If munchkins playing – well, munchkins – and a real-life Toto aren’t enough to get you into a seat at Marathon Community Theatre’s new show, we’re not sure what will.
As the culmination of MCT’s summer program, “The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition” will run for just one weekend, from Friday through Sunday, July 8-10. Based on the beloved classic with a few twists thrown in, the show is brought to life by more than 30 of Marathon’s young stars on the stage and behind the scenes.
Oz’s cast and crew are both a mix of MCT veterans and a welcome influx of new talent. The show will be co-director Kara Pascucci’s 10th production at the helm of the children’s theater program, but she is joined by first-time kids’ director Stephanie Zajac.
The cast is a similar story: roughly two thirds of the group will take the stage at MCT for the first time. Take 13-year-old Brinton Johnson, for example, who secured his first lead role as the Cowardly Lion at MCT after narrowly missing out on the part of Sebastian in his school production of “The Little Mermaid.”
“I just said I was happy to get any part,” said Johnson of his audition. “I feel like I play a major role and that I’m going to get noticed this time.”
Others, like 15-year-old Rylee Seligson (the Scarecrow) and 14-year-old Claire Segard (Glinda the Good Witch), have been part of the productions as long as Pascucci has directed them. A cast with such varied ages presents a unique set of challenges when trying to pull together a cohesive show, but the veterans say they have enjoyed watching their younger counterparts learn the basics of stagecraft.
“I love hanging out with the munchkins. They’re so cute,” said Segard. “I like to remind them of what they are (on stage) and make it more of a game.”
The Tin Man (Aiden Judd, left) spills his troubles to Dorothy (Haley Price), Toto (Lily Hutchinson) and the Scarecrow (Rylee Seligson). 
Now that Dorothy has dropped a house on her sister, the Wicked Witch of the West (Maddy Judd) is a force to be reckoned with. 
The Mayor of Munchkinland (Leona Johnson) confirms that the Wicked Witch of the East is dead. 
Glinda (Claire Segard, center) celebrates the death of the Wicked Witch of the East. 
Ding dong, the witch is dead. 
Dorothy (Haley Price, right) consults Professor Marvel (Emmit Johnson).
Though the two were not alone in their efforts, Pascucci and Zajac pulled off a minor miracle: working over just six weeks, “Oz” came together from start to finish in a mere 12 rehearsals. The pair described themselves as organized, until necessity dictated adaptation in nearly every session.
“We always had a plan that we never stuck to,” said Zajac. “This was definitely a divide-and-conquer project.”
“(Pascucci and Zajac) know how to balance everything at once,” said Seligson. “You can just tell that (Pascucci)’s done this for 10 years.”
“What I like about them is they don’t try to stress you out too much,” added Johnson. “If you’re extremely stressed out trying to perfect something you’re doing, you end up completely messing it up. They seem to know a good boundary on how much they should push.”
When asked for the highlights of their show that would fill seats, the trio of lead actors had no hesitation.
“I get lit on fire,” said Seligson.
“Be prepared for an awesome ending for the Wicked Witch,” said Segard.
Showtime for “The Wizard of Oz” is 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased at www.marathontheater.org or by calling 305-743-0994.
