Indian River becomes Land of Oz

PHILADELPHIA — If you can get by the nastiness such as the "flying monkeys" on roller skates, you may find there's "no place like home" at the Indian River High School tonight and Saturday.

District K-12 music coordinator Charles R. Heck is producing "The Wizard of Oz" for this year's spring musical.

Mr. Heck said the sets, from one mimicking a tornado to the Land of Oz, are lavish and many.

They are also keeping the students on their toes.

"There's a lot of backdrops and a lot of different places you have to be at the same time," said junior Brittany N. Hobart, who plays Dorothy.

The costumes, rented from a company in Syracuse, are equally elaborate, Mr. Heck said.

"There are so many set changes and costumes," Mr. Heck said. "It's a challenge to coordinate the whole thing."

According to Tams-Witmark Music Library Inc., which is the licensing agent for the play, a stage version of L. Frank Baum's "The Wizard of Oz" based on the 1939 motion picture, was first presented at the Municipal Theatre of St. Louis in 1942. A second version with book adaptations by John Kane, which followed the movie more closely, was presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican Centre in London in 1988.

All feature the famous movie songs such as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "If I Only Had a Brain" and "We're Off to See the Wizard."

The plot centers on Dorothy, who, after a tornado, finds herself in Munchkinland, home of the Munchkins and the spot where she meets her famous cohorts.

"I love the contrast between all the different characters," said Miss Hobart. "It's nice when we go into our own worlds."

Senior Caitlin P. Sullivan plays Scarecrow.

Miss Sullivan said the role is fun because of the antics she has to perform.

"I fall down a lot," she said. "And my arms and legs are constantly swinging. It's challenging and fun because of all the exercises involved."

She said her costume, partially made out of real straw, has its own challenges.

"It's really hot," she said.

Mr. Heck said this is the first time he's used sixth graders in a high school productions. Twenty-four of them play Munchkins.

"The music is very familiar to all the kids," Mr. Heck said.

But he said students are also singing songs not in the movie, such as "The Jitterbug," which is also a dance scene, and "The Poppy Song."

Mr. Heck said the three monkeys in the Indian River production don't use special effects to fly, but rather use roller skates to go about their business.

He said the play is the first time the three had ever been on roller skates.

"It was quite comical the first time they skated," he said, but added they are now quite proficient.

But there is one key character he doesn't have to worry about rolling or strolling away. Toto is played by a stuffed animal.

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The main cast in the Indian River Central School production of "The Wizard of Oz":

Dorothy, is played by Brittany Hobart; Aunt Em/Glinda, by Karisa Widrick; Uncle Henry/EC Guard is Mark Gagnon; Zeke/Lion is Matthew Rivera; Hunk/Scarecrow is Caitlin Sullivan; Gulch/Wicked Witch, is Adrean Hayward; Professor Marvel/Wizard is Patrick Smith; Mayor of Munchkinland is Amy Lapp. The "poppies" and "jitterbugs" are Sarah Adams, Aurora Adams, Nancy Lapp, Rachel Muntz, Rachael Goff and Diantha Smith.

Sarah Adams and Aurora Adams both play crows and trees.

Stage director is Kristi Fuller; music director, Toni Zygadlo; assistant music director, Lisa Smith; assistant stage director, Ryan Brand; choreographer, Tricia Moore and technical director, Phillip Dyke.

The musical will include a pit band made up largely of area music educators and students at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music.