By Charles Tweed
The Ponoka Composite High School’s adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, titled Oz, has garnered much praise in town.
The show is halfway through its run with three more performances scheduled for March 18 and 19.
“The first week has gone amazingly well. Everything came together and the show really came alive,” said director Airyn Street.
The show takes place at the Ponoka United Church and features two casts. The Ruby cast has performed twice, while the Emerald cast has performed once.
Coming up, the Emerald cast will perform March 18 in the evening and then again on the following day for the matinee.
The Ruby cast only has one performance left, closing the run on March 19. All evening shows start at 7 p.m. while the matinees are scheduled at 1 p.m.
“It’s been a wild ride. Very stressful at some points and we’re fortunate to be working at the United Church because Richard McKelvie and the Klaglahachie theatre have created a wonderful theatrical environment,” said Street.
Like all good shows there is always some improvisation inherent to a live performance but Street is confident the audience was none the wiser.
“We had a few technical difficulties with microphones and a few missed lines, but the actors just kept going and covered each other so the audience never knew something was amiss,” she said.
The crowds have been good through the first week and it is expected even more people will be on hand for the final week. Be sure to pick up tickets in advance or risk not getting a seat to see Oz. Tickets can be bought by phoning 783-4411. Saturday night’s performance will also feature a VIP cupcake party where the audience is encouraged to stick around and meet the cast for an additional $5.