Play will take a trip to Oz

BY LARRY HLAVENKA JR.
Staff Writer

HOWELL - The land of Oz isn't quite the way you would remember it.

"The Wiz of Oz," which is a fusion of "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Wiz," will be presented at Howell Middle School North, 501 Squankum-Yellowbrook Road, at 7 p.m. June 1-2. Tickets will be available at the door; $7 for adults, and $5 for students, children and senior citizens.

Musical choreographer, arranger and sixth-grade teacher Teri Brown combined the stories that are told in "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Wiz" into her own production. She even wrote some of the musical numbers.

After being with the school for 29 years, Brown remains enthusiastic.

"It's extremely fulfilling to do," she said. "The children love to participate and the end result is very gratifying."

Brown said she has teamed up with fellow teacher Christine Sezer to produce the show. In the past, the pair often worked on the school's productions together. However, they had not worked together in recent years for a variety of reasons.

With this being Sezer's final year, though, the partnership seemed appropriate, Brown said.

"She and I have worked together for many years," Brown said. "This might be my last year, too. We have been working on it for several months. It's definitely a juggling act."

Brown said the hard work put in by all of the students has paid off.

"We have some excellent talent," she said. "[With performing] it starts out enthusiastic, but then they see how much work goes it to it."

According to Brown, the young actors have remained dedicated to the task at hand.

"They recognize the importance," she said. "We rehearse as a full cast and also individual parts."

Some students come in to school up to an hour before classes begin in order to refine their craft.

Brown believes the production remains an important social outlet.

"It's very exciting to see some students who are withdrawn come out for this and use it as a growing lesson. It's great to see them open up," she said.

The show features familiar characters such as Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow, but in this version of "The Wizard of Oz" some of the characters are a bit different.

"Toto is actually a singing dog and the Wicked Witch of the West does a vampy-type number," Brown said. "We have all kinds of dance numbers, including hip-hop."

Brown thanked Sezer for her dedication, as well as the student performers and their parents.

"The parents have been a God-send," she said. "Without them this couldn't have happened. They have done props, tickets, the sets, the ad book and cast parties."

Brown said she hopes the audience will appreciate the effort and enjoy its trip to Oz, even if it is a bit different than the trips they have made to the magical land in the past.