No matter how old you are, you are young again in the Land of Oz. Rosebud Centre of the Arts is busily preparing to welcome the acclaimed musical version of The Wizard of Oz.
The classic tale of Dorothy blows onto the Rosebud Opera House Stage May 29. See how the theatre wizards of Rosebud stage that massive tornado that sweeps a teenage Dorothy and her dog Toto off to the Land of Oz.
But that’s just the beginning of the magic. With the help of the Good Witch of the North and a few friends along the way, she travels the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City in hopes that the great and powerful Oz can get her safely home before the Wicked Witch of the West can stop her. One of the plays principal themes, “There’s no place like home”, is richly explored. The Wizard of Oz promises to be a magical prairie musical adventure for the whole family.
The songs are among the most famous and instantly recognizable American songs of all time. The most acclaimed of them all is, Over the Rainbow. The original Dorothy, Judy Garland said, “Over the Rainbow has become part of my life. It’s so symbolic of everybody’s dreams and wishes that I’m sure that’s why some people get tears in their eyes when they hear it. I’ve sung it thousands of times and it’s still the song that’s closest to my heart.”
Rosebud veteran Cassia Schramm returns to the Opera House Stage in the iconic role of Dorothy.
“I watched The Wizard of Oz so many times as a kid. The seven year old Cassia still inside of me is actually giddy that I get to wear the ruby slippers.” says Schramm. “The story of Dorothy is the story of going on a journey, walking the yellow brick road, learning to discover what is important to you, where your home is, and where you will find love. Our director (Morris Ertman) is great at bringing out the heart in every story, and at the heart of this story is that journey. Dorothy is older than some of my previous roles, plus she’s a bit of a rebel. I can’t wait to explore her character.”
Schramm is joined on stage by fellow Rosebud Theatre veterans David Snider as the Tin Man, Joel Stephanson as the Scarecrow, and Andrew Legg as the Lion.
Rosebud Artistic Director Morris Ertman helms the production as Director, and explains, “the main difference between the movie and the musical is the fact that people are responding to live performers on a set that is not the movie in any way.
Jerod Fahlman has designed a set that morphs from Kansas to Oz with the power of scenic wizardry, good old actor storytelling, and a lot of imagination on the part of the audience. That’s the magic of live!”
“And so adults, as well as children, will find themselves transported by a story that is as much about grown-ups growing up as it is about a young teenage girl named Dorothy. This is a story for everyone. It is a musical whose sole purpose is to delight through touchstones to everyday experiences where any of us “wish upon a star” and find ourselves in places we’ve never been before. As such, it is a story about the awakening of wonder, imagination, friendship, and love for all of the things we associate with the word ‘home’”.
