From March 12th through the 15th the Holyoke High School Musical Department will be presenting their annual production, which is the classic The Wizard of Oz this year.

This show follows a young girl from Kansas named Dorothy Gale (Samantha Monsalve), and her dog Toto as they end up in the mysterious Land of Oz after a tornado develops and the struggle to try to find their way back home amidst crazy adventures and happenings, such as the landing of Dorothy’s house on the Wicked Witch of the East that kick-starts the story. The Wicked Witch of the West (Ibeliz Velez) swears revenge on Dorothy and her dog, and she is told by Glinda the Good Witch (Emma Price) that she has to follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, where the Wizard of Oz (Joshua Ortiz) will help her get home.

During the journey, she meets and befriends a Scarecrow (Dylan Lasante) in search of a brain, a Tinman (Chad Correia) in search of a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Jonathan Dochod) in search of courage, and they encounter many strange obstacles.

Dorothy Gale (Samantha Monsalve 16’): Dorothy is a young girl from Kansas, who was sucked into a tornado, gets stuck in a daydream, and desperately tries to find her way back home. Samantha hopes that everyone enjoys the show, and says, “It’s coming together nicely. I’ve really enjoyed working on this show, and its fun being able to work with such a unique and diverse cast!”

Glinda the Good Witch (Emma Price 16’): Glinda is a mother-like figure to the Munchkins. She is whimsical, powerful, and very well-respected in the Land of Oz. She mostly wants to make sure that things go right, and she is very concerned with presenting a valuable message to Dorothy. Emma is most excited about the amount of special effects they are using in the production, and hopes the show proves all of the hard work they’ve done. She says, “This year we are bringing in professional dogs, which adds a whole new element to the show. The cast and crew have created a family, as usual, and we can’t wait to see you at the end of the Yellow Brick Road!”

The Wicked Witch of the West (Ibeliz Velez 18’): The Witch is an angry, mean, merciless lady, who is so upset that Dorothy killed her sister that she seeks revenge to kill her, and her dog. Ibeliz is hoping for a full audience because she has reverse stage fright, and the smaller the crowd the more nervous she is! As a freshman she says, “Its fun! You get to meet so many new people, but sometimes it’s boring to run your lines over and over and over again, until they’re stuck in your head.”

The Wizard Oz (Joshua Ortiz 17’): Oz is a mysterious, worldly type of character at first, but later on it is revealed that he is just a sham behind a curtain, a regular guy (like most of society these days). Josh is most excited to scare the children with his character, since he is supposed to be frightening, and he wants to live up to the name. He says, “It’s a fun experience, a lot of memorizing and hard work goes into the production.”

The Scarecrow (Dylan Lasante 18’): The Scarecrow is a very flimsy and funny guy who is a bit awkward. He is looking for a brain because he can’t think for himself, but later on realizes he has had a brain the whole time and he has used it multiple times. Dylan is most looking forward to putting on a great show, and pleasing the audience. He says, “My experience in this production has been good, and we’ve very hard and hope everyone likes it!”

The Tinman (Chad Correia 15’): The Tinman is searching for a heart so he can love again. Chad is looking forward to being on stage again, in his second performance, and can’t wait to display all of the hard work that the cast is done. He says, “This year was tougher than last because I have more solos, and my tinman costume weighs almost 75 pounds!”

The Cowardly Lion (Jonathan Dochod 17): The Lion is always trying to be courageous, but he falls a little bit short each time. Jon is most excited for the battle scenes at the end of the show, and getting the opportunity to display all of the hard work. He says, “This experience has been really great, and I’m very excited about having a lead role for the second year in a row. I love playing my character,  and making him into my own.”