LOGAN – The Aracoma Story, Inc. will present the family classic, The Wizard of Oz which opens this coming Tuesday night, June 18 at Chief Logan State Park’s Liz Spurlock Amphitheatre. After many weeks of preparation, the cast and crew are anxious for the show to take the stage and entertain nightly crowds with colorful performances that will include memorable musical numbers and hilarious comedy.
The songs from the 1939 musical fantasy film The Wizard of Oz have taken their place among the most famous and instantly recognizable American songs of all time, and the film’s principal song, Over the Rainbow, is perhaps the most famous song ever written for a film. Music and lyrics were by Harold Arlen and E.Y. “Yip” Harburg, who won an Academy Award for Best Song for “Over the Rainbow”. The songs were first heard on radio on a program called MGM: Leo Is On the Air a few months prior to the film’s release.
In what must have been an extremely unusual step at the time, the actual soundtrack versions of the songs were used. Brunswick Records had earlier recorded a single of Over the Rainbow as well as The Jitterbug, a song eventually deleted from the film, but MGM had suppressed the recording because they wanted to preview the songs themselves. The radio preview proved a huge success and, through repeated live radio playings, “Over the Rainbow” soared to the top of the hit parade charts even before audiences saw the film.
The Wizard of Oz cast includes DOROTHY GALE: Shana Nelson; GLINDA/AUNT EM: Erin Miller; UNCLE HENRY: Dominic Rodighiero; COWARDLY LION/ZEKE: Adam Terry; TINMAN/HICKORY: Seth Bunting; SCARECROW/HUNK: Khriy Starghill; WICKED WITCH/MISS GULTCH: Heather Thompson; WIZARD/PROFESSOR MARVEL: Ronnie Thompson; MUNCHKINS: Griffin Frye (Mayor), Natalie Beichner (Barrister), Alexis Hill (Coroner), Maddy Noe (Lullaby League), Savannah Grace Carpenter (Lullaby League), Kaylee Hall (Lullaby League), Trinity McDevitt (Lullaby League), Drew Workman (Lollipop Guild), Allison Bradley (Lollipop Guild), Brooklyn White (Lollipop Guild), Caitlyn White (Lollipop Guild), Josh Runyon, Maya Birchfield, Sammi Kazee, Katie Bojaski; CROWS: Kelli Kirk, Hayley Carter, Alex Wooten; POPPIES: Tori Shell, Kelli Kirk, Vicki Sunderland; SNOW: Kerri McCoy, Jessie Murray; TREES: Jessie Murray, Tori Shell, Rachel Noe-Maynard; OZIAN GUARD: Tori Shell; LEAD DANCER: Alex Wooten; WINKIE GENERAL: Jessie Murray; WINKIES: Brandon Hill, Maddy Akers; NIKKO: Justin Bartram; JITTERBUGS: Kenna Jeffrey, Kerri McCoy, Kelli Kirk, Hayley Carter, Tori Shell, Brandi Walker; OPTIMISTIC VOICES: Kelli Kirk, Jessie Murray, Vicki Sunderland; OZIANS: Kerri McCoy, Maddy Akers, Alex Wooten, Justin Bartram, Vicki Sunderland, Brandi Welker, Tara Burgess, Jessie Murray, Tori Shell, Kelli Kirk, Kenna Jeffrey, Hayley Carter, and Brandon Hill.
“We are very excited to have a great cast including many familiar faces on our stage, as well as a few new ones,” says The Aracoma Story, Inc. President, Jim Frye. “I am confident that they will deliver a great night of entertainment to our audiences!” says Frye.
THE WIZARD OF OZ is set to run from June 18th – July 7th. The Aracoma Story, Inc. plans to make attendance affordable to all families with each Wednesday night designated as Kids Nights with a $4 Admission Price to all children 12 & under for their ticket purchased at their Box Office on the night of the performance.
Opening Night for THE WIZARD OF OZ is this Tuesday and will be presented at the Liz Spurlock Amphitheater in Chief Logan State Park. The show will run Tuesday through Saturday of each week with a special Sunday performance on July 7th. All performances start at 8:30pm nightly. Advance ticket discounts are available at The UPS Store in Logan, Pic-Pac in Man and Aracoma Drug in Chapmanville. You can also purchase tickets by phone including Discounted Group Tickets using Visa or MasterCard by calling The Aracoma Story, Inc. office at (304) 752-0253. For more information visit www.loganshows.com
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