'The Wizard of Oz' on the Performing Arts Center stage Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw Community High School Drama Department will take audiences down the yellow brick road when it presents “The Wizard of Oz” this weekend. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the WCHS Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens and $5 for preschool. “The Wizard of Oz,” based on the book by L. Frank Baum, tells the story of a farm girl from Kansas named Dorothy Gale. She lives with her Aunt Em, Uncle Henry and her dog, Toto, but doesn’t feel understood by those around her. When an unpleasant neighbor, Miss Gulch, threatens to take Toto away, Dorothy runs away. A tornado forces her to run home for shelter, but inside the farmhouse she bangs her head on the bed and is taken away by the storm to a magical land somewhere over the rainbow. When her house lands, it falls on the Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy and Toto are greeted by Glinda the Good Witch of the North, who sends her to the Emerald City to speak to the great Oz. However, danger awaits Dorothy along the way because of the Wicked Witch of the West. On her journey, she meets the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, who help see her on her way. By the end of the musical, Dorothy learns there’s no place like home. According to Director Dana McAfee, the musical is based on the 75th anniversary edition of the classic movie starring Judy Garland as Dorothy. It adds an additional scene cut from the movie when it was released in 1939. “The combination of elementary, high school, cast and band – we probably have 95 students involved,” McAfee said. “This is definitely a huge thing for me.” All the students in the show are from Warsaw Community Schools and Sacred Heart School. In picking the show for the fall musical, McAfee said, “I wanted to do something with a huge audience appeal and family friendly.” Having a young cast also will help her generate interest in the theater when the elementary students get to high school, she explained. Parents were responsible for their children’s Munchkin costumes with the exception of more prominent characters like the Munchkin mayor, coroner, Lullaby League and Lollipop Guild. “We had an amazing production crew for this,” McAfee said. “It was basically four men who built the set, with students helping on weekends. They gave up so much of their time to build this set and it’s an amazing set.” The four men included Dan Wray, Will Slone, David Zigon and Jim Cox. Cast members (in order of appearance) are: Elizabeth Brown as Dorothy Gale; Lillie as Toto; Analiese Helms as Aunt Em and Ozzian; Bailey Berelsman as Uncle Henry and Ozzian; Wyatt Slone as Hunk and Scarecrow; Jordan Fredericks as Hickory and Tin Man; Cole Hoskins as Zeke and Cowardly Lion; Kirstin Davis, Miss Gulch; Lucas Cone as Professor Marvel and Wizard of Oz; Kendra Housel, Glinda; Chase Madsen as Munchkin mayor and Nikko; Bishop Hudson, Munchkin barrister; Alli Gudeman, Munchkin citizen; Lily House, munchkin citizen; Bella Silva, Munchkin official; Aiden Kerr, Munchkin official; Emma Spencer, Munchkin official; Ian Peloza, Munchkin coroner; Eliza Silveus, Haley Rodewald, Dalaney Vilamaa as the Lullaby League; and Wil Boren, Aiden Griffen and Bradyn Lowe as the Lollipop Guild. Munchkins will be played by Jasmine Baker, Ali Barkey, Hannah Bellamy, Reese Deloe, Landyn DeWitt, Leah Forshtay, Asher Hall, Ellie Hepler, Mia Hwang, Fiona Kerr, Caleb Mouat, Victoria Peloza, Reagan Polk, Makayla Riley, Camille Ruggier, Maya Stone, Dauren Vilamaa and Lucy Wilkinson. Katie Yocum will play the Wicked Witch, with Emma Tomasik, George Wood and Annie Wray as crows and Ozzians. Gabi Bradley, Korah Gillard and Audrey Rich will be trees and Ozzians. Samuel Engle will be an Oz guard. Other Ozzians include Taylor Biberstine, Whitney Borkholder, Kendall Cox, Olivia Deeter, Kendra Etchison, Casey Helser, Sara Homan, Cylie Marshall, Karissa Meyers, Haleigh Randall, Aurora Rosas, Abby Smith, Rachel Smith, Emma Tomasik, Ashley West and Elizabeth Yeiter. Ozzians and Winkies will be Will Denzer and Gus Gigous. Winkie General will be Nicholas DiVaccaro, with Briley Gargis, Hayden Gerst, Andrew Hawblitzel, Brooke Neubaum, Matt Shapiro and Julia Surface as Winkies. Playing flying monkeys will be Jasmine Baker, Hannah Bellamy, Briley Gargis, Megan Lowman, Nate Meyer and Aurora Rosas. Gabi Bradley will be the Jitterbug, with Korah Gillard, Haleigh Randall, Audrey Rich, Abby Smith, Rachel Smith, Emma Tomasik, Ashley West and Annie Wray and Jitterbug Spirits. Musical director is Thomas Hall. Assistant director/costumes is Jean Beeson, with Dan Wray as production foreman, Karyn Brumbaugh as acting coach and Maegan McFarland and Karly Poyner as stage managers. Conductor is Joseph Peloza. In the orchestra pit will be Lindsey Wolfe and Martha Robison on flute; Emily Mikel on clarinet; Joe Marshall on clarinet/bass clarinet/alto; Drew Tomasik on trumpet; Samuel Bolduc on trombone; Thomas Hall and Sam Schmidt on keyboards; and Ben Meulink and Brad Christenberry on percussion. Choreographers will be Anne Jordan and Wyatt Slone. Set design by Dan Wray, with Jeremy Springer serving as tech.
