I have heard about them for years. Been told by many that I simply must go. And at last, I made it to a Christian Youth Theater Richmond production. NOW I know what all the fuss was about.
My lucky day came on the last day of the run of The Wizard of Oz, which was held at Tomahawk Creek Middle School Theatre from February 8 – 17, 2013. My six year old son and I had a date, which suited my four year-old son just fine (having just seen the movie for the first time, he wanted no part of the Wicked Witch of the West). As we took our third row seats, even my six-year-old began to get nervous about how they would portray the tornado and the witch’s antics. “Look around you,” I said. “If they scared away all of these kids at their plays, they wouldn’t be able to sell so many tickets, would they?” He gazed around the sold-out room and nodded in (still slightly skeptical) agreement.
As the music started, the lights dimmed, and the curtain rose, we were greeted by Dorothy’s Kansas farm, complete with all of the characters you’d expect, and yes, even a real Toto (who was spectacular from start to finish, by the way). The cast, comprised of 25 in the main cast and lots of others in the ensembles, range in age from 8 to 18 years old. I was immediately struck by the very apparent pride and ownership each child and young adult took in his or her role, whether she was Dorothy or a Poppy. Every one of these kids beamed! And boy, must they have studied the movie as they prepared for their roles. I consider myself a bit of a Wizard of Oz snob, having seen the movie at least a zillion times, but I had never seen it in any other form, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Each of the characters nailed his or her role, right down to the side-mouth talking Lollipop Guild threesome. St. Gertrude Senior Taylor Mugford was spectacular as Dorothy, dancing, singing and acting like a true professional. I don’t know if she inspires to do this for a living, but I’d be the first to write her a glowing letter of recommendation. But it’s impossible to single out just one performance, as they each were truly remarkable in their portrayal of their characters, from Megan Ciszek’s spot-on Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch to Abigail Price’s Glinda, who floated in on her giant pink bubble in the grandest of entrances in each of her scenes. And not to forget the boys, Chris Cox, Taylor Read, and Aaron Rogerson knocked it out of the park as Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, respectively, making each character just as lovable as in the movie.
These kids must have some very proud parents, not that the parents had much time to bask in the glow of their offsprings’ successes. CYT keeps those moms and dads very busy indeed, with at least one parent of each performer contributing to the parent committees for the production, doing everything from set design to costumes, from concessions to makeup to props and backstage work. Yes, CYT truly makes it a family affair, and these families all agree that CYT has enriched their lives in amazing ways.
You can catch one of CYT Richmond’s final performances of the season: Honk plays May 3-5 at Tomahawk Creek Middle School and Les Miserables plays June 19-23 at The Oates Theatre at Collegiate School. Tickets for both performances go on sale on March 25th at 5:00 p.m. and they do go fast!
