Can you believe the novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was written by L. Frank Baum way, way. way back in 1900 but didn’t become an MGM fantasy classic movie until 1939. With its Technicolor yellow brick road, it featured Judy Garland as Dorothy with her precious dog Toto, living in rural Kansas on her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em’s farm. Dorothy wishes she could be anywhere else and a sudden tornado gives her a dream come true when she finds herself in the Land of Oz seeking a Wizard.
To share this magical story with your little ones, travel to the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts for one performance only of “The Wizard of Oz” on Sunday, April 6 at 2 p.m. on the campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs. This one hour show will be performed by the Vital Theater Company who, since 1999, has consisted of a community of artists who believe “a shared theatrical experience profoundly affects people's lives" and so they create stories "to challenge audiences to ask questions, make discoveries and engage in dialogue.”
The Vital Theater Company was started by four young artists in New York City who identified original properties and adaptations like comedies, dramas and operas, and on weekends performed for children using fairy tales and original stories, often with singing and dancing. They took their shows on the road across the United States, to the islands and to Canada. Their production of “The Wizard of Oz” is based on the Royal Shakespeare Company and is a great family event.
When Dorothy lands in Oz, where little people named Munchkins live, she finds them celebrating what Dorothy’s fall on a house there does: kills the Wicked Witch of the East. Gilda the Good Witch magically puts the Wicked Witch's ruby red slippers on Dorothy’s feet, warning her never to take them off, to prevent the Wicked Witch of the West from stealing her sister’s ruby slippers for herself.
Travel with Dorothy and Toto as she meets three friends, a Scarecrow who wants a brain, a Lion who lacks courage and a Tinman who desires a heart. Together they go off to find the Wizard and encounter obstacles along the way, including Flying Monkeys, all while singing such grand songs as “Over the Rainbow,” “We’re Off to See the Wizard,” “If I Only Had a Brain,” “The Lollipop Guild” and “Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead.”
Ironically Dorothy who only yearned to leave Kansas, now only wants to get back home again. With the help of her friends, and ultimately the aid of the Wizard, her wish comes true. Recommended for children ages 2-7 or even to 99, the production features a talented cast of six actors including Jackson Cline, Christopher Michael Milligan, Matthew Wangermann, Madeline de la Parra, Edoardo Amador Morales and Ally Gishi, the Munchkins as puppets, one flying monkey and one funny witch. For tickets ($26-29), call the Jorgensen, 2132 Hillside Road, Storrs at 860-486-4226 or online at https://childrenstheatre.org/shows-and-tickets/. A paid NORTH garage ($5) is available for parking with a free van available by calling 860-461-4991.
Not a day goes by when you don’t catch a reference in American culture in music, movies or television by singers like Pink Floyd, Madonna or Metallica, or in movies like “Star Wars” or television like “The Simpsons.” This timeless story contains elements of bravery, being who you are and living your truth, being grateful for what you have, discovering your unique voice and learning “there’s no place like home.” Following the yellow brick road is a spiritual path. Dorothy needs something from each of her friends. Her heart is in the Scarecrow, her thinking mind is encased in the Tinman and the Lion captures her emotional intelligence. Together the trio save Dorothy from the Wicked Witch, defeat evil and ensure a happy ending.
Now it’s time to click your heels together three times and be the best you that you can be. Bring the children and grandchildren to this grand adventure in make believe and go off to see the Wizard together.
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