Local Munchkins off to see 'The Wizard of Oz'

Scarecrow, Dorothy, Lion and Tin Man follow the Yellow Brick Road to Oz in the 70th anniversary "Wizard of Oz."

If you're off to see the Wizard at the Orpheum next week, keep in mind that it's the 70th anniversary of the iconic film "The Wizard of Oz." Generations have been enthralled and terrified by Dorothy and Toto's wild ride, and the stage version is designed to keep that wonder going.

The production has all the elements of the film, from the characters to the songs to the Yellow Brick Road, plus some special effects — the tornado promises to be spectacular.

Scarecrow, Dorothy, Lion and Tin Man follow the Yellow Brick Road to Oz in the 70th anniversary "Wizard of Oz."

It also has a local touch. The Munchkins are being performed by a dozen young talents from Performing Arts of Germantown.

The studio teaches vocals and dance, and its group of 12 youngsters (all between 8 and 12) were chosen in an audition. They worked hard for the chance but that was the easy part, says the studio's owner and director, Elizabeth Anne Brown.

"When we were selected, I received 12 notebooks for each parent with about 12 pages of instructions for the children, the moms and dads, and forms for arranging excused absences from school."

Brown also got a DVD and PowerPoint presentation detailing what the Munchkins had to know — every stage move, every song. For four weeks she's been overseeing the rehearsals along with voice teacher Cindy Barrett.

And when the show opens Tuesday, "those 12 kids are expected to walk on stage for the 2 p.m. rehearsal and know everything they're supposed to do. They get a couple of hours on stage and then go to wardrobe for costumes and then makeup and then dinner."

The Munchkins don't just make a token appearance. In Act One, they sing "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" while following the Yellow Brick Road, doing choreography and dealing with the pyrotechnics. They are also featured in other parts of the musical, including costume changes, and then come back to take a bow with the full cast.

"They are excited," Brown says of the youngsters. "It's such a good opportunity, but it may not hit them for a while. Maybe in 10 years they'll realize they were in a major touring production celebrating the 70th anniversary of 'The Wizard of Oz.' "

"The Wizard of Oz"

The Orpheum, Tuesday through Dec. 20: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 8 p.m. Dec. 18 and 19, and 7 p.m. Dec. 20. Matinees are Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. and Dec. 20 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets $10-$75. Call 525-3000 or go to orpheum-memphis.com.

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