We Followed the Yellow Brick Road
April 9, 2015
“There’s no place like home.” Sure enough, that is what Dorothy learned through her adventures in the Land of Oz.
For the first time in ten years, Lincoln’s drama department produced and successfully executed the musical, “The Wizard of Oz.” The show went on from March 27 to April 4. Tickets for the premiere sold out quickly, leaving several people outside the door disappointed. Lion Tales received access to the premiere night.
Upon entering the theater, one could see the ever so famous yellow brick road, which Dorothy followed to see the Wizard. There was background scenery video-projected at all times. There was a farm for Kansas, houses for Munchkin Land, and forest scenery for when Dorothy and her friends marched through the woods.
None of the characters would have been appealing without their costumes. Thanks to the play’s wardrobe crew, the characters were complete.
The musical was directed by Mr. Chuck Manthe and choreographed by Rebecca Bullard.
There were over a hundred students who made this play possible. The main cast included Alexis Maiwald as Dorothy, Scott Griffin as the Scarecrow, Tyler Bays as the Tin Man, and Gabriel Richardson as the Cowardly Lion.
Other notable actors were Jena Rotenberger as the good witch, Glinda, Madison Katona as the Wicked Witch of the West, Dimitri Charitou as the Wizard of Oz, and Josh Pono as Uncle Henry and the Gate Guard. Emilio Tagimaroa-Keep acted the role of the Mayor of Munchkinland and Ezra Moreno was the Coroner.
According to Alexis Maiwald, the reason Mr. Manthe chose to produce The Wizard of Oz was “to showcase the importance of performing arts in education at all [grade] levels, like Trace and Hoover.”As such, the Munchkins were played by thirty-one Trace Elementary students. Alongside them, eighteen Hoover actors and nineteen Lincoln actors performed as part of the ensemble.
From the main actors, to the ensemble, to the behind-the-scenes technical crew, this show would not have been possible without any of them. This musical would also not have been possible without the music. Mr. Craig McKenzie did a fantastic job in directing the orchestra behind the curtain. Ms. Anne-Marie Katemopoulos, the vocal musical director, gave guidance to the cast in singing their songs.
The show featured Toto (stage name), a cute black-furred dog now owned by Mr. Manthe. In the book, Toto is Dorothy’s beloved dog. Alexis Maiwald, who played Dorothy, described Toto as being a “handful” at times, but a “sweetheart” as well. She said, “Working with a live animal definitely teaches you patience.”
The Wizard of Oz cast and crew spent two months preparing for this musical with an average of two hours every day. Sophomore Dimitri Charitou, who played the Wizard of Oz, said, “the best thing about acting in the musical was getting to know everyone from Hoover and Trace.”
Maiwald said, “Being able to recreate everyone’s favorite childhood movie seemed daunting at first, but it’s a real accomplishment for both the cast and the crew.” She explained that by working with the Trace and Hoover students, she was able to understand the importance of the performing arts in education.
Maiwald concluded, “Speaking for the Lincoln students, I can confidently say that we are proud to have been part of the [Wizard of Oz] production.”
Synopsis:
The original 1900 book by L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, follows the story of a young girl named Dorothy living in Kansas. When Dorothy’s family decides to give away Dorothy’s beloved dog, Toto, she begins to resent them. She calls Hickory heartless, Hunk stupid, and Zeke a coward. Soon after, a tornado passes through Dorothy’s small town and magically transports Dorothy to the Land of Oz. She first meets the munchkins and the good witch, Glinda.
Glinda tells Dorothy that in order to return home, she will need to travel through the yellow path to meet a wizard in Emerald City. Along the road, she meets a scarecrow without a brain, a tinman without a heart, and a lion lacking courage. Together, they continue on the road to find the Wizard, who will grant their wishes. When Dorothy and her newly found friends finally meet up with the Wizard, he sends Dorothy to obtain the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West.
Dorothy and her friends successfully defeat the Wicked Witch of the West and get her broom. They go back to the Wizard. With the help of Dorothy’s beloved dog Toto, they find out the Wizard is an ordinary man. He grants a heart to the Tin Man, a medal to the Cowardly Lion showing courage, and a certificate representing intelligence to the scarecrow.
The Wizard returns back to Kansas, and intends to take Dorothy with him as well, but the hot air balloon flies away, leaving Dorothy and Toto behind. Unfortunately, Dorothy remains behind with the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. That is until Glinda, the good witch, reveals to Dorothy that she can return home by tapping her shoes together three times. Once Dorothy does so, she wakes up in Kansas again.