|
The Three Lakes Theater Company celebrated its
10-year anniversary with the musical production The Wizard of Oz on June 17-20 and June 24-26, 2004. Playing to 3,328 audience
members, Patrick Nickel, Karen Schmitt, Toto Sankey, Katie Brewster and
Roger Stevens brought L. Frank Baum's whimsical story of Dorothy and her
three friends to life. (Photo by Linda Goldsworthy)
   
|
The Wizard of Oz to highlight 10-year Anniversary
|
 ooking
to return to their roots, the Three Lakes Theater Company (TLTC) has
selected the classic fantasy-based musical
The Wizard of Oz to
celebrate it 10-year anniversary.
“Our
first production in 1995 was Peter Pan, explained TLTC
creative director Mari Lynn Garbowicz. “We wanted to return to
that genre as a celebration of our origins.”
TLTC musical director Lori Hunter
agrees that The Wizard of Oz not only has connections to the
group’s past, but it also has familiar music. “Cast members and
audiences will know the music. This
show has a great variety of musical styles and is not limited to any
one genre.”
Based upon “The Wonderful Wizard
of Oz” by L. Frank
Baum, the TLTC has selected the RSC version of
the production which is more magical and lends itself to the
family-oriented mission of the organization.
The
Storyline
The musical opens with Dorothy
Gale, a young girl who lives on a farm in Kansas
with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry.
Busy with completing the farm work before the weather changes, the
adults have no time to console young Dorothy who is upset with their
mean neighbor Miss Gulch.
When
Miss Gulch presents Dorothy with a Sheriff's summons for her
cherished dog, Toto, the young girl is beside herself. Toto escapes
from Miss Gulch’s bicycle basket and joins Dorothy as she runs
away from the farm. They meet up with kind Professor Marvel, who
convinces her to go back home.
When
the weather changes for the worse, Dorothy is locked out of the
family’s storm cellar and is forced to take Toto and sit out the
cyclone in her bedroom. During the storm Dorothy is accidentally hit
on the head, beginning their journey to the Land
of
Oz.
When
she wakes up in Oz, Dorothy is greeted by Glinda, the Witch of the
North Upon landing, Dorothy's house inadvertently lands on and
fatally strikes the Wicked Witch of the East.
This
frees the Munchkins from the Wicked Witch of the East's power, so
they now consider Dorothy their heroine. The Wicked Witch of the
West comes to avenge her sister's death and to claim her sister's
magic ruby slippers, only to find that Glinda has already put them
on Dorothy's feet.
The
Wicked Witch of the West has a new challenge - to get those slippers
for herself. Dorothy wants to go back home to Kansas, but the
Munchkins tell her the only one who may help her get back home is
the Wizard of Oz. So Dorothy is off to see the Wizard.
Along
the way she meets three new friends and travel companions. the
Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Lion. The foursome work hard to keep
the Wicked Witch from taking Dorothy’s slippers as they travel the
Emerald City.
Ozian Beauticians Cynthia Wallis and Beth
Bloom clean up Scarecrow Karen Schmitt prior to the anticipated visit
with the great Wizard of Oz. (Photo by Linda Goldsworthy)
The
group arrives at the Emerald City only to be discouraged from
entering by the Gatekeeper. Once inside however, the four friends
must prove themselves worthy of the Wizard’s help by bringing him
the Wicked Witch of the West's broomstick. The only way to get her
broomstick would be to kill her. So off the foursome goes, to the
land of the Winkies and the Wicked Witch's castle.
Unlike
the movie production, the musical version includes an encounter with
the jitterbugs who spook Dorothy and her companions. The jitterbugs
make them dance until they all collapse from exhaustion and then the
Wicked Witch's flying monkeys swoop down and capture Dorothy and
Toto.
At
the castle the Wicked Witch again fails to take the ruby slippers
off Dorothy's feet, so threatens Dorothy with her life. Toto however
manages to escape and bring the Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion to rescue
Dorothy. They manage to
kill the Wicked Witch and take her broomstick.
When
they return to Oz, the Wizard is reluctant to see them, but Toto
playfully pulls aside the curtain that separates the Wizard from
them. An ordinary man speaking into a microphone is revealed.
As
the Wizard he performs graduation exercises, giving the Scarecrow a
Dr. of Thinkology, making the Lion a member of the Legion of Courage
and giving the Tinman a heart-shaped watch.
He
offers to take Dorothy back to Kansas in his hot-air balloon. The
balloon accidentally takes off without Dorothy and Toto, but Glinda
saves the day. She explains to Dorothy that all this time, Dorothy
has had the power herself to go home. All she has to do is close her
eyes, tap her heels together three times and repeat to herself
"There's no place like home."
|
|
Page last updated on 06/04/2008
For more information, contact our Publicity
Director. |
|
