Connelly School of the Holy Child Performs The Wizard of Oz

From The Cappies: The audience of Connelly School of the Holy Child's performance of The Wizard of Oz walked into the theater expecting to be transported over the rainbow, and they certainly were not disappointed. The musical based on the iconic 1939 film of the same name follows Kansas farm girl Dorothy as she is taken up by a twister and finds herself in the magical land of Oz trying to get home.In a cast filled with so much talent, three actors who stood out were Dorothy's companions: Scarecrow (Clare Bloss), Tinman (Khoudia Diop), and Cowardly Lion (Maeve McCaffrey).

Each brought a unique energy to the group while complementing each other and fitting together seamlessly. The three excelled in their physicality such as Diop's stiff movements before Dorothy was able to get to the oil can as well as Blosss commitment to having a body made of straw as evidenced by her consistent and comedic flailing across the stage. McCaffrey managed to do the memorable Lion from the film version justice while still adding her own quirks to the role. Other standout performances came from the Wicked Witch of the West (Sophia Seymour) and Glinda (Justine Verheul).

Seymour's shrieks as the Wicked Witch's were fitting of the character and brought the energy of the entire ensemble up whenever she entered the stage. Verheul as Glinda gliding across the stage offered a nice contrast to theWitch. Verheul's voice and dance expertise stood out as she impressively tackled the roles of Glinda, Aunt Em, and the Jitterbug.The set was minimalist but did the job well, especially during the tornado sequence. The audience felt as if they were really in a tornado because of the moving around of set pieces. The lighting also helped to set the scene, lighting up in rainbow colors during Somewhere Over the Rainbow and providing a green backdrop while in Oz.All in all, Saturday's performance of The Wizard of Oz was well put on and an all-around enjoyable experience.

Photo Courtesy of The Cappies