St. Clair College's Music Theatre Performance students are ready to transport audiences to the magical land of Oz in their highly anticipated production of The Wizard of Oz.
This spectacular show promises all the colour, magic, dancing, and spectacle that audiences love – including flying students during the production, which runs from April 19 until April 26, 2025.
Under the expert direction of Thomas Alderson, who previously served as the assistant director for Rent at the Stratford Festival, this production showcases the immense talent and dedication of the students.
This year's production features a cast of 44 performers, including 36 first-year students and eight third-year students.
Third-year student Brooklyn Golding is cast in the role of Dorothy and calls the show a "really fun experience."
"We're trying to make it really real, showing human experiences and telling the story of belonging and finding that in Dorothy's story, as well as the other three characters that she finds along the way," said Golding. "There's tons of colour and energy and excitement, and we've all had a great time in the rehearsal period, we're in this beautiful theatre with these beautiful costumes, and I think we're all just so grateful to be able to perform here."
Since January, the students have poured more than 100 hours of rehearsal time into bringing this classic story to life on stage.
Adding an innovative touch to the production, St. Clair College has partnered with Chris Bozzetto and the Animation 2D/3D department to create stunning digital projections that will transport audiences straight into the heart of Oz. This collaboration between the performing arts and digital animation highlights the incredible talent across disciplines at St. Clair College.
"It has been a joy working on this show with these students," said Kristyn Wiklanski, the program coordinator for the Music Theatre Performance program. "The music is beautiful, the costumes are perfect, and the experience that the students are having is one they will remember for the rest of their lives."
Golding calls the rendition incredibly "dancy," featuring all the classic songs that have captured the hearts of audiences over many decades.
"My favourite number to work on has been Emerald City, although I do love them all," Wiklanski said. "This show has everything you expect to see and more from this classic story and is the perfect show for the entire family."
Golding said students do a lot of research and table reads to get it right once they bring the show to the stage.
"Because it's such a classic show, we do a lot of research on the show itself and what the deep meanings are before we start," Golding said. "We talk about the story and the scenes and the characters and what needs to happen for us to really tell the story properly and in a good fashion."
Though the timing is merely coincidental, this is also a chance to tap into a classic as the story of "Wicked" comes to life on the silver screen.
"It's kind of perfect timing, right? Because the Wizard of Oz and Wicked are obviously connected with our characters, Glinda and Elphaba," said Golding. "I don't think we're necessarily bringing Wicked to it, but our Glinda isn't your normal Wizard of Oz movie Glinda, she has a little bit of attitude to her. So, I think the release definitely inspired some more life into the rest of the characters."
The St. Clair College Music Theatre Performance program has a longstanding tradition of training talented performers who excel in singing, dancing, and acting. Known for its dynamic productions and commitment to developing versatile artists, the program provides students with hands-on experience in professional-quality productions, preparing them for successful careers in the performing arts.
Performances of Wizard of Oz take place on April 19 and 26 at 2 p.m., and night-time shows are slotted for April 19, 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $25 for adults $15 for students/youth. Tickets are available now at the Chrysler Theatre box office located at St. Clair College Centre for the Arts at 201 Riverside Dr. W. or you can purchase them online at https://www.chryslertheatre.com/.
