Playbill The Wizard of OZ by VillaWalshAcademy

Mother Ninetta Auditorium

Villa Walsh Academy

Morristown, NJ

PRESENTS

THE WIZARD OF OZ

By L. Frank Baum

With Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg Background Music by Herbert Stothart

Dance and Vocal Arrangements by Peter Howard Orchestration by Larry Wilcox Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company

Based upon the classic motion picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros.

Stage Director and Production Designer James C. Smith

Musical Director Paul Daher

Choreographer Ruthann Lanni

THE WIZARD OF OZ is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC

SONGS

ACT I

Overture Orchestra

Over the Rainbow Dorothy

Twister

Munchkinland Musical Sequence

Choreographer - Erin Jacobs

Glinda, Dorothy, Munchkins Yellow Brick Road Munchkins

If I Only Had a Brain Scarecrow, Dorothy, Crows

We’re Off to See the Wizard Dorothy, Scarecrow

If I Only Had a Heart Tinman, Dorothy, Trees

We’re Off to See the Wizard (First Reprise)

If I Only Had the Nerve

We’re Off to See the Wizard (Second Reprise)

Poppies

Dorothy, Tinman, Scarecrow

Lion, Dorothy, Tinman, Scarecrow

Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, Lion

Glinda, Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, Lion, Poppies

ACT II

Entr'acte Orchestra

The Merry Old Land of Oz Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, Lion, Emerald City Guard, Ozians

If I Were King of the Forest Lion with Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman

March of the Winkies Winkies

Jitterbug

Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, Lion, Jitterbugs

Over the Rainbow (Reprise) Dorothy

Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead (Reprise) Winkies

ORCHESTRA

CONDUCTOR PAUL DAHER

Keyboard: PAUL DAHER

Piano: GRACE SCHMEIDHAUSER

Harp: KATHLEEN DONAHUE

Woodwinds: CHRISTINA BATIZ, ERIK DONOUGH, MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Trumpets: CHRIS ARNOLD, ALAN TEDESCO

Trombone: LEA LaCHANCE

Violins: NORMA DAVIS, KATIA BARANOVA

Viola: ANDREA SANTORA

Cello: ROWAN MENDEL

Bass: RAFAEL ALVAREZ

Percussion: ANTHONY SELIMBENE

CAST

In order of apperance

Dorothy Gale Elizabeth Kandziolka

Toto Penny Steinberg

Aunt Em Madeline Knagenhjelm

Uncle Henry Maria Kalavrouziotis

Zeke Layla Vreeling

Hickory Siena Lanni

Hunk Sofia Grum

Miss Almira Gulch/Wicked Witch Of The West Samantha Innella

Professor Chester Marvel/Wizard Of Oz Cierra Wolckenhauer

Glinda Katherine Ziwot

Braggart Mei-Linn Kellam

Teacher Kathleen Dugan

Mayor Tristan Wolckenhauer

Barrister Lauren Doss

Coroner Amy Perlera

Lullaby League Lily Coughlin Avery LaBarre Marley Messuti

Lollypop Guild Nicole Aragon Juliana Kenworthy Siena Lanni

Scarecrow Erin Jacobs

Crows Mei-Linn Kellam

Siena Lanni

Amy Perlera

Trees Lauren Doss

Sofia Grum Kiera Vowells

Tinman Anna Collins

Lion Clara Ainsworth

Emerald City Guard Kiera Vowells

Winkie General Juliana Kenworthy

CAST

In order of apperance (continued)

Nikko Layla Vreeling

Winkies

Jitterbug

Jitterbug Dancers

Ensemble

Kathleen Dugan

Sofia Grum

Mei-Linn Kellam

Maria Kalavrouziotis

Kiera Vowels

Lauren Doss

Siena Lanni

Amy Perlera

Nicole Aragon

Audrey Aquilino

Galina Dangler

Lauren Doss

Kathleen Dugan

Maria Kalavrouziotis

Juliana Kenworthy

Siena Lanni

Amy Perlera

Sofia Grum

Kiera Vowells

Layla Vreeling

Tristan Wolckenhauer

CAST

In order of apperance (continued)

Munchkins Agueda Bath

Victoria Brusco

Giuliana Chereches

Lily Clark

Ella Coughlin

Lily Coughlin

Alexandra D'Souza

Reese DeLotto

Rufaro Dodzo

Mary Kate Jordan

Avery LaBarre

Penny Lang

Marley Messuti

Charlotte Meszaros

Patrick O'Donnell

Valentina A. Palumbo

Olivia Petrich

Arthur Phillips

Alexa Prestifilippo

Sarah Price

Isabella Santibanez

Colin Smith

Lily Tiu

Macy Travisano

Angelica Vilacorta

Tristan Wolckenhauer

Kayla Zienowicz

CREW

Crew Members

Stage Manager

Stage Crew

Sabrina Pasko

Azariah Andrews

Valentina Calipa

Katherine

Tess Coffey

Maeve Dam

Nora Dam

Jane Guarnieri

Elyse O'Sullivan

Sarah Porr

Peyton Simmons

Canon

Lia Griffin

Dustin Wolckenhauer

WHO'S WHO

Elizabeth Kandziolka as Dorothy Gale

Lizzie is a senior at Villa Walsh Academy. She’s appeared in many shows over the past years, including Ursula in The Little Mermaid, The Drowsy Chaperone in The Drowsy Chaperone, and Mother Abbess in VWA’s The Sound of Music. In addition to theater, Lizzie loves to draw and sing in her spare time, with her mother saying “the house is a 24/7 concert,” and she plans to go to college to study Fine Art. Lizzie would like to thank her family for their support throughout her years at Villa. She is thrilled to be in this production with this amazing cast and crew, the absolutely wonderful directors, and the ability to sing and have fun on her last year on the Villa Walsh Stage!

Penny Steinberg as Toto

Penny is an 11 month old Yorkshire Terrier. This is her first stage production. Penny loves playing with her toys, stealing people’s socks, and running through the neighborhood.

Madeline Knagenhjelm as Aunt Em

Madeline is a senior at Villa Walsh Academy. She has thoroughly enjoyed working on this production and is grateful to God, her family and the WoZ cast, crew and directors for making her last musical at Villa a memorable one. Future plans include taking a gap year in Norway to study vocal music.

Maria Kalavrouziotis as Uncle Henry

Maria is a freshman at Villa Walsh Academy. She likes to hang out with her friends and family in her free time and participate in sports such as lacrosse and volleyball. She is excited to be a part of this year's production, especially since it is her first time in a musical.

WHO'S WHO

Layla Vreeling as Zeke

Layla is a ninth grader at Villa Walsh Academy. This is her third production on the Villa stage. In The Sound of Music Layla played Baroness Kindhunt and Sr. Christina. In Seussical she was Yertle the Turtle and a Who. She has appeared in The Not So Mysterious Disappearance of Cinderella as The Fairy Godmother. Additionally, Layla likes to draw, read, and play games in her spare time. She is happy to once again be in a musical production.

Siena Lanni as Hickory

Siena is a freshman at Villa Walsh Academy. This is her third production at Villa Walsh and she is so excited to finally be going to high school here. When not practicing for a musical, Siena loves to draw, run, read and play rugby and tennis.

Sofia Grum as Hunk

Sofia is a Freshman at Villa Walsh Academy. When not on stage she enjoys playing soccer, lacrosse, golf, singing and playing the piano.

Samantha Innella as Miss Almira Gulch/Wicked Witch Of The West

Samantha is a freshman at Villa Walsh Academy. Samantha's favorite prior roles include Marta Von Trapp (VWA’s The Sound of Music) and Gertrude McFuzz (VWA’s Seussical). In her free time, Samantha enjoys baking and playing soccer with her friends. She’s so excited to be a part of this amazing production and is thankful to her parents and grandpa for their love and support.

WHO'S WHO

Cierra Wolckenhauer as Professor Chester Marvel/Wizard Of Oz

Cierra is a Senior at Villa Walsh Academy. Past roles include Helena (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), Maria (The Sound of Music), Macbeth (Macbeth), Sour Kangaroo(Seussical), and Mrs. Paroo (The Music Man) among many others. She is thrilled to be a part of this amazing production. Cierra is planning to study Musical Theatre in college and hopefully pursue a career in performance. She would like to thank the entire cast and crew for a senior year musical she will never forget. The memories of Villa Theatre will stay with her throughout her life.

Katherine Ziwot as Glinda

Kat Ziwot is excited to perform in her fourth and final production with Villa Walsh Academy! She loved her roles in The Music Man (Amaryllis), The Sound of Music (Brigita), and Seussical (Bird Girl), and she is looking forward to finishing on a high note in The Wizard of Oz this year! In the future, Kat plans to attend Washington University in St. Louis where she will study English and Creative Writing. As she takes her final bow, she is grateful to everyone backstage for the continued love and support, including the entire cast, crew, and creative team. She will miss the VWA musical productions and cannot wait to come back and visit!

Mei-Linn Kellam as Braggart

Mei-Linn is a seventh grader at Villa Walsh Academy. She has been in musicals before but is excited to perform on the Villa stage.

Kathleen Dugan as Teacher

Kate is an eighth grader at Villa Walsh Academy. She has performed in Mean Girls Jr. Annie’s Playhouse and last year’s Seussical. When she’s not performing, she likes to horseback ride, go to the mall, and hang out with her family and friends. She is so grateful to be performing in The Wizard of Oz with everyone!

WHO'S WHO

Tristan Wolckenhauer as Mayor

Tristan Presley is a 6th grader at Assumption School. A true renaissance kid, Tristan spends his time split between performing arts and ice hockey - where he plays defense for the NJ Rockets. Tristan has been performing since he was 5 years old -studying at the Paper Mill, Gotta Dance, and having the great opportunity to be in several productions here at VWA. His favorite thing to do is to sing and perform side by side with his sister, Cierra!

Lauren Doss as Barrister

Lauren is a freshman at Villa Walsh Academy. Aside from theater, she enjoys other activities such as softball and band. She is so excited for this production to take the stage, and she is so happy to be a part of her first high school musical.

Amy Perlera as Coroner

Amy is a freshman at Villa Walsh Academy. She loves to sing, and she can't wait to share her voice with the audience. Some things she likes to do in her free time is to read, draw, and play the piano. She is so excited to see this show come to life.

Erin Jacobs as Scarecrow

Erin is a junior at Villa Walsh Academy. Some of her favorite past roles include Willy Wonka (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), and The Cat in the Hat (Seussical. She is honored to take on the role of the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz! In addition to theater, she is a dedicated dancer with New Jersey Ballet and has been dancing for 13 years. She trains in Classical Ballet, Jazz (both commercial and theatrical jazz), Contemporary, Ballroom and took private lessons with a Radio City Rockette learning Precision Jazz. She has performed in New Jersey Ballet's Nutcracker, Galas and Workshops. When not performing she enjoys doing Yoga, especially outdoors in the summer, and spending time with her family and friends. She is honored to be a part of Villa Walsh Theater and loves all of the memories she makes with her castmates during the show!

WHO'S WHO

Clara Ainsworth as Lion

CJ is a senior at Villa Walsh Academy. Some of CJ’s previous roles include Max Detweiler (The Sound of Music), Aldolpho (Drowsy Chaperone), and Horton the Elephant (Seussical). After graduating, CJ will attend Carnegie Mellon University to study chemistry. CJ is so excited to be a part of this amazing production and is very proud of the cast and crew for making magic happen onstage.

Anna Collins

as Tinman

Anna is a senior at Villa Walsh Academy. Her favorite role is munchkin/flying monkey from when she performed in The Wizard of Oz in the fourth grade. In her free time, Anna enjoys reading, hanging out with friends and family, and watching her favorite TV shows. She is super stoked to be a part of this show because she’s never been on stage for a Villa play before, but has always wanted to.

Kiera Vowells as Emerald City Guard

Kiera is a sophomore and is so excited to be performing in her second show at Villa! She made her debut on the Villa stage last year in Seussical as Jojo and has been performing for 6 years. Kiera can't wait to see what is in store for the next two years in the Performing Arts here!

Juliana Kenworthy as Winkie General

Juliana Kenworthy is a freshman at Villa Walsh Academy. In her spare time, she enjoys drawing, playing volleyball, and hanging out with friends and family. She is very excited to be in this production as it is her first time participating in a musical.

Layla Vreeling as Nikko

WHO'S WHO

Audrey Aquilino as Ensemble

Audrey Aquilino is a seventh grader at Villa Walsh Academy. Over the past three summers she has been taking lessons at The Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, Junior Core. She has performed in several school chorus concerts and this is her first musical with Villa Walsh Academy.

Galina Dangler

Gigi is a freshman at Villa Walsh Academy. In seventh grade, she worked backstage in crew and is very excited to step out as several characters in this production. Her favorite roles this year include her parts as Munchkin and Poppy. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis with her sister.

Agueda Bath as Munchkins

Aueda is a fifth grader in Randolph. She loves theatre, whether it’s attending a Broadway musical or taking classes at the Brundage Playhouse. Aside from theatre she also loves playing the cello with her school orchestra and is awesome at sports, especially soccer and softball. She is ecstatic to be a part of this production as she gets to learn from such talented Villa Walsh girls.

Victoria Brusco

Victoria is a fifth grader at Assumption School and this is her first performance at VWA. Aside from theater, she loves swimming and playing soccer. She is so excited to be part of this production alongside her Assumption pals and wants to thank her family for all of their support.

Giuliana Chereches

Giuliana is a sixth grader at Assumption School. This performance marks Giuliana’s debut into high school theater. In her free time, Giuliana enjoys art and spending time with her friends and family.

WHO'S WHO

Lily Clark

Lily is in fifth grade at St Vincent Martyr School. She is so excited to be making her debut in a highschool musical with her older cousin Lizzie who is playing Dorothy. Her previous chorus roles at SVMS include The Addams Family, Annie, and The Wizard of Oz

Ella Coughlin

Ella is 10 years old and performing her second show for Villa Walsh Academy She has enjoyed coming to practice and making new friends. She is playing the role of a Munchkin. When she is not working on The Wizard of Oz, Ella enjoys playing violin, participating in Girl Scouts, climbing mountains, drawing, and dancing. Ella loves musical theater and hopes to perform in more shows at Villa Walsh in the years to come.

Lily Coughlin

Lily is performing as a member of the Lullaby League. She is so excited to be a part of Villa Walsh Academy’s musical for the second year in a row, as she played the role of Cindy Lou Who in Seussical last year. She has truly enjoyed learning the choreography, singing, and meeting with new friends. When she is not participating in musical theater, seven-year-old Lily loves to play piano, dance, and participate in Girl Scouts. She hopes to perform in more shows in the future!

Alexandra D'Souza

Alexandra is a fifth grader at St. Elizabeth Montessori School in Parsippany. She is excited to be making her theater debut. In her free time, Lexi enjoys swimming, playing tennis, baking and is a proud member of Girl Scout Troop 98090. She wants to thank her family and friends who have come to watch the show and everyone at VWA for making this such a fun experience.

WHO'S WHO

Reese DeLotto

Reese is in 5th grade at Assumption School. She is absolutely thrilled to be a munchkin in Villa Walsh Academy’s production of The Wizard of Oz. When she isn’t practicing for the play, she enjoys swim team, tennis, basketball, track and spending time with her family and friends.

Rufaro Dodzo

Rufaro (Faffy) is a fifth grader at Mount Tabor Elementary School, and this performance marks her exciting debut in the world of theatre! With a passion for the stage, Faffy has always been drawn to theater, so when the opportunity came along, she couldn’t wait to jump in. Outside of theatre, Faffy enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and baking. We are incredibly grateful to Villa Walsh Academy for providing her with this wonderful opportunity to shine!

Mary Kate Jordan

Mary Kate is a fourth grade student at Assumption School. In addition to her love for theater, she enjoys swimming and dancing. This is her first performance at Villa Walsh Academy and she is excited to be a part of the production!

Avery LaBarre

Avery is a fourth grader at Assumption. She is over the moon to be a cast member of her first high school production at Villa Walsh Academy. She has been a member of several summer performances at the MPAC and is excited to follow the yellow brick road and see where her love for theater takes her!

Penny Lang

Penny is excited to be back on the Villa Walsh stage, playing a Munchkin. Last year, she made her debut as the Young Kangaroo in Seussical. Now, a second grade student, Penny enjoys hula hooping, playing chess, and rereading the Origami Yoda series. Her favorite way to get into character is to eat munchkins after play practice.

WHO'S WHO

Marley Messuti

Marley is a second grader at Assumption School. She has been enchanted by musical theater since she was just 4 years old. When she’s not performing, Marley loves crafting, playing softball, and spending time with her family. She’s thrilled to be a part of this production and can’t wait to light up the stage at Villa Walsh Academy with her passion for performance!

Charlotte Meszaros

Charlotte (Charlie) is in the 5th grade at Assumption School. She enjoys playing tennis and basketball and spending time at the beach during her favorite season, summer.

Patrick O'Donnell

Patrick is a fourth grade student at Assumption School. In his free time, he enjoys attending theater classes at MPAC. Some of his past roles include Shrek in Shrek the Musical, the Beast from Beauty and the Beast, and Fagin in Oliver Twist. Patrick is delighted to join the stage as a munchkin in the Villa Walsh production of The Wizard of Oz.

Valentina Palumbo

Valentina is a third grader at Assumption School. She enjoys playing softball, field hockey, and basketball. Valentina also loves playing all types of music on her guitar and going horseback riding. She is very proud of her munchkin stage name - Cookies & Cream.

Olivia Petrich

Olivia is a fifth grade student at St. Patrick School. Outside of theater, Olivia enjoys participating in travel soccer, playing the piano and immerses herself in all things related to art! This performance marks Olivia’s debut in the Villa Walsh musical, and she is truly enjoying every minute of it.

WHO'S WHO

Alexa Prestifilippo

Alexa is a third grader at Assumption School. She loves field hockey, basketball, softball, music, and dance. This is her first big stage performance, and she’s so excited to be a part of the show!

Sarah Price

Sarah is a 5th grader at Assumption School. She enjoys performing and acting for fun. Her favorite sports are softball and track. She is trilled to be a part of this production.

Arthur Phillips

Arthur is a first grader at Assumption School. When he isn’t singing or dancing he is playing soccer or having fun with his best friend, his yellow Labrador, Sunny.

Isabella Santibanez

Isabella is a sixth grader at Assumption School. She enjoys reading, writing, and playing basketball. She is very excited to be in The Wizard of Oz.

Colin Smith

Colin is a third grader at Assumption. He enjoys spending time with friends and playing with his new puppy, Muffin. Colin’s aunt played the Wizard in Villa Walsh Academy’s 1995 production of The Wizard of Oz; he is excited to join this year’s cast as a munchkin!

WHO'S WHO

Lily Tiu

Lily is a fifth grader at Saint Patrick School. She is excited to be in her first musical and is really interested in music. She enjoys playing the piano and loves the Broadway play Wicked

Macy Travisano

Macy is a third grade student at Assumption School. In addition to theater, Macy enjoys playing field hockey, swimming, and spending time with her family and friends. This is Macy’s first theatrical performance and she is so excited to be spending time in Munchkin land!

Angelica Villacorta

Angelica attends fifth grade at Jump Immersion School and is fluent in Spanish and is learning Mandarin. She is studying modern, jazz, ballet, and cultural dance. She enjoys singing, dancing, playing piano, and ukulele. She has performed in MidSummer Night’s Dream and The Nutcracker with Studio Allegro. Angelica also takes Musical Theatre Masters class at Annie’s Playhouse in Mendham. Angelica enjoys snowboarding and is thrilled to be part of Villa Walsh Academy's The Wizard of Oz!

Kayla Zienowicz

Kayla is in seventh grade and has enjoyed singing and performing since she was little. She had the opportunity to join the Morris Catholic High School performance of Godspell last year, and she is excited to be a part of this year’s Villa Walsh Academy performance of The Wizard of Oz.

CREW WHO'S WHO

Sabrina Pasko Stage Manager

Sabrina is a junior at Villa Walsh Academy. In her free time, she enjoys singing with her choir, doing archery, and spending time with her dog. She has been participating in Villa Walsh productions since fifth grade, one being The Wizard of Oz in 2020! Sabrina is so happy to serve as stage manager this year!

Azariah Andrews Stage Crew

Azariah Andrews is a sophomore at Villa Walsh Academy. She is very excited to be a part of the play this year. Some hobbies of hers include running track, dancing with family and friends, and listening to music. She can't wait for everyone to see the show, and is so excited to be working behind the scenes.

Valentina Calipa

Valentina is a junior at Villa Walsh Academy. She likes music, hanging out with friends, shopping, and reading. Valentina will be working the spotlights and she is so excited to contribute to this musical.

Neeve Canniffe

Neeve is an eighth grader at Villa Walsh Academy and this is her first year assisting behind the scenes as the Wardrobe Assistant. Previously, Neeve has played Mrs. Mayor in Seussical. In her free time Neeve also likes to ride horses. She is so happy to be a part of this wonderful production.

Tess Coffey

Tess is a junior at Villa Walsh Academy. In her spare time she likes playing music with her friends and watching documentaries. In previous years, Tess was backstage helping with costumes. She is excited to join the incredible crew this year and watch the show come to life.

CREW WHO'S WHO

Maeve Dam

Maeve is a sophomore at Villa Walsh Academy. In her free time, she likes to watch movies, spend time with her friends and family, and listen to music. This is her second year behind the scenes as a part of the stage crew. Maeve is excited to be a part of the show and to see all of the hard work of the cast and crew pay off!

Lia Griffin

Lia is a sophomore at Villa Walsh Academy. She is very happy to be a part of the stage crew once again and spend quality time with the cast, crew, and friends. In her spare time, she likes to hang out with friends and family, listen to music, watch movies, and cook/bake. Her future plans include getting good grades and going on vacation in the summer.

Jane Guarnieri

Jane is a junior at Villa Walsh Academy. In her spare time, she likes to hang out with her family and friends, and play softball. Future plans include teaching sailing in the summer and touring colleges. She is excited to be on stage crew this year because she loves being a part of the school community and helping out.

Elyse O'Sullivan

Elyse is a freshman at Villa Walsh Academy. In her spare time, she does Tae Kwon Do, reads, and listens to music. She hopes to (maybe) become an editor for books in the future. She did stage crew for her school last year and is excited to repeat it in high school.

Sarah Porr

Sarah is a sophomore at Villa Walsh Academy. She is so excited to be a part of the Villa stage crew this year. In her free time, she likes to play golf, hang out with her friends, and bake. Sarah is thrilled to be a part of the show and witness the cast and crew work hard to make this show the best!

CREW WHO'S WHO

Peyton Simmons

Peyton is a sophomore at Villa Walsh Academy. Last year, she was in charge of sound production, but she is excited to take on a new challenge with lighting this year. She first joined stage crew to spend time with friends, she continues to enjoy watching the show come together with everyone's hard work and dedication.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

HONORARY BENEFACTORS

• Most Reverend Kevin J. Sweeney, D.D., Bishop of Paterson

• Sr. Patricia Pompa, M.P.F., Provincial, Province of St. Lucy Filippini

BENEFACTOR - $1,000.00

• Villa Walsh Academy Home and School Association

• BIS Improved Insurance Agency - Martin J. Agacinski

DONOR - $500.00

• Kathleen Dugan

• The Innella Family

• Network Information Technologies

• The Simmons Family

• The Ziwot Family

CONTRIBUTOR - $250.00

• St Thomas More Church, Morristown NJ

• Edmund M. Kramer, Photographers, Inc.

• Bruzzichesi Orthodontics, Basking Ridge NJ

• Kramer Photograhy, Florham Park NJ

• Amanda Tappan

SPONSOR - $150.00

• Sisters of St. Ann Convent, Raritan

• St. Gerard Majella School, Paterson

• Isabelle and Roy Goldman

FRIEND - $30.00

• St. Rose Convent, Warwick, RI

SPECIAL NOTES

NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR:

On behalf of the creative team, I welcome you to Villa Walsh Academy’s production of The Wizard of Oz. Villa Walsh has a tradition of revisiting some musicals once every few years and this particular musical is one - if not the epitome of a Villa classic. The most recent staging however never saw the light of day due to its closure just one week shy of its opening in March 2020. Indeed, some of the seventh grade girls in that cast are now principals in our production today! We are so proud of their growth, along with all of our other girls for whom it is their first time to bring this iconic story to life on stage in Mother Ninetta Hall.

The story of The Wizard of Oz finds its origins in Frank L. Baum’s 1900 children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Though this novel is the genesis for the Oz intellectual property, it cannot be denied that in mentioning “The Wizard of Oz,” one instantly conjures an image of ruby slippers on a young Judy Garland dancing along a yellow brick road. MGM’s 1939 film was not the first cinematic adaptation of the story but it certainly claims the apex spot, eclipsing even the novel, its source material, in cultural relevancy and instantaneous brand recognition. Both the Muny in 1942 and the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1987 drew more upon the film than the novel as inspiration for what is now known as the definitive stage musical adaptation of this first sojourn into the land of Oz.

In 1995 Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, followed only eight years later by the Broadway musical adaptation of the same name by Stephen Schwartz, forever changed The Wizard of Oz’s relationship with the cultural zeitgeist. And now, with Universal Studios’ two-part cinematic adaptation of the musical (the first half of which is still playing in theatres, continually adding to its 720 million dollars in global box office earnings), it’s almost as if one cannot avoid a nostalgic trip down the yellow brick road.

Whether one chooses to subscribe to the theory that The Wizard of Oz is an allegory for the late nineteenth century debate on the American monetary policy (demonetizing silver [the original color of Dorothy’s Ozian footwear] in favor of the gold-standard [the same color as yellow bricks]) or whether one choose to relegate the novel as a simple children’s story (which, in fact, was what the author originally intended), this story has proven itself to be timeless. The film, though certainly dated, has not lost its appeal more than 85 years later. It’s a gateway to a fantasy culture as rich as that of Carroll’s Wonderland or Tolkein’s Middle Earth, teeming with unbridled optimism which cajoles us to dream about our own sanctuaries somewhere over the rainbow and forever reminding us that there is, indeed, no place like home.

On a personal note, I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to the Villa Walsh community: to every single student and parent or faculty volunteer who dedicated their time and talent into helping bring this musical to fruition, I thank you. This could not have been done without each and every one of you. Let us have one big round of welcome to Mr. Paul Daher who began as choir director late last year; The Wizard of Oz marks his inaugural show at Villa Walsh as music director. Finally, I cannot sing the praises loudly enough of Mrs. Ruthann Lanni who, after inviting me to fill in for last year’s Seussical and after having been my own high school choreographer, I regard not just a colleague but a dear friend. This is my last musical at Villa Walsh as I’m off to begin new artistic endeavors out of New Jersey, but knowing that future students have Mrs. Lanni to help guide them lets me know that the musical future at Villa Walsh is very bright indeed. Congratulations to everyone and thank you for supporting the arts.

-James Conrad Smith, Stage Director and Production Designer

SPECIAL NOTES

Special thanks to our Principal, Sr. Elaine Bebyn, M.P.F., our Director of Curriculum, Mrs. Maria Manley, and the entire Villa Walsh Academy faculty and staff for their support and assistance.

We are grateful for our Home and School Association and all our Villa Walsh Academy parents who generously volunteered their time and talents to assist with this production!

The Villa Walsh Academy school and community takes this opportunity to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Director, Mr. James Conrad Smith, Musical Director, Mr. Paul Daher and Choreographer, Mrs. Ruthann Lanni. Your time and talents made this production a success.To our wonderful audience: There’s no place like home, and your presence truly made The Wizard of Oz feel like one! Your kindness and support helped make our musical a tremendous success, and we are beyond grateful!

MANY THANKS TO

The Coffey Family

The Dam Family

The Doss Family

The Innella Family

The Kandziolka Family

The Vowells Family

The Wolckenhauer Family

The Ziwot Family

Mrs. Campo, her legacy lives on...

Kramer Photography

Stacey Grabowski

George Schneider with Philly Pretzel Company

PHOTOGRAPHS BY:

EDMUND M. KRAMER, PHOTOGRAPHERS

137 Columbia Turnpike - Florham Park, New Jersey

973.377.1767

SPECIAL NOTES

Production Design

James Conrad Smith

Costumes:

Tara Wolckenhauer (Committee Head), Susan Ziwot, Tess Coffey ‘26, Olivia Chang '25

Wardrobe Assistant: Neeve Canniffe ‘29

Sewing and Steaming help: Elizabeth Falvo, Marirose O’Donnell, Christine Kalavrouziotis, Christine Palumbo

Hair Design:

Laura Kandziolka and Maria D’Ambrosa

Backstage helpers: Emily Ann Coughlin, Memory Dodzo, Lauren Murphy, Renee Travisano, Elke Phillips, Laurel Hamilton’24

Make-Up:

Jennifer Kramer

Backstage Helpers: Ahlona LaBarra, Michelle Tiu, Marirose O’Donnell, Salina Vreeling, Christine Palumbo

Props:

James Conrad Smith, Kristina Pasko, Colleen Coffey

Set Construction:

James Conrad Smith, Rob Innella, Nasine Dam, Charles Kandziolka, Kenneth Doss, Michael D’Ambrosa, Dustin Wolckenhauer, Daniel Kandziolka, Thomas Walsh

Set Painting:

James Conrad Smith, Kristina Pasko, Joe Lanni, Colleen Coffey, Nancy Innella, Leslie Bostic, Sr. Helen Sanchez, Melissa Dangler, Tess Coffey ‘26

T-Shirt Creation and Distribution:

Stacey Grabowski and Ruthann Lanni

Munchkin Monitors:

Bobbi Jo Brusco, Rebekah Callipp, Diana Chereches, Emily Ann Coughlin, Stephanie DeLotto, Ahlona LaBarre, Christine Meszaros, Marirose O’Donnell, Alexandra Santibanex, Maura Smith, Kelly Zienowicz

Lobby Design:

Mrs. Cheifer, Mrs. Lagana, Mrs. Grabowski and the Creative Club

Playbill:

Stacey Grabowski