Follow the Road to Oz at June Bug
-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on October 17, 2019. There’s still time to see the production of Oz! the Musical this Friday and Saturday at 7:00 and Sunday at 2:00.
The Floyd Community Theatre Guild (FCTG) had a sold-out opening night for their June Bug Center presentation of Oz! The Musical, and a standing ovation at the conclusion of the classic story.
There were witches, munchkins, flying monkeys and all the memorable Oz characters, played by twenty-two young actors (thirteen years old and under) and directed by June Bug Center director Emily Gruver.
“This is our first true musical,” Gruver told the audience during a welcome introduction. She described the two act play as an ambitious project and said the kids had worked very hard and only had a month-and-a-half to rehearse.
The characters were played with spunk and humor. The upbeat toe-tapping song and dance numbers incorporated cabaret-style kick-line dancing, jazzy steps and even some hoedown-style flatfooting.
A spiraling yellow brick road set the stage for the drama to unfold. Songs that drew from original standard themes added flair to the entertainment and included “Follow the Road.” “Step on down / follow the road / Stomp that ground / Follow the road / You better listen and do it my way / I say, stay on the yellow brick highway…”
The sets, lighting and costumes were impressive and inventive. A giant talking Wizard face in the Emerald City (green, of course) was designed by past Young Actors Coop actor Cameron Woodruff and added a dramatic touch.
The scarecrow (played by Sunny Anderson) warmed hearts. The tin woodsman (played by Seyda Barrett) drew sympathy from the audience. The cowardly lion (played by Lenora Williams) got some good laughs.
The wizard (played by Teja Reygle) brought frightful awe. Good Witch Glinda (played by Callie Jeppson) added some comfort and the cackling Wicked Witch of the West (played by Eva Rose Sarver-Wolf) provided tension to the story.
Everyone was rooting for Dorothy (played by Laken Thompson) to click her ruby-red slippers together and get back home to Aunt Em (played by Asia Williams) with her dog Toto (played by Kaidyn Church). The audience cheered when that final scene played out. – Colleen Redman
There’s still time to see the production of Oz! the Musical this Friday and Saturday at 7:00 and Sunday at 2:00. The next scheduled production at the June Bug is The Worst/Best Christmas Pageant Ever, presented by Haebo Productions on December 13-15th with the help of the FCTG.
A Haunted House fundraiser for the June Bug Center is set for October 30 and 31st (recommended for ages 13 and up or those accompanied by an adult). A spring musical/comedy production of The Addams Family is in the planning stages.
October 20th, 2019 6:35 am
What a wonderful creative adventure for the community to enjoy. The costumes, set design and performers, so many of them children, look to be having the time of their lives. Bravo to all those who took on this enormously fun task!