Curtain rises on ‘The Magical Land of Oz’
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
At the ripe old age of 17, a young woman from Wawanesa will star in her ninth musical when she takes on the role of Dorothy Gale in the latest all-kids show from Mecca Productions.
Tonight is the opening for “The Magical Land of Oz,” featuring a cast of 160.
The curtain rises at 7 p.m. at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium for the first of four shows.
Tin Man Emily Gillespie (from left), Scarecrow Gillian Ginn-Desjarlais and Taylor Hall playing Dorothy pose for a photo during the Wednesday-evening dress rehearsal for Mecca Productions’ all-kids musical, “The Magical Land of Oz,” which opens tonight at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium. (Photos by Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun)
“This whole week, called ‘show week,’ has been so exciting with everything coming together,” Grade 12 student Dalyce Hargreaves told the Sun on Wednesday, the last day of dress rehearsals.
“It’s a funny and really heartfelt show about friendship and the meaning of friendship,” she said.
Hargreaves started singing in choirs when she was in Grade 2 and has been with Mecca for about seven years. She sings two solos while in the land of Oz — “A Light in the Distance” and “I’m Going Home.”
The storyline is the same as “The Wizard of Oz,” with a few differences. “The Magical Land of Oz,” is based on the original book, so Dorothy’s shoes are silver instead of ruby red and the Tin Man is called the Tin Woodsman.
“We won’t have the regular songs, ‘We’re Off To See The Wizard,’ or ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow,’ but I think people are really going to like the show,” Hargreaves said.
Dorothy still goes on an adventure with the three characters who are looking for a brain, heart and courage, and along the way encounters the Wicked Witch of the West and Munchkins.
“We have kids as young as seven and for how young they are, they’re doing really well,” Hargreaves said.
“When you’re in an ensemble cast, there is a lot of sitting around, watching and paying attention to learn new stuff. But backstage, the kids are coming up and calling me Dorothy and saying they really like my costume, or they really like my hair,” she said.
“It’s really cute. And I was that kid at one point, so it’s makes me feel good that I can be a role model for them.”
This fall show is the 15th all-kids Mecca production.
“I just stand in awe of these kids,” said Lisa Vasconcelos, the musical’s director and producer. “I’ve seen the show hundreds of times, but I still laugh and laugh. They’re so funny and sweet and they look amazing.
Munchkins Amelia Nurse, 8, at left and Theo Wilkander, 7, learn what it means to hurry up and wait during Wednesday’s dress rehearsal.
“And we do treat them like little professionals. We have very high expectations for what the show quality needs to be, so we set the bar and they reach it. It doesn’t matter if they’re in Grade 1 or Grade 12,” she said.
Vasconcelos founded the production company 25 years ago. She said she uses that experience along with her teaching background to make sure each member of the cast has a solid understanding of their character and their motivation.
The focus is to provide a quality experience for audiences, she said.
“We don’t use a prompter in any of our shows, so I just say to the kids, ‘Look, you know the story, you can trust each other,’” Vasconcelos said.
“If people forget lines, that happens. This is live theatre. It’s not a movie, it’s not about perfection. It’s about being in the moment together and supporting each other,” she said.
“So I remind the kids that they will find a way to advance the scene and tell the audience the story.”
The role of Dorothy is being shared by Hargreaves and Taylor Hall, who is a high school student from Elton Collegiate in Forrest.
Hall is on stage tonight and Saturday morning. Hargreaves is under the spotlight Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
“I really love the last scene of the show,” Hargreaves said.
“It’s when we’re asking the Wizard to grant our requests and I don’t know how to get home, and everyone’s on stage at that point. That’s really cool, to have the whole cast there,” she said.
Twelve-year-old Lauren Mazer, one of two child actors playing the character of the Cowardly Lion, gets her face painted by volunteer mom Ashley Mitchel shortly before Wednesday’s dress rehearsal.
“But I also really like the scene when I’m locked in the witch’s castle, it’s pretty funny. Some of my favourite lines come from that scene.
“People will just have to come and see it,” she said.
Tickets are still available for the four shows, which start this evening and Friday at 7 p.m. There are two performances on Saturday — at 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Regular admission, including taxes and service charges, is $30 for adults and $27 for seniors. Students pay $24 and the cost for children under 12 is $21.
For more information about Mecca’s production of “The Magical Land of Oz,” call the WMCA box office at 204-728-9510.
» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com
» enviromichele.bsky.social