Follow the yellow brick road. Follow the yellow brick road? Follow the yellow brick road! Tra-la-la-la-la— follow the yellow brick road! And you too can be off to see The Wizard of Oz (youth edition) at Children’s Playhouse of Maryland this merry month of March. Appearing as the penultimate production in their 2024/2025 season, The Wizard of Oz (youth edition) will take you on a familiar journey down that yellow brick road as Dorothy, her little dog Toto, and some other fabulous friends join her in her quest to meet The Wizard so that she can find her way back to Kansas! Directed by Liz Boyer Hunnicutt, with Musical Direction by Charlotte Evans, and Choreography by James Hunnicutt, this adorable experience is full of excitement and enthusiasm (and so much energy you wish you could bottle it up and sell it at the intermission!)
Scenic Artist Laura Miller, working in tandem with Technical Director Diane M. Smith, Lighting Designer Ed Lake, (with projections by SLShow Tech) and Props by Amy Vickers, create the iconic scenery from The Wizard of Oz that we all know and love. The screen-door to the house that flies away in the twister is there and ready to land on the wicked witch of the east, and there’s even some magical special effects in play for the comings and goings of the various witches of Oz. (Lovely light-based gobos for Glinda and a flash pot for The Wicked Witch of the West!) The projections by SLShow Tech even transforms the scenes from black and white to color once the kids go ‘over the rainbow’ creating a fun and whimsical play-space for these eager younger performers to enjoy as they adventure their way through Oz. There are of course real-time scenery pieces as well— the infamous ‘gate’ to Oz, complete with sign that says ‘bell broken’ and the curtain booth for the wizard.
Shout-out to costume, hair, and wig coordinator Tiffany Lynn Zellner, who has every shade of green one can imagine for the entirety of the cast during the scenes in the Emerald City. Zellner goes above and beyond to create fantastical looks for the munchkins, particularly those in the various leagues and guilds, and of course Zellner crafts those iconic looks for Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion, with those costumes being the hallmark staple of any production of The Wizard of Oz.
Praises across the board are also due to James Hunnicutt for his choreography work, especially during “The Jitterbug” for the rang of styles featured in that number and the recurring “We’re Off to See the Wizard” which feature the cross-step-skip and cake-walk swinging arms as the growing company of two, then three, then four, carries on down the yellow brick road. Charlotte Evans, the show’s musical director, really infuses these lively performers with robust sounds, making the bigger group numbers, like “The Merry Old Land of Oz” sound delightful and fulfilling. And Liz Hunnicutt, the show’s director, has these kids really focusing on scenic nuance; there’s a surprising amount of humor that comes from these scenes and songs and Hunnicutt helps these young performers find their footing in those moments as well as keeping them on track with swift scenic changes.
You get see some really whimsical dancing from the Cyclones (Bea Auvil, Ella Ben Abdallah, Gwen Dalsimer, Chloe Fiddler, Malaika Kasule, Brady Katzenberger, McKenzie Nace, RJ Oakey, Moreille Shechter, Riley Sigal, Lua Smith,) during the musical interlude entitled “Cyclone.” These dancers sweep onto the stage in a circle-ring and are twirling ribbons while leaping about to become the human embodiment of the twister. You get some of those same cycle-dancers along with a few others, appearing as Jitterbugs (Bea Auvil, Ella Ben Abdallah, Gwen Dalsimer, Luke DiBello, Brady Katzenberger, McKenzie Nace, RJ Oakey, Moreille Shechter, Riley Sigal, Jayde Wild,) who buzz from the side-entrances of the stage before entering the during the number “Jitterbug” and fling their legs all around to this swinging, slinging song.
The most bubbly and giddy among the bunch has to be The Munchkins (Caroline Anderson, EJ Anderson, Ellie Berlin, Patricia Boettcher, Sivert Carlson, Kieran Carlson, Luke DiBello, Andrew Gluck, Zoey Jobe, Temperance Oppel, Avigyle Shechter, Daphne Smith,) who sing out with heartfelt joy during the whole Munchkinland sequence, which includes the memorable “Ding! Dong! The Witch is Dead!” number. Keep your eye on Caroline Anderson, Patricia Boettcher, and Daphne Smith, of the Munchkin Lullaby League, and their adorable little tutus. Also be on the lookout for EJ Anderson, Kieran Carson, and Luke DiBello, representing the Lollipop Guild, and kicking with that mechanical movement made infamous in the 1939 film. And certainly have a listen out for Andrew Gluck, the Munchkin Barrister, who has the most original and authentic sounding munchkin vocal affectation; the same too can be said for Sivert Carlson, who is mayor of Munchkin City and Temperance Oppel, the coroner who gets everyone’s favorite line in that whole sequence! And you’ll find yourself sitting in the audience, chanting along with the Winkie Guard (Patricia Boettcher, Sivert Carlson, Lily Guchemand, Lua Smith,) lead by Winkie Leader (Malaika Kasule) during that scene at the witch’s castle.
There are so many precious moments all throughout the performance, like when the four Crows (Brady Katzenberger, McKenzie Nace, RJ Oakey, Riley Sigal) are squawking in time with “If I Only Had a Brain” and start tormenting the Scarecrow or when Aunt Em (Jayde Wild) and Uncle Henry (Eli Ginder) are trying to keep Dorothy calm in the face of that nasty old Elmira Gulch. Wild doubles and triples up throughout the performance as Tree#2 in the ‘rotten apple tree-forest’ scene and as a Jitterbug and Ozian, while Ginder— who has the best midwestern farmer accent I’ve ever heard from such a young performer, doubles up as the Ozian Doorman (you know, from the sign? ‘bell broken, please knock’?)
You get a very genial performance from RJ Sealock as Professor Marvel. It wasn’t until sitting here watching this fine young performer do his ‘crystal ball’ scene that you realize just what a snake-oil salesman/charlatan type Professor Marvel really is, which lends itself wholly to Sealock being the wizard once Dorothy enters Oz. Just about the only character who appears in Oz as a featured player that doesn’t start off life on Dorothy’s farm is Glinda (Gabby Gertner.) With a sweet voice, Gertner floats into the scene (aided by some nifty lighting effects) and has so many of us marveling over her poofy pink dress and sweet line of questioning directed right at Dorothy. She’s cheerful and dulcet, even if she doesn’t have a huge solo to showcase her impressive vocal talents; Gertner is everything you hope the Good Witch of the North could be.
And where there’s a good witch, there’s bound to be trouble. And while that trouble starts with a W (which sadly does not rhyme with P or stand for pool…), you can be sure that the Wicked Witch of the West is indeed trouble! She’s out to get Dorothy and her little dog too! Played by Wren Smith, the dual-role of Wicked Witch and Elmira Gulch is a scary one, but one that Smith does an excellent job of making presentable, even for younger children who might be in attendance at the show. Smith delicately balances the scary character so that she’s just wicked enough without being too scary. And when she appears as Miss Gulch you get the sense that she’s haughty and entitled, which translates flawlessly over to the Oz-side, when she’s the Wicked Witch. Smith may not get to sing and show off her vocals in this production but she’s got that maniacal cackle down pat and some of those lines are textbook delivery straight from the much beloved original film.
While Dorothy starts off in the black and white universe in Kansas in a sepia-toned version of her iconic blue dress, she has Toto (an adorable hand puppet) in her clutches until he runs away after being kidnapped by Miss Gulch. When Dorothy is swept up into the tornado and plopped down in Oz, we get a real, live Toto (played by human actor Carly Stuart.) Precious beyond description, Stuart barks and makes adorable gestures all throughout the performance whenever she’s featured.
If you’re looking for the nerve, Kaitlyn Bell has it all as the cowardly lion. When she sings her “King of the Forest” you feel like you’re watching Bert Lahr from the 1939 film, everything from the way she struts with pride one moment to cowering in shaky fear the next to the way she royally rolls her ‘r’s’ in that song. The vocal affectation that Bell provides is spot on for what people expect when they hear the Cowardly Lion and she really finds the balance between wanting to accompany Dorothy and being afraid of her own tail!
With a keen sense of comic timing, Noah Anderson is an excellent Tin Man. There are some hilarious nuggets of comedy that come rolling out of the Tin Man’s mouth, often in the form of impeccably timed one-liners, and you just find yourself laughing delightfully whenever Anderson delivers these moments. With a warm and hearty voice that certainly is not lacking heart (unlike the poor Tin Man character who wants one so desperately) Anderson sings delightfully for “If I Only Had a Heart” and his voice blends beautifully into the trio and then the quartet of “We’re Off to See the Wizard” every time it happens.
Wild and crazy physicality has Xander Bell delivering a stumbling Scarecrow to perfection. Bell’s vocals are rich, deep, and inviting for “If I Only Had a Brain” and when he first encounters Dorothy, or rather Dorothy encounters him, it’s a truly spectacular meeting. Bell is fleet of feet, vivacious of voice, and just brings an indescribable amount of joy to the stage when you watch him tumble all over the place as the man made out of straw. Both Bell and Noah Anderson have exceptional physicality, with Anderson being stiff and wobbly as the Tin Man when he’s first unhinged from his rust, and Bell being wibbly-wobbly all over the place when he’s first dropped down off his mounting post.
With a voice one can scarcely believe belongs to a 12-year-old, Cassidy Gertner tackles the role of Dorothy with aplomb. Her rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is so strong and powerful, it sounds more like Liza Minelli doing a tribute to her late mother than the innocent and lost little Dorothy Gale wishing to get away. It’s an astonishing sound, especially for such a young performer. Gertner is boisterous, really having those over-the-top moments— especially when she’s sad, angry, and upset at Miss Gulch or later with the progression of the situation in Oz— that let you know how she’s feeling. When she sings with the Bell’s Scarecrow, Anderson’s Tin Man, and Bell’s Lion, you get a really lovely blended sound among that quartet of young performers and the friendship that develops between Gertner’s Dorothy and the other three characters feels authentic and heartwarming.
Do not miss your chance to encounter these amazing young performers, taking on one of cinema’s most iconic musicals, now on stage in the youth edition for your viewing enjoyment. Children’s Playhouse of Maryland will send you to a glorious spot over the rainbow with their production of The Wizard of Oz (youth edition) this spring, so put your ruby red slippers on, click your heels three times and say “There’s no place like CPM. There’s no place like CPM. There’s no place like CPM!”
Running Time: Approximately 90 minutes with one intermission
The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition plays through March 23rd 2025 with Children’s Playhouse of Maryland in the Lecture Hall of the Administration Building at the Community College of Baltimore County Essex Campus— 7201 Rossville Boulevard in Baltimore, MD. For tickets call the box office at (443) 840-2426 or purchase them online
