it is the apple orchard. Basically we just did a substantial light change, and she came on. We would have liked to do some
pyro or
smoke - but did not. The idea was to create a dramatic entrance for her that was quite different from the rest of the scene.
The Balloon - At the beginning of the scene have a large rope that is going offstage which is 'holding' down the offstage balloon. When the balloon escapes, the rope goes up and out. Once it is out, you can have a miniature model balloon travel across the
backdrop as it escapes in the distance. The idea is that the balloon is just offstage. If you want to see it go up, and have a
counterweight system, a balloon
profile that shows the
edge of the balloon cut off by the
proscenium ( IE the
basket is positioned off
stage, and you see a glimpse of the balloon just onstage) might also work nicely. You could simply
fly out the balloon at the right time as the actors deliver their lines from offstage.
Interestingly enough - we never considered flying someone for the production. We knew that we cannot safely or effectively do it in our
theatre for the amount of money we wanted to spend. That limitation is just something we work with like almost no
wing space, small
stage footprint, not enough dimmers,
etc. For me the essential
point is that
Wizard is not about flying. ( Just like Miss Saigon is not about a helicopter). There are quite reasonable alternatives to flying actors in this show without having to do major artistic conceptual leaps.
Good luck with your production.