November 9-11, students of the Bonner Springs High School performed a stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, giving the iconic story new life. With impressive costuming and stage props, fantastic acting and singing, and loads of spirit on display, the performance was an entertaining sight that culminated from months of effort put forth by everyone on the cast and crew.
The play follows the basic story of The Wizard of Oz; a Kansan girl named Dorothy (Taylor Morton) is unsatisfied with her life on a farm when she’s swept away by a tornado and crashes into the land of Oz. There, she must go on a journey to find the Wizard of Oz to get back home. She meets three new friends along the way who also wish to meet the Wizard so he can cure them of their fatal flaws; Scarecrow (Michael Streit), who wishes he had a brain, The Tin Man (Kermitt Jacks), who wishes for a heart, and The Cowardly Lion (Blake Taber), who wishes for courage.
The film is perhaps the most iconic piece of American culture to feature the state of Kansas as a setting. Plenty of Kansans who have gone to another state for long enough have experienced being badgered with hordes of Dorothy’s iconic line “We’re not in Kansas anymore”. It’s fitting for Bonner Springs High School to celebrate such a staple of Kansas recognition with a theatrical production, and the student actors made sure to do the film justice.
Everyone who played a part, from the lead roles to the ensemble, put their backs into their performances. Particularly, Morton as the lead role of Dorothy perfectly captured her kindness and her longing for a better future, and Taber was a perfect fit for the role of The Cowardly Lion, portraying his personality with just the right amount of exaggerated goofiness and believability.
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To gain a better understanding of the musical and its production, I interviewed Morton and Taber to see what they thought of the musical as insiders, and they gave insightful answers.
Q: What made you want to join the musical?
Blake: Well, the musical for me is a coping mechanism, so just acting in general just made me happy. And so I was like, ‘Okay, since it worked for me last year I might as well try again this year.’
Taylor: Honestly, it started when I was in freshman year. I tried out for the play initially because the play was in the fall that year. And then I didn’t get into that. So I tried again with the musical and I started as ensemble in that one, which was Oklahoma. And it’s just kind of stuck with me, and it’s been a fun thing ever since.
Q: Were you expecting to get the character role that you did?
Blake: No, I wasn’t expecting to get Lion, I was expecting to get at least one of the three, but definitely not Lion. I felt like there was someone who could definitely play that better than me.
Taylor: Um, I would say maybe halfway. I mean, I wasn’t like, I’m definitely gonna get this role. I mean, I was hoping for a good role because I felt really confident in my audition. But when it came down to the day the cast was going to be posted, I was really nervous that it was between me and one other person.
Q: What was the most difficult part of the musical?
Blake: Probably the dancing. I’m not a very good dancer. And so we took time out of like our rehearsals, we worked in seminars and after school, after rehearsals, actually, and worked for like 30 minutes on one specific scene. And yeah, we just put a lot of work into the dancing.
Taylor: Probably memorizing the lines and some of the last minute, like, notes and, like, lyrics in some of the songs. Jitterbug was also a little difficult to figure out the choreo for, but you know, it was all still a fun process.
Q: What was the most fun part of the musical?
Blake: The most fun part is probably performing it and hearing everyone laugh at what you’re supposed to laugh at, and clap, and cheer for you, after you just, like, perform a show in a sweaty lion costume. I feel like that’s… that is rewarding.
Taylor: I think the best part about any of our stage productions is just the memories I get to make with people and, like, meeting new people, because, you know, we had some freshmen this year who hadn’t done anything like it before. One of them was one of our leads. And yeah, my favorite part is just having fun with people I’m close to.
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Every student and teacher who participated in the musical put time, work, and heart into the production, and it shows. From the lead cast to the ensemble to the director and the stage cast, The Wizard Of Oz was a wonderful play from the Bonner Springs High School. Locals should keep tabs on the dates of future plays to come.
