Kirklanders beware: Lions, tigers and bears will roam downtown this weekend as The Wizard of Oz opens on July 30 at Kirkland Performance Center.
Directed by Lani Brockman, the show features Emily Brooks as Dorothy, Claire Leon as the Scarecrow, Alya Phillips as the Tin Man and Noah Barr as the Lion.
Studio East put on the Wizard of Oz in 2011, and Brockman said she decided to bring it back because Oz tends to be a great community show.
“What I wanted to do was involve all ages,” she said. “We have people from 8 years old to senior citizens in it this year.”
Brooks, 15, drew high praise from Brockman, who said audience members would be blown away.
“She’s an absolute triple threat,” Brockman said. “She’s a ballerina, a tap dancer, and an actress with a phenomenal voice that will continue to grow as she gets trained.”
Leon, 17, has been involved with Studio East since she was 12 years old, and Phillips, as the daughter of the show’s production manager, has grown up at the studio. Barr, 14, has three older siblings who have been part of shows in the past.
Katie Orr will play Glinda, and Jake Chesnut will present Uncle Henry. Ariel Zimberoff plays the Wizard, and Tea Cole plays the Wicked Witch of the West.
What's that? Oh, just @kirklandgov Mayor Amy Walen dressed up as the Mayor of Munchkinland. Wizard of Oz opens 7/30. pic.twitter.com/ZsWnKnkp7b
— John William Howard (@JowardHoward) July 27, 2016
The show also includes prominent city officials, notably Kirkland Mayor Amy Walen as the Mayor of Munchkinland and City Manager Kurt Triplett as a member of the Lollipop Guild.
“I not only wanted to have all generations [in the show], but we definitely wanted to build awareness of Studeo East,” Brockman said. “That’s why we wanted to get Kirkland celebrities [like Walen and Triplet] in here. That’s what I love to do: work with kids, elders and adults.”
“Kids learn from the elders, elders learn from the kids,” she said.
Brockman said Walen has taken to her role as the Mayor of Munchkinland — an ironic position, as she’s taller than most of the cast members.
“She’s never done anything like this before,” Brockman said. “It’s fun to see her out of her element but eager to try.”
The show includes performances at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on July 30 and an additional matinee performance at 2:30 p.m. on July 31.
The show’s second weekend has 7:30 p.m. performances on August 5 and 6, and matinee performances on August 6 and 7.
All tickets are $18 and can be bought at the KPC box office only.
