Come Along to Oz

ABINGDON, Va. – Off to see the wizard.
The wonderful wizard of oz, that is.
Late Sunday afternoon, scores of diligent actors worked through a full rehearsal of “The Wizard of Oz.” Set to open at Barter Theatre in Abingdon on May 29, the play based upon L. Frank Baum’s book, is scheduled to run through Aug. 9.
“Everybody knows the movie,” said Rick McVey, who plays the Cowardly Lion. “To do justice to it and pull it off, it takes effort.”
Get this. This is the first time that Barter has staged the long legendary musical.
Never?
“Never,” said Richard Rose, Barter’s producing artistic director and director of “The Wizard of Oz.” “For years, we debated whether we could pull it off.”
Considering formidable audience expectations coupled with widespread knowledge and love of “The Wizard of Oz,” challenges aplenty face Rose and the cast.
“You can’t beat the movie,” Rose said. “You have to fulfill the audience’s expectations. You do that by making sure the archetypal moments are contained in the show.”
So count on hearing Gwen Edwards as Dorothy sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” marvelously, as she did on Sunday night.
Expect to see her wear ruby red slippers and be accompanied by her dog Toto. Munchkins, the yellow brick road, Tin Man and Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion are all in tact.
“Beyond that,” Rose said, “we want to make sure it’s fresh and creative.”
On Sunday night before a small crowd of Barter workers on the second floor of the company’s production building, the cast worked hard and to a collective sweat. No set to speak of, only a few props such as an hourglass and Dorothy’s red slippers were used.
And yet Edwards as Dorothy sang as if on opening night – beautifully. A limber as licorice Amy Baldwin prompted frequent laughter as the Scarecrow.
You could almost hear Mike Ostroski squeak as he wonderfully played the rusty Tin Man. Casting magnificence emerged as Rick McVey climbed into the priceless character of the Cowardly Lion as if he were born in the furry get-up.
“For me, as an actor, it’s the comic aspects of the Lion that appeals to me,” McVey said. “The challenge is for the actor to make the character his own.”
Creativity in presentation also presents a considerable challenge. It’s safe to say that no one at Barter wanted to stage a scene-for-scene, line-for-line copy of the 1939 classic film.
So astute fans of “The Wizard of Oz” that attend the play will notice an additional scene or two. For example, the play includes a scene in which Dorothy and a cadre of dancers dance the jitterbug, which was not in the finished movie.
“They cut it from the movie,” Rose said. “They cut it out because they thought it would date the movie. But it’s fun.”
Indeed. Fun coupled with loads of reasons – timeless story and songs, vividly unique characters, reality mixed with fantasy, wholesome entertainment – has drawn fans to “The Wizard of Oz” for generations.
“There is nothing like experiencing this live,” Rose said. “It is so much more fun and much more enjoyable. You’ll remember it forever.”

TOM NETHERLAND is a freelance writer. He can be reached at .

IF YOU GO
What: “The Wizard of Oz”
When: Opening night May 29, 8:15 p.m. and then through Aug. 9 at various times
Where: Barter Theatre, 127 W. Main St., Abingdon, Va.
Info: (276) 628-3991
Web: http://www.bartertheatre.com

Barter for a Ticket to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ on June 2

ABINGDON, Va. – Barter Theatre of Abingdon, Va. is celebrating its legacy of helping the community with its annual Barter Night.
Barter Theatre got its name from the practice of bartering. In 1933, Robert Porterfield brought a team of actors to Abingdon during the Great Depression.
These actors were starving in New York while the farming people of Southwest Virginia had an abundance of food they could not sell.
So, Porterfield gave these Virginians something to spend their surplus vegetables on – a good laugh.
Porterfield’s legacy continues on June 2. Patrons can barter for a ticket to the “Wizard of Oz”
Food items will be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank – Appalachian Branch. The drive will begin at 6:30 p.m. to allow people to “barter” their way into the 7:45 p.m. show on the Main Stage.
Bring non-perishable food items equivalent to a $30 ticket to Barter and receive free admission to the production. Children ages 17 and under can “barter” with $16 worth of food. The Second Harvest Food Bank truck will be parked outside Barter Theatre that evening for collections.
  “The Wizard of Oz,” from L. Frank Baum children’s classic with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, is a family-friendly show and based on the classic MGM movie,
— For more on Barter Theatre or Barter Nights, call (276) 628-3991 or visit http://www.bartertheatre.com
—For more information on how you can donate food to The Second Harvest Food Bank – Appalachian Branch, call (276) 628-9266.