“The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition" at the Ohnward Fine Arts Center -- July 25 and 26.
Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26
Ohnward Fine Arts Center, 1215 East Platt Street, Maquoketa IA
At Maquoketa's Ohnward Fine Arts Center on July 25 and 26, audiences are invited on an unforgettable journey down the Yellow Brick Road with The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition, a delightful, one-act stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s beloved tale in which our plucky heroine must make friends, face her fears, and discover how good it is to go home.
As viewers of all ages know, The Wizard of Oz finds Dorothy Gale, a young girl living on a Kansas farm with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, dreaming of escaping her mundane life. The family’s mean neighbor Miss Gulch threatens to impound Dorothy’s cherished dog Toto, so Dorothy and Toto run away. They meet up with kindly Professor Marvel, who subtly convinces Dorothy to return home. Suddenly a cyclone hits, and Dorothy and Toto, seeking shelter in the house, are transported to the Land of Oz. Shortly after arriving, Dorothy meets Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. Apparently, Dorothy’s house has landed upon – and fatally stricken – the Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy consequently seeks a way back home to Kansas, and sets off to see the Wizard of Oz alongside three new friends: the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. But the departed witch's malevolent sister, the Wicked Witch of the West, has other plans for our storybook heroes.
According to the U.S. Library of Congress, the classic 1939 movie version of The Wizard of Oz is the most-seen film in cinematic history. In the inaugural class of 1989, it was selected by the Library of Congress as one of the first 25 films for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." It is also one of the few films on UNESCO's Memory of the World international register. The Wizard of Oz was ranked second in Variety's inaugural 100 Greatest Movies of All Time list published in 2022; was among the top 10 in the 2005 British Film Institute (BFI) list of 50 Films to be Seen by the Age of 14; and is on the BFI's updated list of 50 Films to be Seen by the Age of 15 released in May 2020.
The Maquoketa presentation of The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition is directed by the Ohnward Fine Arts Center's executive director Richard Hall, who also helmed productions of Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr., Shrek the Musical Jr., and Willy Wonka Jr. Karter Yorlem serves as the production's assistant director, with additional members of Hall's creative team including music directors Linda Polk, Julie Weirup, and Shannon Soenksen (the latter of whom is also the musical's choreographer) and accompanist Jenna Williams.
The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition runs in Maquoketa on July 25, and 26, with performances Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission is $10-18, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)652-9815 and visiting OhnwardFineArtsCenter.com.
