'The Wiz' Comes to Joel Barlow

When Barlow Theatre Productions takes the stage Nov. 17, 18 and 19 to present “The Wiz,” it will seem as though the production is taking its cue from the play’s theme song “Ease on Down the Road” and has eased up on the stage. With the hard work of student actors and producers and a team of parent volunteers, this is in fact what will happen.  

This 70’s musical funk rendition of the story of Dorothy, her red shoes and her dog Toto, actually started production back in May when Director first selected the show.  

“I wanted to get back to something soulful, where the actors would need to reach beyond what they were used to,” said Canova. “Last fall we did ‘The King and I,’ and that was grand and beautiful, but I felt it was time for a change.”

Once selected, a script from “The Wiz” was obtained so that the Barlow administration could read and then approve the show. After that, the long process of getting and paying for the licensing fees, and obtaining enough copies for the entire cast and crew, began.  

“We came on board in the spring,” said student producer Doug Streat about himself and his fellow student producer Gina DeVoto, student assistant director Amy Kaplan and student stage manager Samantha Tomaszewski. “People think we start everything in the fall because it’s the fall musical, but we’ve been working on things for a while.”  

By the last week of September, auditions were completed and decisions finalized regarding the cast of 45 and crew of seven. This is when “The Wiz” actually started to come to life, as rehearsals and set building began in earnest. The cast and crew spend upwards of eight hours per week on the show until one week before they perform for the public, when their time increases to about 13 hours. 

“Being in a show is a hard commitment,” said Alex McElwee, a sophomore who plays the Yellow Brick Road. “You have to put in so much extra time at school just for rehearsals But when I look at it now, it’s going to be an amazing performance and so worth it.”  

An interesting fact about the Barlow Theatre Productions group is that they are completely self-funded; the productions do not receive funds from the school or from the school’s PTSA. This means a great deal of creative fundraising, such as selling program ads, and snacks and flowers during intermission, in order to get costumes on the actors, sets on the stage and even scripts into their hands.  

The driving force behind this effort and the effort of simply getting the production up off the ground and singing and dancing is a core group of approximately 10 parent volunteers. This group takes on everything from creating the costumes, to building the sets, to snapping photos during rehearsals, to running the business end of the production.  

Toni D’Agostino, who serves as the volunteer coordinator for “The Wiz,” said “Without the constant devotion of these volunteers, this production would not be possible.” She went on to explain that during production week this group “… increases to an army who spend their time supporting their children by selling candy in the lobby, being backstage applying make-up or just sending in bottles of water for the cast and crew.”  

The production also counts on the support of several teachers within the Redding and District 9 school districts. Returning this year are Barbara Bloom as producer; Kim Pack as assistant producer; Ian Cieplik as technical director; Kathy Weiss as musical director; and new this year is Matthew Farina as choreographer.  

Canova said she hopes the experience of “The Wiz” will give the cast and crew a feeling of teamwork, of family, and of knowing that they have all played equally important roles within a larger production.  

There is the sense that this is exactly what has been achieved. Nicole Sherwood, a junior who plays Glinda summed up her experience so far, “… in the end we all know that all of our long hours will pay off. The talent and crew is incredible and I know we will put up a show that will be remembered and that I will always remember.”  

“The Wiz” is on stage at the Joel Barlow Auditorium from Thursday, Nov. 17 through Saturday, Nov. 19. Performances are at 7:30 pm on Nov. 17 and 8:00 pm on Nov. 18 and 19, with a matinee at 2:00 pm on Nov. 19.   Tickets are $18; $10 for students and seniors; and $10 for obstructed view. To purchase tickets in advance or for more information, contact Barlow Theatre Productions at barlowthetre@gmail.com or call 203-938-2508 ext. 1100