THE WIZARD OF OZ - Carousel Theatremedia.carouseltheatre.ca/carouseltheatre_wizardofoz_presskit.pdf · [email protected] 604-669-3410 The Wizard of Oz PRESS KIT MEDIA CONTACT:

The Wizard of Oz PRESS KIT

MEDIA CONTACT: Jessie van Rijn [email protected] 604-669-3410

THE WIZARD OF OZ

By L. FRANK BAUM With Music and Lyrics by HAROLD ARLEN and E.Y. HARBURG Background Music by HERBERT STOTHART Dance and Vocal Arrangements by PETER HOWARD Orchestration by LARRY WILCOX Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company Based upon the Classical Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros

FEATURING

Miss Gultch/West Witch........ Meghan Anderssen Uncle Henry/Oz Guard.......... Timothy E. Brummund Huck/Scarecrow.................... Darren Burkett Prof. Marvel/Wizard of Oz.... Damon Calderwood Female Ensemble................... Kayla Dunbar Aunt Em/Glinda..................... Janet Gigliotti Zeke/Lion.............................. Josue Laboucane Female Ensemble................... Christine Quintana Hickory/Tin Man................... Mike Stack Dorothy................................. Robyn Wallis (pictured at right)

PRODUCTION TEAM Director……………...………. Carole Higgins Choreographer.................... Melissa Young Musical Director/Pianist....... Steven Greenfield Set Design/Props…………… Heidi Wilkinson Costume Designer................. Barbara Clayden Lighting Design……………… Jeff Harrison Stage Manager……………... Benjamin Cheung Apprentice Stage Manager… Rebecca Mulvihill Technical Director................. Al Frisk Head of Wardrobe............... Darryl Milot Running Crew....................... Megan Kennedy Follow Spot Operator............ Sarah Galligani

VENUE Waterfront Theatre (1412 Cartwright Street, Vancouver) DATES December 2 - 31, 2011 (Various Times)

TICKETS (604) 685-6217 INFO www.carouseltheatre.ca FACEBOOK Carousel Theatre TWITTER CarouselTheatre MEDIA WEBSITE/LOGIN with HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS: http://media.carouseltheatre.ca THE BLURB:

Follow the yellow brick road with Dorothy and the gang in The Wizard of Oz! This brave adventure follows Dorothy and her three strange friends; a Scarecrow with no brain, a Tin Man with no heart, and a Lion without any courage as they journey on to see the great and powerful Wizard of Oz. During Dorothy’s search for the Wizard she discovers the true meaning of friendship, personal growth, and most important: there is no place like home!



ABOUT CAROUSEL THEATRE

Carousel Theatre, now in its 37th season, has produced 147 plays for young people. In its early years, the company performed at several different venues in Vancouver including the Arts Club Seymour Street and the Vancouver East Cultural Centre before moving to our home on Granville Island, where we operate a small arts complex that includes administrative offices and two rehearsal halls. Carousel is one of the long-term resident tenants at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island. Each season more than 40,000 young people and their families benefit from Carousel Theatre’s unique programming. Under the vision of Artistic Director Carole Higgins, Carousel Theatre stages a mainstage season of Literary Classics at the Waterfront Theatre, a Teen Shakespeare Program each summer and a year-round Theatre School for young people ages 3 to 17 years. Carousel Theatre also runs a mentorship program for fledgling theatre for young audiences companies and a new play development program. Carousel Theatre plays a unique role in the ecology of our community, and is the only theatre company in BC that produces a fully professional season of mainstage programming especially for young people.

OZ BACKGROUND

The Wizard of Oz is an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which has been since published countless times. Not only does this show have the ability to have the audience laughing and crying but it also gives the audience the opportunity to challenge difficult themes of love, endurance, personal character and self acceptance.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel

written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow.

Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in

Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted

numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of

Oz, which is the name of both the 1902 stage play and the 1939 MGM film version starring Judy Garland. There a few different musical versions- most recently a 2011 adaptation by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The musical uses all of the Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg songs from the film and includes new songs and additional music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and additional lyrics by Tim Rice.

The story chronicles the adventures of a young girl named Dorothy Gale in the Land of Oz, after being swept away from her Kansas farm home in a storm. Thanks in part to the 1939 MGM movie, it is one of the best-known stories in American popular culture and has been widely translated. Its initial success, and the success of the popular 1902 Broadway musical which Baum adapted from his original story, led to Baum's writing thirteen more Oz books. The original book has been in the public domain in the US since 1956.

Top: The 1939 MGM Film, The Wizard of Oz Bottom: Cowardly Lion and Dorothy

illustration by W.W. Denslow.



DID YOU KNOW? Contributed by Musical Director (and Oz Enthusiast) Steven Greenfield

When I was in grade four, I saw MGM's film The Wizard of Oz for the first time. I was instantly hooked by L. Frank Baum's magical world, and since then, have devoured everything Oz-related that I can get my hands on. As we start preparing for our intimate chamber musical version of The Wizard of Oz, Carousel Theatre has asked me to compile a list of what I find to be the 30 most interesting "Did You Know?"s regarding the novel, film and musical.

For the full list, visit:

http://carouseltheatre.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/did-you-know-the-super-dorky-wizard-of-oz-collection-of-things-you-didnt-know-you-needed-to-know/

A reference to something in the book not included in the screenplay can be seen in the movie. It is the kiss 'Glinda' gives 'Dorothy' on the forehead that protects her from the Wicked Witch, as none dare harm someone who bears the kiss of the Good Witch.

In order create the every-changing Horse of a Different Color in the Emerald City for the film, several horses were colored with Jell-O crystals. The relevant scenes had to be shot quickly, before the horses started to lick off the crystals.

In Baum's novel, 'Dorothy' receives silver slippers after the Wicked Witch of the East's death. MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer had the idea of changing them to ruby slippers as that colour would look more impressive with the relatively new Technicolor® film colorization process. The same reason prompted the makeup designers to make the Wicked Witch of the West green-skinned.

In the novel, Oz is a really place, and not a dream as portrayed in the film. In the novel's sequels, Dorothy (and eventually her family) continue to visit Oz.

Legend has it that when Baum was struggling to find a name for his magical land, his gaze was caught by the gilt letters on the three drawers of his office's filing cabinet. The first was A-G; the next drawer was labeled H-N; and on the last were the letters O-Z.

The only Kansas-dwelling characters featured in the book are 'Dorothy', 'Aunt Em' and 'Uncle Henry'.

In the novel, the reason that the Munchkins take an immediate liking to 'Dorothy' and suspect that she is a witch is due to her blue and white gingham dress. Blue is the official colour of Munchkinland (this is referenced in the musical), and white is the colour of witches.

The song "Over the Rainbow" was ranked #1 by the American Film Institute in 2004 on the 100 Greatest Songs in American Films list. In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked The Wizard of Oz as the #10 Greatest Movie of All Time.

When the film's wardrobe department was looking for a coat for Frank Morgan ('Professor Marvel' / The Wizard), they decided they wanted one that looked like it had once been elegant but had since "gone to seed". They visited a second-hand store and purchased an entire rack of coats, from which Morgan, the head of the wardrobe department, and director Victor Fleming chose one they felt gave off the perfect appearance of "shabby gentility". One day, while he was on set in the coat, Morgan idly turned out one of the pockets and discovered a label indicating that the coat had been made for L. Frank Baum, the author of the novel. Mary Mayer, a unit publicist for the film, contacted the tailor and Baum's widow, who both verified that the coat had at one time been owned by the author. After the filming was completed, the coat was presented to Mrs. Baum.



THE SYNOPSIS

Dorothy, a young girl living with her aunt and uncle in Kansas, has had another run in with her mean neighbor, Miss Gultch. The angry old spinster threatens to harm Toto so Dorothy and her dog run away from the family farm and leave her family and friends. In the countryside they come across charlatan Professor Marvel, who tells Dorothy her fortune and convinces her to go home. As Dorothy and Toto fight their way through a Kansas tornado, Dorothy gets hit on the head by debris and gets swept up into the tornado. When the tornado has ended Dorothy learns her house has landed in Munchkinland; and on top of the Wicked Witch of the East! The Wicked Witch of the West appears in Munchkindland to discover that Dorothy is wearing the Wicked Witch of the East’s all powerful ruby slippers. The Wicked Witch of the West vows that she will get the slippers from Dorothy no matter what it takes!

After the Wicked Witch of the West leaves, Dorothy realizes the danger and has no choice but to leave Munchkinland in search of Emerald City to ask the great and powerful Oz to send her home. Throughout her journey Dorothy and Toto meet three special friends: a Scarecrow with no brain, a Tin Man with no heart, and a Lion without any courage. Her new friends join Dorothy her journey to ask the Wizard of Oz for what they desire. On the way the five face a bushel of crabby apple trees, the Wicked Witch of the West’s fireballs, some wickedly enchanted poppies, and many more misfortunes.

When Dorothy and the gang make it all the way to Emerald City they are finally granted contact with the great and powerful Oz. He promises them they may have what they desire... But only after they bring back the Wicked Witch of the West’s broomstick! After almost giving up, the friends head to the evil Witch’s castle through the Haunted Forest. While walking through the spooky forest Dorothy and Toto are stolen away by the Winkies and swooped off to the Witches castle.

Dorothy is trapped in the Witches castle awaiting her undeniable end when suddenly the door crashes opening revealing the three friends in! Just then, the Witch appears. Dorothy throws a bucket of water on the Witch melting her away and leaving only her cloak, hat, and broom. The friends return to the Wizard of Oz to hand him the Wicked Witch of the West’s broom he requested. During their return Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion learn a truth about the Wizard, and themselves. Dorothy learns the most important lesson of all, she had the power to return home in her the entire time, all she had to do was believe in herself.

Robyn Wallis as Dorothy and Darren Burkett as Scarecrow Photos by Tim Matheson



DIRECTOR’S NOTES

What drew me the most to the story of The Wizard of Oz is that at its heart it explores the themes of family (both the ones we are born into and the ones we migrate to) and the meaning of home. For all that this is a classic tale, our heroine Dorothy is very much a modern youth, struggling to find who she is and what is ‘home’. She wants to escape, and goes on an incredible journey to discover that what she is searching for is already there, insider her and around her. It is a story to which we can all relate. Physical realities of our venue home, the Waterfront Theatre, is that we have no fly gallery and no wing space. One of the biggest challenges we have faced as a creative team is how can this musical actually fit into our theatre? So we’ve set out to do things a little differently, with a cast of ten actors, a lot of heart and a dash of magic. The tornado sequence will be told through dance and contact improvisation, we’ve brought some wackiness to the staging for the Munchkins, Glinda will float down the aisles of the audience so that young audience members can reach out and touch her glittery pink dress, our poppies will have a dash of flamenco, the Merry Old Land of Oz will tip its hat to the dazzle of Wicked, and Toto will be played by several puppets (I’m a proud dog owner and would never dream of putting Molly or Sammy backstage with all of our moving truck units- It’s like playing Tetris back there!) .

I’ve made a conscious choice to stay away from heavy stage make-up and cumbersome costumes and to let the actors’ talents and heart shine through. Our Wicked Witch will have green hints to her costume, but no green face paint, so that we can see the nuances of Meghan Anderssen’s performance. The Tin Man costume gives the physical freedom to highlight Mike Stack’s amazing physical skills, and the Scarecrow costume highlights Darren Burkett’s strong dance skills. Josue Laboucane’s Cowardly Lion will be comforting to the wee ones in our audience. And don’t worry, I promise that our heroine Dorothy (played with spunk by rising star Robyn Wallis) will pay homage to the movie, blue gingham dress, pigtails, dreams and all! Carousel Theatre’s The Wizard of Oz reunites the creative teams of our productions of Seussical and A Year with Frog and Toad, as well as some of our audiences’ most well-loved actors, including Josue Laboucane, Mike Stack, Darren Burkett and Janet Gigliotti, while introducing some new folks who have joined the Carousel ride. We’re a silly group who work hard, play hard, collaborate with fearless gusto, and dream of going somewhere over the rainbow. I hope you’ll join us in our travels.

‐ Carole Higgins, Artistic Director



THE CAST (in alphabetical order)

Timothy E. Brummund- Uncle Henry/Oz Guard Timothy is an accomplished theatre, voice-over and film/TV actor and is a graduate of the Grant MacEwan Theatre Arts Program. Career highlights include U/S Bill Austin/Sam Carmichael in Mamma Mia! (Mirvish Productions), the Voice of Audrey II in The Little Shop of Horrors (Arts Club, Citadel Theatre), Clown One in The 39 Steps (Chemainus Theatre), Dr. Neville Craven in The Secret Garden (Stage Polaris), Edward Lott in the TV Series Smallville, and the voice of Beast Man and King Randor in He-Man and Masters of the Universe.

Damon Calderwood- Professor Marvel/Wizard of Oz Damon is delighted to be doing his first show with Carousel Theatre. His recent stage forays include performing in Fiddler on the Roof (Chemainus Theatre Festival), The Forbidden Phoenix (Gateway Theatre), Christmas on the Air (Pacific Theatre), Stump City Stories (City Stage New West), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Oregon Cabaret Theatre), The Blue Light (Keyano Theatre), The Full Monty (Patrick Street Productions), and touring Western Canada in the title role in Billy Bishop Goes to War.

Megan Anderssen- Miss Gulth/Wicked Witch What a world! Meghan is wickedly excited to be part of this production. Past credits include: Hairspray (Arts Club); Falsettos (Wizard Productions/Chutzpah!); Guys & Dolls (Chemainus); Bat Boy (Patrick Street Productions); Evil Dead (DSR);Thoroughly Modern Millie and Annie Get Your Gun (TUTS); Somewhere in the World (Charlottetown Festival). In her "spare time", Meghan is also a dance instructor and choreographer. Meghan is a UBC graduate (B.A. in Dramaturgy). Up next: The Marvellous Wonderettes (February 2012 at PAL Theatre)

Darren Burkett – Huck/Scarescrow Darren is thrilled to be back with Carousel after playing The Snail in the Jessie winning production, A Year With Frog and Toad and the Cat in the Hat in Seussical. Favourite theatre credits include productions with the Arts Club (Hairspray, White Christmas, Beauty and the Beast), CTF (Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma!), TUTS (Annie Get Your Gun, Footloose), RCMT (A Chorus Line, West Side Story, The Music Man). Many thanks to his family and friends for their love and support.



Kayla Dunbar- Female Ensemble Kayla is currently in her final term at Studio 58. Past acting credits include: The Crucible (Studio58), Hairspray (Arts Club), 1984 (Studio58/The Virtual Stage), Comedy Of Errors (Studio58), Secret In The Wings (Studio58), Annie (TUTS), West Side Story (RCMT), Oliver! (Vancouver Playhouse), Grease (TUTS), 42nd Street (RCMT), Emily (Gateway), and You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Blockhead Productions). Kayla was choreographer of the highly acclaimed new musical The Park at Studio 58 last year. Enjoy the wonderful land of Oz!

Christine Quintana- Female Ensemble This is Christine's first show since graduating from UBC's BFA Acting Program, and she's glad her first trip out of Kansas brings her somewhere that feels so much like home. Previous credits include Seussical (Carousel Theatre), The Madonna Painter, Wild Honey, The Madwoman of Chaillot (Theatre at UBC), and RENT (FCP). Christine is also a playwright and a co-founder of Delinquent Theatre.

Janet Gigliotti- Aunt Em/Glinda Janet is DELIGHTED to be returning to the lovely Carousel Theatre after playing a Turtle for Carousel’s Jessie-winning production of A Year With Frog & Toad in 2010. Select credits: Adelaide-Guys & Dolls (Chemainus), Les Misérables (Arts Club), Seussical (WCT), Mamma Mia! (Mirvish), My Way (Globe), Ado Annie-Oklahoma (Port Hope), The Rainmaker (Stage Centre), Ten Lost Years (Alumnae Theatre), Nellie-South Pacific, Rosie-Bye Bye Birdie (TUTS), The Witch-Into The Woods, Godspell (URP). Love to Sophia, Siena, Noah, Alex & Ryan!

Josue Laboucane – Zeke/Lion Josue is an actor, teacher, and director. He has performed in four seasons of Bard on the Beach, most recently Henry VI and Richard III. Other acting credits include Pharoah Serket and the Lost Stone of Fire, Bird Brain, Seussical, Robin Hood, I Love You Forever and More Muncsh, (Carousel Theatre), The Emperor's New Threads (Axis Theatre), and The Exquisite Hour (Relephant Theatre). Josue has been nominated for four Jessie Richardson awards and is a graduate of Studio 58.



THE PRODUCTION TEAM

Mike Stack- Hickory/Tin Man Mike is delighted to work with Carousel once again, after directing last season’s Pharaoh Serket and the Lost Stone of Fire. He spent this past summer performing at Bard on the Beach and has toured the globe with The Number 14 (Axis Theatre). Mike also works extensively with young people, as Coordinator of the Young Shakespeareans program at Bard, throughout the Homelearning community, and at Templeton Secondary in East Van. Mike is a graduate of Studio 58.

Carole Higgins- Director Carole has the best job in the whole world! Her many directing credits for Carousel Theatre include Bird Brain, Seussical, A Year with Frog and Toad, Love You Forever…, Silverwing, The Big League, and Peter Pan. She has received four Jessie Nominations and two Jessie Awards for Directing. Carole has worked as an actor/director/playwright in theatres across BC including Western Canada Theatre, the Caravan Farm Theatre and TheatreOne. She and her husband live with their two dogs, Molly and Sammy, and their cat, Kitten.

Melissa Young- Choreographer Melissa is very excited to be choreographing The Wizard of Oz! Recent choreography credits include: A Year with Frog and Toad, Seussical (Carousel) As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors (Bard on the Beach,) Oklahoma! (Chemainus Theatre Festival.) As an actress, Melissa has appeared in Guys and Dolls (Chemainus Theatre,) Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Producers, Gypsy (Arts Club) and the films Freshman Father and Dark Waters of Crime. Melissa has been nominated for six Jessie Awards.

Robyn Wallis- Dorothy Robyn is thrilled to be making her Carousel Theatre debut as one of her favorite childhood characters! Selected credits include: Penny Pingleton in Hairspray (Vancouver Arts Club), Gretel in Hansel and Gretel (Alberta Opera), Tippi Lala in Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s (Teatro la Quindicina) and Edna in June Moon (Media Room). Robyn is a Graduate of Grant MacEwan where her favorite roles included: Miss Dorothy Brown in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Irene in the original play The Addlepated Nixie.



Heidi Wilkinson- Set and Props Designer Heidi has been a props and set designer/builder for the last 16 years. She’s currently teaching theatre at Capilano University and just finished her 13th season with Bard on the Beach as head of props. Other Carousel set designs include: Bird Brain, Munsch Alley, Love You Forever, and A Year With Frog and Toad. She would like to dedicate this show to her late mother, Dolores, as it was her favourite story…one Heidi now shares with her own 2 little Munchkins.

Steven Greenfield- Musical Director/Pianist As a child, Steven was a bit of an Ozophile, and is proud to say that he has read all 14 canonical Oz books. CT audiences have seen his work as the musical director of Seussical and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (The Lawyer Show 2011). A graduate of Grant MacEwan College's Theatre Arts program, Steven is a Jessie Award-winning and OVATION! Award-nominated musical director for Seussical (Carousel Theatre) and Edges (Streamlight Productions).

Barbara Clayden- Costume Designer Barbara Clayden has been a theatre artist for over 30 years, designing costumes and sometimes sets for various theatre and dance companies around Vancouver. For Carousel Theatre, Barbara has designed the costumes for numerous shows including: Seussical, The Odyssey and Robin Hood.

Jeff Harrison- Lighting Designer Jeff has designed over 50 shows in Vancouver and internationally and has been nominated for 5 Jessie Richardson Awards including one win for his work with Carousel Theatre. He is a graduate of SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts and attended the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts. Past design credits include: The Full Monty (Patrick St. Productions), Robin Hood, Pharaoh Serket (Carousel Theatre), Train (Theatre Replacement), Oklahoma!, Guys and Dolls (Chemainus Theatre Festival). Jeff is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.



Darryl Milot- Head of Wardrobe Darryl is thrilled to take on Oz as his first show with Carousel. Prior to this, he spent 8 years as Wardrobe Head at the Arts Club, where he helped produce more than 100 shows. Past costume design credits include The Seahorse, Saltwater Moon, Back Kitchen Release Party, and a Jessie nomination for Poster Boys (all Arts Club Theatre).

Rebecca Mulvihill- Apprentice Stage Manager Recent credits include Henry VI and Richard III (Bard on the Beach), Mimi, A Poisoner’s Comedy (Touchstone Theatre), Twelve Angry Men (Hardline Productions), and The Josephine Knot (Theatre Bombus). Rebecca has worked with Theatre Junction, the Belfry Theatre, Sunshine Theatre, and Kaleidoscope Theatre, as well as having stage managed many festivals and events. She is a graduate of the University of Victoria.

Benjamin Cheung- Stage Manager Ben’s stage-management highlights include Munscha Mia (Carousel), Best Before (PuSh), Billy Bishop Goes To War (Arts Club, Belfry, Persephone, UBC), High School Musical (Viva Musica), and Always… Patsy Cline (Viva Musica). Other credits include The Hobbit (Carousel), Seussical (Carousel), Blackbird (Rumble), Mixie and the Halfbreeds (Neworld), and Love You Forever and More Munsch (Carousel). He’s grateful to Carousel and every brave soul who has joined him through his theatrical journey. He hopes he can help Dorothy – on her own journey – find the Wizard and the way home!

Al Frick- Technical Director Al, a graduate from UBC’s Technical Theatre and Design program, is thrilled to be working on The Wizard of Oz. He has designed sets for Carousel’s Pharaoh Serket, Robin Hood, The Odyssey and The Hobbit. Al is also a founding partner of Scene Ideas, which does a variety of construction and production management projects. Some of our recent jobs include numerous events for the Olympics, including Opening & Closing Ceremonies, Lilith Fair and Canucks Dice & Ice Fundraiser. www.sceneideas.ca



Megan Kennedy- Running Crew This is Megan's first production with Carousel Theatre and she is excited and grateful to be part of Oz! Megan is a graduate of UBC’s BA in Theatre and Film Studies program. Her previous credits include costume design for While I Breathe (UBC Film), Hecuba (Theatre at UBC), Adding Machine: The Musical (pipedream productions) and assisting on The Owl and the Pussycat (Check Point Theatre).

Sarah Galligani- Follow Spot Operator Sarah Galligani has been in theatre for 6 years now. She just graduated from Capilano’s Technical Theatre program. Her previous credits include: Stage Hand for Fefu and her Friends, Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella (Exit 22), Assistant Stage Manager for Footloose (Exit 22), and Anything Goes (TUTS), and Stage Manager for The Hobbit (Exit 22), Voodoo (Capilano University Fringe Festival), and Asymmetry (Reality Curve). She’s excited to work for Carousel Theatre’s production of The Wizard of Oz.

Documents

THE WIZARD OF OZ - Carousel Theatremedia.carouseltheatre.ca/carouseltheatre_wizardofoz_presskit.pdf · [email protected] 604-669-3410 The Wizard of Oz PRESS KIT MEDIA CONTACT: