Expectations were high for Holy Family’s winter play, The Wizard of Oz, produced by new theater director, Mr. Olson. After speaking with many people who were in the audience, it is clear that the show exceeded all expectations.

Senior Ronnie Deckard saw the play and commented, “After talking to people in the play, they clearly spent many hours working hard to pull off the show. During the performance you could really see that effort coming together.”

All of the time together certainly brought the cast and crew closer. Crew member Jensen Skelton was excited about the result of the productions and said, “I thought the play went very well! People seemed to enjoy it and the cast and crew did a great job of coming together and putting our best effort in and really felt like a family! It was fun to be able to work with these people and get know some of them even better along the way.”

The Cowardly Lion, Ben Richards, remarked, “I got to witness and experience my friends grow in their talents while having fun, which made the experience so awesome for me.”

Behind the scenes, the cast worked tirelessly to construct a play that would live up to the many expectations that accompany the classic, The Wizard of Oz. The costumes were modeled after the movie, changing from the initial black and white in Kansas, to vibrant color in Munchkin land and Oz. Senior Lily Graupman focused on the aesthetic aspect of the play, working with the costumes and makeup, and said, “My favorite part about the play was seeing how all the costumes looked on stage and seeing everyone’s hard work pay off.”

Audience member Laura Kirsch loved the show exclaiming, “The play was absolutely incredible! The costumes were so colorful and intricate, the sets were perfect for all the scenes, and the acting, singing, and choreography was very impressive! I could really tell a lot of work went into the play and it definitely paid off. It was for sure one of the best Wizard of Oz productions I’ve seen!

Many of the cast members felt the toll of the play’s time commitment, especially the lead, freshman Marie Fahey, who played Dorothy: “I think the show went well compared to plays Holy Family has had in the past and although it was fun, I can’t say how happy I am that it is over. I would totally do another show maybe in the spring, I just need a break for now.”

Sophomore McKenna Mechtel, who had many parts in the play, including a tree, crow, citizen of Oz and more, agreed with Marie: “I think the production went extremely well this year! We worked very hard and put a lot of time and effort into it, and it definitely paid off. I really enjoyed doing theater this year, but now that this is over I’m pretty relieved actually. This gives me more time to join other activities and focus on my schoolwork.”

If you did not have the chance to see this fantastic production, there are sure to be more due to the success and good reviews The Wizard of Oz garnered. Between the Jitterbug scenes making everyone want to dance, to Gigi’s wicked witch laugh spreading chills across the audience, this was a show to remember. Even Mr. Dols was impressed by the show saying, “The play by far exceeded my expectations. The Wizard of Oz really showed what a promising future theater program Holy Family has.”