“The Wizard of Oz”, an American musical written in 1939 by Metro Goldwyn Mayer, is one of the most classic musicals of the early 19th century. It is a story about a girl named Dorothy and her dog, Toto, who are whisked away in their house to the magical land of Oz. “The Wizard of Oz” teaches teenagers not to be the person everyone expects you to be, and be who you are, but today students are acting differently than usual. 

On Dec. 2, students sat in the cafeteria after school waiting for their call for the spring musical, which was in the cafeteria due to the auditorium renovation. 

After two days of auditions, this was the final day. From freshmen actors in the Lumberjack Theatre to seniors who have been participating since junior high, students showed up to audition for specific roles for which they had been called back.

“I auditioned for the lion,” Ronan Kernan (11) said. “ I wanted to do it because my friends were and it sounded fun to do. I feel nervous because I’ve never done it before but I’m also excited.” 

Many people were stressed out, feeling the anxiety and fear of not being chosen by the directors. But most are still excited because of their love for the activity.

“I chose to participate in the musical because singing and dancing really interest me,” Abby Spitzmiller (10) said. “I am motivated by a lot of things, but mainly my drive to be the best I can be. I think the callback experience is really great because it is done in a way to make everyone feel really comfortable, even though it can be a very stressful thing.”

In the end, the directors used the callbacks to choose the final cast. Ella Wessel (11), watched people audition for the same role.

“There was so much talent, and I love seeing people express characters differently,” Wessel said.

The cast list for the show was posted after the callbacks, with Jillian Meyers (11) in the lead role of Dorothy. Ronan Kernan (11), Sam Spowart (11) and Alex Heid (10) round out the cast as the Lion, Tinman and Scarecrow respectively. The show runs March 10-12. If you would like more information about the musical, contact Director Ashley Leasure at [email protected].