Quincy Valley Allied Arts presents 'Wizard of Oz'

QUINCY - This isn't "The Wizard of Oz" you remember from the movies.

Quincy Valley Allied Arts' production of the beloved fantasy musical opens today at the Quincy High School Auditorium, 16 Sixth Ave. SE, Quincy.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Feb. 23-25. Cost is $10.

Tickets are available at Duda Insurance, 211 Central Ave. S, Quincy, or at the door.

While the theatrical version is similar to the movie, there are a few distinctions, particularly in regard to the music, said Director Eric Van Woert.

The play includes songs cut from the movie version, including a jazzy number called "The Jitterbug," he said.

"It's a curse that the Wicked Witch actually sends out to try to stop the Tin Man, the Lion, Dorothy and Scarecrow ... You'll have to kind of see it on stage to understand what it is," he said.

The play includes extended versions of songs by Scarecrow and Tin Man and an extended version of Dorothy's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

"That's what makes the theatrical version much more interesting than just the movie," he said. "Plus, you're doing it live."

The production includes almost 60 actors and about 30 of them are child actors, playing everything from Munchkins, to poppies, to flying monkeys.

Many of the children have acted before in Quincy Valley Allied Arts' children's theater, said Van Woert.

"They've been incredible to work with," he said. "Incredibly disciplined, especially for children. And that's a credit to the people that actually worked with them before me."

The combination of a fantasy environment and a memorable soundtrack is what has made "The Wizard of Oz" so enduring, he said, adding that it might be as memorable a musical as "The Sound of Music" or "The Music Man." 

"Everybody knows it and this particular soundtrack," he said. "People know the songs ... most of the people around them, they all sing along to them: 'Ding dong, the witch is dead.' Everybody knows that. It's just a fun fantasy ... and I think that's where people just love to go see what you're going to do with it and how it's going to come across."