Copyright ©2010. The Associated Press. Produced by NewsOK.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Poteet Theatre in Oklahoma City stages 'The Wizard of Oz'

• email

St. Luke's United Methodist Church has a great little space in the basement. The Poteet Theatre is nestled snugly and comfortably into an intimate and warmly welcoming place. And while the space may seem small, artistic director Jay Prock mounts extravaganzas there that work.

One of the most ambitious projects to date is L. Frank Baum's beloved “The Wizard of Oz,” under the expert direction of Shawna Linck. The stage production is an adaptation by Frank Gabrielson with the music and lyrics from the movie by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg.

Although the stage production must lack the special technological effects from the movie, the live performance gives the characters a greater emotional connection, and that presence ignites the imagination.

Linck directs and choreographs a large cast of varied age and experience with well-orchestrated results. Favorite characters from Baum's stories and the 1939 movie come across as perfect representations, and the actors achieve a high degree of integrity. Cast and crew bring with Dorothy's dream of a land over the rainbow and her journey home a lot of fun for the audience.

Brenna Betz plays Dorothy Gale with delightful innocence and vocal purity. Kristin Stang is the beautiful Good Witch of the North, and she is quite distinctive from the warmhearted Auntie Em Stang also plays.

---

Related Articles