Kick yourself if you missed the chance to see the Becker High School production of “The Wizard of Oz” that closed with a matinee last Sunday in the Performing Arts Center at the school.  It was another in a long line of stellar efforts produced at the school, with a large, talented and well-trained cast and an amazing variety of special effects backed by an outstanding pit orchestra again directed by Renee Fletcher.

 

Director Joe Rand peopled his stage with a number of faces familiar to regular Becker theatre-goers, including Megan Graftaas as Dorothy (the lead in “Cinderella” last year), Frannie Bowles as Aunt Em, Ethan Quill as Uncle Henry, and the trio of Justin Kimmerle (Lion), William Schendel (Tin Man) and Charlie Robeck (Scarecrow).  Airborne stars included a sparkling Sarenity Klein (Glinda the Good Witch), a greenly evil Eveline Meidt (the Wicked Witch of the West), and Evan Schafer (Professor Marvel/the Wizard of Oz), all of whom provided rich, nuanced character presentations.

 

The large-group scenes were well choreographed, and the mass tap dancing in the “Jitterbugs” scene was a total delight every time, as were the frightful flying monkeys and the dour “Winkies” enslaved by the Wicked Witch.  The inhabitants of the Munchkin City and the Emerald City were resplendent in a series of bright, riotous costumes from designer Celest Trosvig and the usual brilliant production design from Rich Kimmerle.

 

The members of the fine pit orchestra included Matt Clemen (trombone), Shelly Clemen (trumpet), Ruthanne Eldridge (clarinet), Kelsi Halvorson, (clarinet), Maria Hed (cello) and Kami Ziebarth, (flute).  The too-often unsung tech crew included: Jasmine Anderson, Brandon Bodien, Kaitlin Buschmann, Erin Fagin, Melanie Gilles, Nicole Knudsen, Kole Overby, Holly Rowland, Abby Steffens, Morgan Steffens, Sami Stellmach, Emily Tesmer, Morgan Tillmann, Elizabeth Verwey, Claire Voigt, Heidi Voigt, Tyler Wasserbauer, Evan Girtz, Matthew Lambert, Kyle Tollefson and Perrin Weller.