MCC DRAMA DEPARTMENT TO PERFORM WIZARD OF OZ

The Murray County Central drama and music departments are thrilled to present “The Wizard of Oz” in the MCC auditorium November 11, 12 and 13 at 7:00pm. The musical is directed by Isaac Harms, with assistance from Christie Gergen and Michael Helgeson. Students fill nearly every position of acting, staging, lights, sound and orchestra and they have been working hard for weeks to prepare an outstanding show.

L. Frank Baum wrote the novel “The Wizard of Oz” in 1900 and produced the musical himself in Chicago in 1902. Mr. Baum made several adaptations, as the book does not include the characters of Dorothy’s dog Toto or the Wicked Witch. The play was performed on Broadway and other venues around the country and was even made into a movie in 1925, but enjoyed it’s biggest audience when MGM cast 16- year old Minnesota native Judy Garland as “Dorothy” in 1939. Though the expensive film was not financially profitable, it earned two Oscars; best song “Over the Rainbow” and best score but lost “Best Picture” to “Gone with the Wind”. In 1956 the movie was shown on national television and beginning in 1959 was shown once every year, quickly moving into its place as an American classic.

At Murray County Central, the part of Dorothy is played by Symone Harms, a veteran of the stage. The Scarecrow is Tate Trombley, the Lion is Kyle Cheskie and the Tinman features new actor Abdiel Castillo. Other principle parts are played by: Brealyn Damm, Dawson Blankenship, Carlye Larson, Brailyn Breberg and Logan Stoel. Several young actors make their stage debut as Munchkins and it’s possible they will steal the show! If you know the story well, you may be wondering how the “magic” will translate to the stage - come see for yourself! Isaac Harms’ creativity is unleashed and you will not be disappointed. Mr. Harms remarked, “This show offers a lot of variety; every scene has new props, new characters and new sets. I felt “The Wizard of Oz” gave us the opportunity to use a bigger cast. It has classic fun music and it is a show recognized by the community. It’s been performed on this stage several times over the years because it works well and every year is just a little bit different.” Symone Harms explained, “I like the part of ‘Dorothy’ because she has a stable personality but is a curious girl. Her powerful, sad scenes add fun to the part and I like all the different settings - Kansas, the forest, Oz. I also appreciate how much Dorothy values her family and friends and the powerful message of meeting people along the way who quickly become your best friends.” Tate Trombley added, “The ‘Scarecrow’ is my first leading part and it’s pretty fun. The set is amazing and everyone who comes will have a fun experience.” The “Lion” Kyle Cheskie said, “I’ve been in plays and musicals for a couple of years. I like how expressive the ‘Lion’ is and I really like the music.” Abdiel Castillo noted how the experience on stage is changing him. “This is really fun and it’s building my confidence. Learning my part and performing on stage is challenging, and the dancing is definitely out of my comfort zone!”

“The Wizard of Oz” is certainly a musical for all ages and the entire community will enjoy this very special opportunity to support our students and be swept away by live theater. School activity passes are honored or tickets may be purchased at the door. In the event of an MCC football playoff game, a Sunday afternoon matinee will be substituted.