The
Wicked
Witch of
the
West,
Munchkins
along
the
Yellow
Brick
Road,
Toto,
Ruby Red
Slippers,
and
Dorothy
dreaming
of what
lies
over the
rainbow
– all
will be
onstage
at the
Centre
for
Performing
and
Visual
Arts as
Northgate
High
School
premiers
“The
Wizard
of Oz”
this
Thursday,
May 17
for a
three-night
run.
The
Northgate
Spring
Musical
version
of the
classic
L. Frank
Baum
tale
will be
presented
Thursday
through
Saturday
this
week,
May 17
through
19, at
the
Lower
Fayetteville
Road
Centre.
Shows
start at
7 p.m.
Tickets
are $6
for
students
and $8
for
adults,
and are
available
at
Northgate
High
School
(770-463-5585)
or from
cast
members,
and will
be
available
at the
Centre
box
office
on the
nights
of the
performance.
The
senior
musical
uses the
Royal
Shakespeare’s
Company’s
version,
which
includes
“Over
The
Rainbow”,
“Munchkinland”
(Ding
Dong!
The
Witch Is
Dead),
“If I
Only Had
A
Brain”,
“If I
Only Had
A
Heart”,
“If I
Only Had
The
Nerve”,
“We're
Off To
See The
Wizard”
(Follow
The
Yellow
Brick
Road),
and “The
Merry
Old Land
of Oz”.
It also
includes
subtle
line
changes
and
music
and
dance
versions
not seen
in the
movie,
like
“The
Jitterbug”.
Director
Melanie
Bruner
said
that the
Northgate
version
of Oz is
familiar
to
aficionados
of the
1939
film,
but also
amazing
to see
produced
live
onstage
at the
Centre.
A live
20-piece
orchestra
– using
musicians
from
Northgate
and
professional
musicians
from the
Coweta
County
area –
will
accompany
the
stage
action
and
songs.
The
Royal
Shakespeare
Company
version
recreates
as much
of the
aura of
the film
as is
possible
in a
modern
theatre,
said
Bruner.
“So the
fun
thing
about
this
show is
that the
orchestra
doesn’t
just
play for
the
major
numbers,
but they
also
underscore
the
action
on stage
and
contribute
to the
sounds
effects
throughout
the
show.
The
orchestra
pretty
much
plays
for 2
and ½
hours
straight.”
Adapting
the look
and feel
of the
movie
for the
stage
makes
for a
technically
complex
theatrical
challenge,
too. The
set
alone is
a huge
challenge,
and uses
a series
of
striking
back
drops
and well
as
three-dimensional
set
pieces.
Combinations
of
lighting,
special
effects,
sound
effects
and
stage
action
recreate
the
major
locations
of
Kansas
and Oz
as well
as
simulate
the
required
tornados,
dropped
houses,
sudden
appearances,
disappearances
and
wicked
witches
getting
their
just
deserts.
In
addition
to some
differences
from the
movie,
“there
are also
some
surprises
that are
worked
in
straight
from the
book,
including
one that
will
allow
the
audience
to take
home a
little
souvenir
for the
show,”
said
director
Bruner.
The
cast’s
leading
characters
include
Dorothy
(Rachael
Snow),
Scarecrow
(Dan
LeeDay),
Tin Man
(Chris
Kilpatrick),
the
Cowardly
Lion
(Antonio
Mathis),
Glenda
the Good
Witch
(Chelsea
Smith),
the
Wicked
Witch of
the West
(Libba
Beaucham),
and the
Wizard
of Oz
(Justin
Buckholtz).
Supporting
cast
members
include
students
from
Northgate
High and
surrounding
middle
and
elementary
schools.
For more
information
about
tickets
call
Northgate
High at
770-463-5585.
For
directions
to the
Centre
call
770-254-2787
(254-ARTS).