When “The Wizard of Oz” opens tonight at North Lenoir High School, it will incorporate some glorifications and expansions from its first opening 50 performances ago at the high school.
Marian Kennedy, teacher and head of the drama department, has pulled out all the stops to celebrate the school’s drama program, the dedication of the students, the support of parents and the community, and her love for the stage, especially “The Wizard of Oz.”
Not only was it the first play she produced at North Lenoir, but she played Dorothy when she was in the play in high school. It is her favorite musical.
A gala in March sponsored by the school’s Booster Club raised money to fund the flying equipment and orchestra for this production. Some of the funds also are earmarked for college scholarships for the school’s Drama club seniors.
“The Wizard of Oz” is and probably always will be one of the greatest musicals for pleasing an audience. The story, by L. Frank Baum, was partly inspired by Baum’s childhood love of Grimm’s Fairy Tales and partly by his desire to provide his four young sons with something a little more exciting to read than the fiction available at the turn of the century in the United States.
The musical hosts empathetic characters who serve as archetypes for society. From the Cowardly Lion, to the Wicked Witch, to Dorothy who learns that “there is no place like home,” the characters delight audiences. The musical numbers include such classics as “Over the Rainbow,” “Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead’” and “We’re Off to See the Wizard.”
Kennedy has outdone herself in incorporating a large number and broad range of ages of students in the cast. The Munchkins alone exceed three dozen. There also will be as many students behind the scenes in technical and production roles as you see onstage.
The leading role of Dorothy will be played alternately by Holly Holder and Sydnee Hudson. Wes Nimmo is the Scarecrow; Thomas Horner, Tin Man; RJ Smith and D-Mosi Brown, Cowardly Lion; Morgan Harrison and Alyssa Bayless, Wicked Witch of the West; Nicole Robinson and Carrie Letchworth, Glinda the Good Witch; and Will Hardy, Professor Marvel/Wizard of Oz.
Join the excitement and celebration during this weekend’s run of “The Wizard of Oz.”
‘Wizard of Oz’
7:30 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday
3 p.m. Sunday
North Lenoir High School auditorium
Tickets: $6 students, $10 advance, $12 at door
Info: Jennifer Spence, 252-527-9184
