Off to See the Wizard

By Shanna Smith-Snyder

Last week I had the opportunity to see The Wizard of Oz, as a part of the Best of Broadway Series in Abilene. There is no doubt that this show is one of the most beloved and well-known stories of all time.

The theatrical version is a live adaptation of the classic 1939 MGM film. However, you will still see all your favorite characters, such as Dorothy, Toto (an obvious crowd favorite), the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Wicked Witch, Glinda and, of course, the Wizard!

 

As I was watching, I noticed that the theatrical version included several fun extras, such as: a Lion King joke in reference to the cowardly lion and two beautiful, costumed numbers. I later found out, that the songs The Jitterbug and Poppies were actually written and filmed for the MGM version, but were cut prior to the release.

What was also interesting to me was that Dorothy is played by Cassie Okenka, better known as the winner of MTV’s Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods reality show! In my opinion, she did a wonderful job with the vocals and truly made the role her own. She brought warmth to the stage as she introduced and captivated very young audience members to renowned tunes such as Over the Rainbow and We’re Off to See the Wizard.

An additional thing that was awesome about this production was that local children, from the Abilene Ballet Theatre played the munchkins! It was hard to believe that these very talented singers and dancers were so young! Kudos to the Ballet Theatre — those kiddos were amazing!

Want to see a Broadway production in Abilene? It’s not too late! On March 1-2, the Best of Broadway series will be back in Abilene with Tuna Does Vegas at the Abilene Civic Center. The performance will start at 7:30 p.m. and tickets cost around $35-$50, depending on seating. This show is supposed to be hilarious! It all begins when an oddball-conservative radio host announces on air that he and his wife are headed to Vegas to renew their wedding vows … and everyone in Tuna, Texas goes along for the ride! For tickets or more info, call 800-869-1451 or click here.