The classic 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz is one of the most popular musicals of all time. Lately, its story and characters have been given new life by the hit Wicked movies.
Now, a Ventura County theater company is bringing the classic story to life on stage in Thousand Oaks.
"It's marvelous. When you (the audience) walk in, you know what to expect," said Cassandra Marie Murphy, who plays Glinda, the Good Witch. "There's a buzz and excitement about that. There's excitement about seeing the Yellow Brick Road for the first time, about seeing the witches for the first time, Glinda coming out in the bubble, and when Dorothy gets to Oz for the first time. There's so much anticipation with this show."
Playing opposite Murphy is Becky Lythgoe, as The Wicked Witch of The West. She seems too nice to play the evil witch.
"Well, you haven't seen my performance yet, and you haven't talked to my husband," she joked. "Both will show you I have some very 'wicked' tendencies, and this character is obsessed with the slippers(the ruby slippers) and the destruction of Dorothy. It's so fun to be deliciously evil."
The classic story means different things to different generations.
"There's the nostalgia for us, who grew up with The Wizard of Oz (the movie), and the fear of tornadoes, the fear of witches, and the joy of home," said Lythgoe. "There's really a sense of finding a place where you belong. Dorothy doesn't really feel like she is accepted in the world of Kansas. She gets to Oz, and she is accepted as a brave leader, and all she wants to do is go back and share that with the people she loves in Kansas."
Because of the large cast and elaborate sets, it’s an ambitious project for 5-Star Theatricals, the non-profit resident musical theater company at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center.
"We have a mix of equity union actors and the community in our shows," explained 5-Star's executive director Cindy Murray. "What I love about it is that we are bringing the young community members in, and they get the opportunity to work with professional actors on stage."
5-Star Theatricals' production of The Wizard of Oz runs from July 10 through 19 at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks.
