City Newspaper Archives - 12/2007
EVENTS: "The Wizard of Oz"
Published by Eric Rezsnyak on Dec 11, 2007
Although not technically a holiday show (it does have plenty of red and green in it, however...) Rochester Children's Theatre brings "The Wizard of Oz" to the stage this December. The blockbuster musical wraps up its two-week run this Sunday at the Nazareth College Arts Center.
RCT went all out for this adaptation of L. Frank Baum's classic crowd-pleaser. An ensemble of nearly 75 local teens and children joins professional actors, and a live pooch takes to the stage in the role of Toto. Local film production company Post Central created animated special effects, and the production mimics the classic 1939 film's magical transition from black-and-white to full color once Dorothy and her house land in Oz.
The play features all the classics - the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion, all singing and dancing to songs from "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" to "If I Only Had a Brain." And in a gender-bending twist, the Wicked Witch is played by actor Mark Scott Almekinder (the creepy green make-up remains the same, of course.)
"The Wizard of Oz" continues Saturday and Sunday, December 15-16, at 2 p.m. at the Nazareth College Arts Center, 4245 East Avenue. Tickets cost $15. For more information call 389-2170 or visit rochesterchildrenstheatre.org.
