By George Basler
Eighty-five years have passed since Dorothy Gale, Toto and their three companions traveled down the Yellow Brick Road to Oz in the 1939 MGM movie classic. But The Wizard of Oz remains as timeless as ever, according to Pat Foti, artistic director at the Endicott Performing Arts Center (EPAC).
The songs are classics, and the story is exciting. A major reason for the show’s longevity, though, is its poignancy “There’s no place like home where everybody gets a happy ending,” summed up Foti, who is directing a production that will open Thursday (Nov. 7) for a one-weekend run at EPAC’s Robert Eckert Theater in Endicott.
EPAC’s stage production sticks close to the MGM movie. All the classic songs by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg are present as is the number “Jitterbug” that was filmed but cut from the movie before its release.
The biggest challenge “is making sure it (the production) measures up to the movie,” Foti said, “I think everyone who does this takes that risk.”
At the same time, a live stage production can create its own magic through lighting, special effects, smoke, and fog,” he added, noting the EPAC production has a huge backstage crew.
The EPAC Repertory Company is staging the show after twice producing it with its children’s workshop. “Adults kept begging me, ‘When are we going to do it with adults?’” Foti said.
The EPAC production features Maria Foti (Pat Foti’s granddaughter) as Dorothy, a role that Judy Garland made famous. “I definitely feel I have something to live up to,” Maria Foti said. She’s working hard “to make it my own role” and hopes audience members will soak up the energy of the EPAC production.
Likewise, Morgan Gostinski, said she has big shoes to fill in playing the Wicked Witch of the West. “It’s fun to step out of my skin,” she said. “I’ve never played a villain before. I’ve always played more laid-back characters.”
Playing the role is also nostalgic for Gostinski who remembers watching the movie with her grandmother when she was a child.
Asked if he has the same memory, Pat Foti said: “Oh, my God, yes!” He watched it as a child and was enchanted from the start.
One way the EPAC production differs from the MGM movie is that the Munchkins will not be performed by “little people.” While the cast features some children, it’s 90 percent adults, Foti said.
Patrick Kerley, who was a member of EPAC’s children’s workshop, said he’s having a lot of fun playing the Cowardly Lion as an adult. “I love the comic relief in the show,” he said. While he’s copying some of Bert Lahr’s comic mannerisms from the movie, he’s excited about putting his own little spin on the role.
Emily Foti is helping choreograph the show while Paula Bacorn is the music director.
While the production sticks close to the MGM film, Pat Foti promises one surprise. That won’t be revealed here because, after all, it is a surprise. Just keep your eyes on the witch and the Flying Monkeys.
IF YOU GO: The musical The Wizard of Oz will be performed Thursday-Sunday (Nov. 7-10) at the Endicott Performing Arts Center, 102 Washington Ave., Endicott. Performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 3 p.m. Sunday. Reserved seating tickets at $25 ($23 for seniors and $15 for children ages 12 and under) are available at the EPAC box office and at www.EndicottArts.com.
