We're Off to See the Wizard!
The Wizard of Oz will mark the 42nd annual Sequim High School Operetta opening May 2nd as part of the Sequim Irrigation Festival. This timeless classic is based on the original screenplay of the famous movie with Judy Garland. This year's show promises to be the best Sequim High School musical ever with unbelievable special effects never before seen on the high school stage. You will actually witness characters fly!
We are all familiar with Dorothy Gale, the Kansas farm girl who gets caught in a tornado and ends up "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Her adventures begin when she meets the Munchkins, Glinda the Good Witch, and the Wicked Witch of the West. As she travels down the yellow brick road in search of the wonderful Wizard of Oz, she makes three unforgettable friends along the way, a scarecrow, a tinman, and a cowardly lion. All the music from the screen version is in the play, along with a few unfamiliar scenes which were cut from the movie.
Munchkin Land is made up of over forty local schoolchildren. "We put out a casting call for children over six but under four feet six inches tall and ended up with seventy children at the audition!" says the director, Christy Rutherford. "We would have loved to take them all, but our stage can only handle so many," she explained. Another forty Sequim High School students make up the cast, which is again directed by Christy Rutherford with Robin Hall as music director and choreographer. Together they have produced the last fifteen high school musicals, and over fifty productions locally since 1993.
This year's cast includes newcomer, Rachel Chumley as Dorothy; junior Danny Hall as a farmhand on the Gale's Kansas farm, and the scarecrow; junior Isaac Boekleheide as a farmhand and the Tinman; sophomore, James Willis as a farmhand and the Cowardly Lion; and juniior Andrea King as Miss Gulch and the Wicket Witch of the West. Also in lead roles are sophomore, Jenny Newell as Aunt Em and Glinda, the good witch; junior, Andrew King as Uncle Henry and the gate guard; and senior, Brett Cain as Professor Marvel and the Wizard. As in the movie, all lead characters, except for Dorothy are "double cast" in roles in Kansas as well as in Oz.
The Sequim High School has participated in the Fifth Avenue Musical Theatre Awards for the last three years and has come away with awards for staging and choreography (Guys & Dolls, 2005, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 2006, and 7 Brides for 7 Brothers 2007), best ensemble group (the brothers in 7 Brides for 7 Brothers) and best actor (Blake Barnes for 7 Brides for 7 Brothers) among others. This show is again participating in the awards which is sponsored by the Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle, recognizing outstanding musical theatre productions throughout Washington State. This show is bound for more awards this spring.
Six shows will be presented - Opening night is May 2nd and the show continue for three weekends, Friday and Saturday, May 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th at 7p.m. There will be one matinee, Saturday, May 3rd at 4p.m. with special pricing for children. Tickets can be purchased at Pacific Mist Books, Frick's Drugs, the Sequim School District Office, from cast members or at the door. Opening night is "senior night" with tickets for $6.00 for seniors over 65. All other show tickets are $9.00 general admission or $30.00 for a family (all under one roof). The matinee will offer special prices for kids under 13 at $6.00 each and all other tickets for $9.00
For further information contact Christy Rutherford at 683-8823 or 460-7517