Wizard Of Oz Opens Friday

It's hard to find someone who hasn't heard of The Wizard of Oz, which is what makes it a challenging show for the local Spotlight Productions crew to put on.

But 15 of the 51-member cast are from Eureka or Wildwood, and they indicated they are up for the challenge.

"This show is so iconic. As a director, I was hesitant to do this show because there isn't much creatively that can be done outside of what the audience expects," director Sherry Liliensiek-Gehrs said in an e-mail. "I didn't think this show was going to be a directing challenge, because it pretty much has a format laid out already from the famous movie version." 

So why did Spotlight Productions choose the show? Well, to put it simply, the community theater program that has run summer camps in conjunction with the has slim pickings when it comes to kid-friendly shows.

"There aren't that many musicals that interest actors and the audience," Liliensiek-Gehrs said. The Wizard of Oz fit the bill, though—it had enough parts to involve many younger actors, and its popularity helps sell tickets.

About 56 students total are involved in the show. Most are Rockwood students, but anyone can audition for the Spotlight Productions program. Many of the lead characters heard about the program from their teachers or have performed in Spotlight Productions shows before.

Local youth among the cast include: 

• Munchkins:  Lanie Blanner, Wildwood; Lucy Ferguson, Eureka; Patrick Levitt, Wildwood; Jeannette Montefering, Eureka; Ana-Kate Sigman, Wildwood.
• Ozians:  Michelle Campbell, Wildwood; Kate Kickham, Wildwood; Sarah Noonan, Wildwood; Reid Smithson, Wildwood; Madeline Steinlage, Wildwood; Alaina Strollo, Wildwood; Elizabeth Weider, Wildwood.
• Tinman:  Madison Hadler, Wildwood.
• Lion:  Nick Vogl, Wildwood.
• Glinda:  Sarah Young, Wildwood.

Liliensiek-Gehrs found ways to put a spin on the classic. The jitterbug scene, which isn't even in the movie, is probably her favorite scene, she said. In it, Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Cowardy Lion, and the Scarecrow encounter spooks in a haunted forest. The jitterbugs' costumes glow in the dark and Liliensiek-Gehrs describes it as one of the "most visually stunning scenes of the whole show."

Spotlight's summer program is about more than putting on a play. Each week, actors participate in workshops that teach character development, stage combat, improvisation skills and more. 

For example, in the character-development workshop, actors were asked to practice how they think their character would walk, Madison Hadler, who plays the Tin Man, said. Hadler, a Wildwood resident, said everyone was asked to walk like the Scarecrow or the Tin Man.

"Everyone feeds off of each other, then," Chase Shelton, who plays the Scarecrow, said. The 15-year-old Chesterfield resident, who estimates he's been in more than 30 shows, said that sets Spotlight Productions apart. Other community theater programs, he said, require about three rehearsals a week and a focus solely on the play.

Liliensiek-Gehrs said participants' ability levels range from novice to kids who have been in shows since they were toddlers, so it's important to make sure they all get an equal experience.

For the actors, being in a show is only half the fun. Several said the best part was meeting new people from different schools and forging new friendships. 

The Wizard of Oz opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the theater at . Tickets at the door are $12 for children 12 and under and $17 for adults.

Additional show dates and times:
Saturday and July 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m.
July 16, 17, 23 & 24 @ 2:00 p.m.