Yorba Linda Spotlight Blog: Spotlight's big summer musical The Wiz to open on August 4th!!!

By Melissa Staab

"The Wiz" Director

I am so exited to share that our latest production, The Wiz, will be opening up in just about two weeks! Very many of us may know the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but in this new musical version it's a fantasy for today - mysterious, magnificent and fanciful. Dorothy's adventures in the Land of Oz are set to music in a dazzling, lively mixture of rock, gospel and soul, conducted by our ever-amazing musical director Sarah Weinzetl. Our production will feature a live band once again, which will really get the audience pumped!

While similar in plot to “The Wizard of Oz”, we’ve transformed the show into a more fun, funky modern version. Dorothy, played by Hannah Matthews and Sarah Klenha, is still blown by a tornado into Munchkinland, but instead of a pretty set piece of bricks, we have a cast of 9 amazing dancers that are live representations of the Yellow Brick Road. Led by choreographer, Mary Honore, the dancers become part of the scenery as they lead Dorothy through her journey to OZ. They magically appear and disappear whenever she is ready to take a step in her next direction. While on her journey to OZ she meets the Scarecrow (Gavin Kane & Tyler Beeuwsaert), the Tinman (Harrison Allegria & Nick Rodrigues) and the Cowardly Lion (Vincent Washicko & Matt Wiencek).

Our cast has done an incredible job of grasping their very dynamic characters. Upon first glance these friends seem like ordinary story-book heroes, but as we’ve been discovery they are anything but that. Instead, these characters are full of depth, dreams, desires, compassion, and heart.

With Dorothy as their fearless captain, the encounter three of the Witches of OZ – Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North (Summer Equitz and Monica Beld), Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West (Melissa Costa & Missy Klang), and Glinda, the Good Witch of the South (Rachel Mackary). And finally they reach the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. We took a big artistic liberty in this show by casting a female as our Wiz, played by the every-enchanting Natalie Mackary and Ashley Montgomery. My concept for this came behind OZ being more like a circus, with The Wiz as its ringmaster. A powerful, domineering, leader that can command respect and attention while onstage or in the ring, but when the curtain goes down and the show is over, is just any ordinary person; a person with their own insecurities, desires and dreams. However, with a little bit of impromtu magic she is able to grant each of the characters the things they have been searching for, and convince Dorothy that she can do anything she wants if she just believes in herself. And Dorothy in turn, convinces the Wiz that she too can be part of a home and a family.

Technically speaking, this show will be magical! We are renting a beautiful set that is bran-new and has been hand painted by a Disney scenic artist. The sets transport you into this fanciful world with their vibrant colors and expansive lines. Our costumes, coordinated by the amazing Elise Jackson, are colorful, creative, and completely different than anything you have seen before. We will have lots of special effects including fog, strobe lighting, a disco ball, and wizardly projections. Plus, some of the most intricate hair and makeup design Spotlight has seen yet!

This has been one of the fastest and most amazing productions I have worked on! We only started rehearsals on June 14^th, and here we are about to open! I am so grateful to have been able to direct such a wonderful cast of new and returning Spotlight performers. They have been dedicated, focused, innovative, and dreamers alike throughout this whole process. Please come support our wonderful production of The Wiz!!