The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum was published in 1900. The story, which is likely familiar to our audience, follows a young girl from Kansas named Dorothy Gale as she gets swept up by a cyclone and ends up “Over the Rainbow” in the land of Oz! Along the way, she meets Glinda the Good Witch, a society of Munchkins, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. They all help her to evade the Wicked Witch, follow the yellow brick road, and make her way to meet the Wizard in the Emerald City! This novel inspired countless adaptations, including a 1902 Broadway musical, silent films in 1910 and 1925, and, of course, the 1939 MGM musical starring Judy Garland, which is the basis for this stage adaptation.

While working on this show, I read the novel for the first time. I read about how the story is often seen as a political or religious allegory and how the movie continues to impact pop culture today. You will often hear references to the musical with phrases like, “I'll get you, my pretty… and your little dog too!” and “I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Dorothy's journey of longing to escape Kansas to the colorful world of Oz--all to return home to her family--really resonates with me because it reminds me of the journey many of us take as we grow into adulthood. We long for something beyond the limited world in which we've spent our childhood. We graduate high school and go off to adventures of our own, and, sometimes, we return to good, old Tuscarawas county, bringing the bright colorful world beyond with us. I hope you enjoy our production of The Wizard of Oz! 

-Sarah Spies, director

The New Philadelphia High School Musical is directed by Sarah Spies, with Musical Direction by Kristi Prucha and Choreography by Shannon Mitchell. The goal of this program is to have fun and learn something new, and, focusing on those two things, create a quality production!