Groups team up to perform 'The Wizard of Oz'

NELSONVILLE — For the third year in a row, community organizations ABC Players and Stuart’s Opera House are collaborating with the Nelsonville-York Drama Club to bring theater for all ages and levels of education to life with their upcoming production of “The Wizard of Oz.”

The beloved classic will run Friday through Sunday, May 10-12, at the historic Stuart’s Opera House with performances at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. matinee performances on both Saturday and Sunday.

This collaboration has provided the opportunity for students from Nelsonville-York middle and high schools to participate in a robust theater organization while meeting, working with and learning from community members. Previous productions have included “Matilda the Musical” and “School of Rock.” Recently, students in the Nelsonville-York Drama Club also had the opportunity to travel, with chaperones part of the production, to New York City to learn more about theater, visit the city and even see “Wicked” on Broadway.

“It has been such an honor to work with these incredible students and community members and to see them grow in their art and form relationships with people of different ages and backgrounds,” Melanie Wilt, music director and liaison for the collaboration, said. “I think it is extremely important to offer this type of experience and allow for the youth in our community to get so involved in such a high-quality production. The talent both the kids and community members bring is unreal and I’ve had such the pleasure working with them and the rest of this incredible team.”

Adapted from the transcendent film of the same name, “The Wizard of Oz” follows young Dorothy Gale who is swept away by a tornado from her Kansas farm to the magical land of Oz. There, she encounters a host of whimsical characters: good witches, bad witches, animals that talk, scarecrows that walk, and things magical to behold. To find her way home, she must journey along the Yellow Brick Road to see the mysterious and all-powerful Wizard in Emerald City. Along the way, she makes new friends, but must also brave many dangers, including the Wicked Witch of the West, who will stop at nothing to get her hands on Dorothy’s magical ruby slippers. To make it home safely, Dorothy must learn an important lesson: there’s no place like home.

“I really like how ABC Players gives our drama club the opportunity to have a production of our own since our drama club is really small and it’s been really nice to have the community step in too with this collaboration since it gives us the chance to have something of our own while working with so many incredible people,” Miley Shaw, a sophomore at Nelsonville-York High School who plays Dorothy, said. “I love this show and really enjoyed working on the previous productions ‘Matilda’ and ‘School of Rock.’ It’s been so great to meet so many new people and create new friendships. Theater really is an outlet that gets you out of your shell and allows you to do things you wouldn’t normally do."

With a book by L. Frank Baum and music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, the classic tale features iconic songs like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “If I Only Had a Brain,” “King of the Forest,” and “We’re Off to See the Wizard,” among many others.

The cast includes Shaw, Mackenzie Perry, Linda Watkins, Joe Balding, Heylea Allan, TJ Johnston, Shawn Valentine, Grant Brown, Carter Rice, Kyle Nienabar, Gabrielle Johnston, Kevin Kunz, Paula Maiden, Carlee Dotson, Delaney Dean, Andrea Thompson-Hashman, Greer Tullett, Hannah Hackworth, Jacob Varner, Jada Traugh, Julie Cohara, Kate Legar, Leo Grose, Mikaela Higgins, Natalie Preston, Sam Pelham, Tatum L’Heureux, Adeline Remnant, Amelia Johnston, Brielle Shay, Calvin Epley, Cassie Saner, Charlie Schwallie-deTar, Evelyn Powers, Evelyn Valentine, JoJo Bew, Jordan Higgins, JudeHaviland, Layla Wymer, Lili Ray, Lola Cornett, Luke Hashman, Millie Tullett, Nate Hockman, Piper Smeck and Ro Remnant.

Assisting Wilt includes Director Devin Sudman, Director/Stage Manager Jodi MacNeal, Choreographer Jenn Fritchley, Assistant Director Jacci Clark, Assistant Choreographer Melanie Tullett, Technical Director Jaxon Meadows, Scenic Designer Hannah Carey, Lighting Designer Mike Gimmer, Props Designers Jim and Celeste Parsons, Costume Designers Carleen Dotson, Heather Harmon, Diana Ray, Tara Legar, Sound Designer Sean Johnson and Director of Production Todd Coogen.

Tickets range from $5 to $13 and are available online at https://www.tixr.com/groups/stuartsoperahouse/events/the-wizard-of-oz-92015 or at the door prior to the show.

“The Wizard of Oz” is presented through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals.