Wiz kids

View larger image C.J. Nicholson, 11, as Mayor of the Munchkins in Central High School’s production of “The Wizard of Oz,” leads a group of Munchkins during a recent rehearsal. C.J. is one of 21 fourth- and fifth-graders from W.W. Robinson Elementary in Woodstock chosen to play Munchkins in the high school play. Dennis Grundman/Daily Recommend This Print This Get E-mail News Alerts Buy Photos/Page Reprints * Breaking News If local news is breaking and you know about it: * Call Us: 800-296-5137 * E-mail Us * Upload Your Photos View larger image Sarah Golden, the band director, conducts while students play and Munchkins perform. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Munchkins line up with Victoria Funkhouser, center, as Dorothy, in the first rehearsal with the pit orchestra. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image From left to right, Lilyan Patton, Brianne Brewster, Megan Frewald, and Allyah Williams kneel in song during rehearsal. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image C.J. Nicholson portrays the mayor. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image A line of Munchkins point at the dead witch. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Munchkins gather around Dorothy to sing. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Mackenzie Ryan, Ben Harrison and SarahGrace Schechtel sing while rehearsing their role as munchkins. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Victoria Funkhouser, as Dorothy, sings in front of Munchkins with the Good Witch to her right. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Ben Harrison, as a Munchkin teacher, and SarahGrace Schechtel, as the Coroner, sing lines they memorized for their roles as Munchkins. Dennis Grundman/Daily

Fourth- and fifth-graders join school musical at Central

By Josette Keelor -- jkeelor@nvdaily.com

WOODSTOCK -- The chance to perform in a high school play while only in elementary school is quite an honor. To follow in a parent's footsteps along the path to Munchkin Land is even more unique, and something that a couple of pupils at W.W. Robinson Elementary School will get to do this month.

This season the Yellow Brick Road will lead 21 local fourth- and fifth-graders to Central High School for a production of "The Wizard of Oz." It isn't the first time the school has brought the play to its stage, but it will be the first time all of its Munchkins are children from the lower grades.

Twenty-six years ago, younger high school students played the Munchkins. One of them was Anita Hackett Richard, who was a freshman at the time. Her 10-year-old daughter Virginia will be a Munchkin this year.

"I feel pretty good," Virginia said at a recent after-school rehearsal, thinking back on the many rehearsals so far. "My mom said it [the play] was pretty great. She was in it too, and she said it was pretty fun."

Virginia said it helps knowing that her mother went through the experience before her. Her mother helps her with her lines, and Virginia isn't worried about having to dance for the first time on stage or learn her role.

"No, 'cause I had seen the movie about 20 times," she said. "I feel pretty good about it."
C.J. Nicholson, 11, also comes from the Oz legacy.

"I couldn't believe it," his mother Christine remembers thinking when learning C.J. would be a Munchkin this year. Nicholson was a Munchkin at Northern Middle School in Owings, Md., on April 23, 1979. Her sister recently found the playbill for that show, only days before they learned that C.J. would be in Central High's production.

"He's the Mayor, and I was the Coroner," Nicholson said.

"I kind of wanted to be the Coroner," C.J. said, "but I thought it was pretty cool," he added about being the Mayor, who still has more lines than some of the other Munchkins.

The Coroner, SarahGrace Schechtel, 10, has embraced her own opportunity to act her way into Central High's history books.

"It's fun, but, uh, it's scary having to say the big line in front of Dorothy and everyone else," she said. She sometimes feels pangs of stage fright, she said, "but, I mean, you get used to it."

She has acted in church plays before, but nothing like this.

"It's different because you're doing the musical," she said.

Having knowledge of the movie version is a help, but she and others admit that the play offers some differences.

For Central's production, 41 children auditioned, but only 21 were accepted, director Nathan May said. The older members of the cast consist of 26 high school students.
Although the movie version uses the same actors in multiple roles, the high school production has only one main actor playing more than one role -- Professor Marvel and the Wizard, both played by Alex Feldstein.

"[This is] simply because we want to utilize as many students as possible," May said.
Other leads are Victoria Funkhouser as Dorothy, Joshua Shelor as the Scarecrow, Adam Hockman as the Tin Man, Daniel Russell as the Lion, Haley Spencer as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Cathryn Stephenson as Glinda.

All of the girl Munchkins double as Poppies, and the boys play Flying Monkeys.
Though the show might seem like a children's story, it is very much a professional production, May said.

"This is professional theater, and we're doing this at the high school level," he said. This is something the school faces every year, though. "The high school level doesn't have much music catered to it."

Casting younger children not only makes the Munchkins seem more authentic to the audience, it also allows those involved an experience few others get to have.

"It kind of creates a lasting impression," May said.

It's a lot of work, but he believes it is well worth the effort.

"The children seem to be picking it up very quickly," he says.

"I felt pretty amazed that I actually got into the play," said Leighanne Bodge, 10, who plays a Barrister. She admits she had hoped for a role in the Lullaby League, but she's glad for the part she got.

"I have the longest lines, and I'm partners with the Mayor and help him decide things," she said. Memorizing so many lines has not been a problem for her, though.
"No, not really, it was actually easy for me," she said.

Sasha Hoover, 9, who plays a city mother, is grateful for help from older cast members.
"They helped a lot," she said. "I haven't really gotten to talk to them very much, except for Glinda, but Glinda's really nice."

With so many people in the cast, it's important to stay organized, May said.

"Each rehearsal has its own climax to it, its own purpose," he said. The play also includes a 23-person pit orchestra of students and teachers.

"Can you imagine performing with a pit?" May said on the first night the children rehearsed with the full orchestra. "They've gotta feel like professionals."

Meredith Crawford, music teacher at W.W. Robinson and director of the Munchkins, said she is always impressed with how quickly the children pick up their roles.

"A lot of them, this is their first experience ever being on stage," she said, explaining that more fourth-graders than fifth-graders were cast as Munchkins.

"They're just really excited, really impressed by the high schoolers."

For some, it's like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

C.J. has acted in other plays, but his mother said this was the first audition he did knowing that not everyone would win a role.

"I was pretty excited, and she said to me, well this is an amazing thing," C.J. said, calling it "a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

"I've never done it before, so it's an amazing thing."

"The Wizard of Oz"
Where: Central High School
1147 Susan Ave., Woodstock
When:
• Feb. 11 and 12 at 7 p.m.
• Feb. 13 at 2:30 p.m.
How much: $10 for adults, $8 for students 5-17, free for ages 4 and under
Contact: 459-2161