Marion students are off to see the Wizard
Staff writer
People attending Marion High School’s musical, “The Wizard of Oz,” this weekend will be taken on a trip to a land of munchkins, witches, jitterbugs, flying monkeys, and a wizard.
Director Megan Jones said the stage production, adapted by the Royal Shakespeare Co., would be very similar to the classic 1939 movie but with an additional cast of characters.
“There are the jitterbugs,” Jones said. “They are a tool of the Wicked Witch of the West.”
The stage version also has additional scenes and music.
“There’s a musical number with talking trees, and a musical number with talking crows,” Jones said.
The set design was developed with depression era, dust bowl Kansas and the trauma that Dorothy Gale experienced in mind.
“You assume she’s been through a trauma that she’s not living with her parents,” Jones said. “And she had another trauma, that her beloved dog was ripped away from her.”
Another famous person who experienced much trauma was Vincent van Gogh.
His art style is incorporated into the set design, Jones said.
The musical features:
- Kaelynn Metro as Dorothy,
- Jackson Howard as Toto,
- Jordy Raymer as Uncle Henry, an Oz Guard, and the voice of Oz.
- Maria Carlson as Aunt Em and Glinda the Good Witch.
- Jaxon Salsbury as Hickory and Tin Man.
- Keenan Lange as Zeke and Cowardly Lion.
- Eldon Smith as Hunk and Scarecrow.
- Margaret Collett as Miss Gulch and Wicked Witch of the West.
- Gabrielle Stuchlick as Professor Marvel.
- Mariella Koehn as the tornado.
Dancers are Alexandra Carlson, Abby Dunford, Jessica Methvin, Brooklynn Ottensmeier, Olivia Smith, and Cheyenne Voyles.
Kylie Bosvert and Sybil Bowman play Munchkin ladies. Kaden Smith plays Munchkin Mayor. Ryker Salsbury plays Munchkin Barrister and Winkie General.
Brooklynn Ottensmeier plays Munchkin Coroner. Brooklyn Beery and Cadence Bialek play Munchkin City Fathers. Other Munchkin characters are Tots Abby Dunford, Olivia Smith, Rylee Thomas, and Alexandra Carlson; Toughies Jessica Methvin, Kattie Stultz, Cheyenne Voyles, and Gabrielle Stuchlick, and Munchkins Lyana Rovelo, Teegan Sanchez, Ellie Winsor.
Alexandra Carlson, Abby Dunford, Rylee Thomas, Mariella Koehn, and Jessica Methvin play crows.
Kylie Bosvert, Mariella Koehn, Brooklynn Ottensmeier, Lyana Rovelo, and Cheyenne Voyles play trees.
Kylie Bosvert, Sybil Bowman, Alexandra Carlson, Abby Dunford, Olivia Smith, Rylee Thomas, Jessica Methvin, Lyana Rovelo, Teegan Sanchez, Gabrielle Stuchlick, Kattie Stultz, and Ellie Winsor play poppies.
Brooklyn Beery, Cadence Bialek, Brooklynn Ottensmeier, and Cheyenne Voyles play snow.
Cadence Bialek, Brooklyn Ottensmeier, Kaden Smith, and Cheyenne Voyles play Winkies.
Kattie Stultz plays Nikko.
Brooklyn Beery, Lyana Rovelo, Tegan Sanchez, and Ellie Winsor play flying monkeys.
Sybil Bowman, Kylie Bosvert, Alexandra Carlson, Abby Dunford, Mariella Koehn, Jessica Methvin, Olivia Smith, Gabrielle Stuchlick, and Rylee Thomas play jitterbugs.
Performances will be 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $5 each.
Advance tickets and reserved seating are available at Bill & Essie’s, 301 E. Main St., Marion.
Tickets also will be available at the door.