This April, Spartanburg District 7’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” hit the stage with a bang and entertained audiences of all ages. The show played in Spartanburg High School’s (SHS) Fine Arts auditorium on April 23-26. While it was similar to the renowned book written by L. Frank Baum and the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland, this production featured additional dances, songs and details that added to its enchanting effect.
The story follows Dorothy Gale, a young girl who lives on her aunt and uncle’s farm in Kansas. The play opens with Dorothy and her dog, Toto, running away from their neighbor, Ms. Gulch, who is threatening to take Toto away. When Dorothy learns that no one in her family will help her protect him, she decides to run away. However, an extreme, unexpected tornado rips through the town, sending Dorothy to the magical world of Munchkinland. Once there, she must journey to see the all-knowing Wizard of Oz, in hopes that he will know how to send her home. On her way, she meets three new friends who, while they may not be exactly humans, are stuck by her side through her perilous expedition.
While a school production like this is always fun, there is a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes. Madelyn Kyle (11) starred in the girls’ chorus as a Jitterbug, Poppy and a Flying Monkey, and described the rehearsal process as “long but fruitful.”
“I was called a few days a week at the start to learn music, blocking and choreography. Although, as we got closer to the show and into tech week, I was at rehearsal every day from 3:30 to 7 or 8:30,” Kyle said. “During that time, we ran through the show, practiced individually for group numbers, practiced music with the pit orchestra and prepared the lighting, tech and sound cues.”
Despite the tedious process, the cast and crew worked hard and put together a production that exceeded the audience’s expectations. The show starred actors of ages ranging from elementary students to 12th grade. Reese Crocker (12) commanded the spotlight as Dorothy, alongside Javian Smith (12), Josiah Greene (11) and Kaedon Ooley (11) as the Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man, as well as Nico DePaol (11), who starred as the Wizard of Oz himself.
Smith enjoyed his experience as the Scarecrow and shared his favorite song from the production.
“I loved the song ‘If I Only Had a Brain.’ This was my favorite because this is the song that the Scarecrow sings when he first comes on stage. Overall, I think the show was phenomenal, and I’m really glad my senior show went so well,” Smith said.
The music was largely the same as it is in the movie released in 1939, however there were a few added songs including the “March of the Winkies,” “Red Shoes Blues” and “The Jitterbug.”
The song “Red Shoes Blues” was added to the 2011 stage production of “The Wizard of Oz,” and is sung by the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Finley Sloan (12), as she plots to steal the ruby slippers from Dorothy. “The Jitterbug” was a song originally added as a transition between the haunted forest to the Wicked Witch’s castle but was eventually cut from the movie. In District 7’s production, the song is a key dance number featuring SHS’s ensemble, as well as younger students from various elementary schools around Spartanburg District 7. These younger students were also able to participate in “One Short Day,” a song that while not featured in the original production of “The Wizard of Oz,” is a key number in the Broadway show and 2024 movie “Wicked.”
Susu Wood (11) enjoyed playing the role of an Ozian and shared her favorite addition to the play.
“My personal favorite song was ‘Jitterbug.’ I liked this number so much because I thought it was super cute with all of the little kids, and I like the choreography and music that went along with it,” Wood said.
The cast and crew were also able to execute ideas that set the show up for success. Not only did they find a real dog, named Titan, to play the role of Toto, but the cast were able to hook up to a flying system that sent them flying across the stage. Glinda the Good Witch, played by Moss Evelyn Wise (11) and the Wicked Witch of the West got to experience being up in the air, Glinda in her magical pink bubble, and the Wicked Witch on her iconic broom stick.
In the end, SHS’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” was a huge success due to its attention to detail and the hard work that was put into it. Make sure to stay tuned for more of SHS’s musical theater shows to come.
