Winchester Players Journey to Oz

The Winchester Players, Winchester Cultural Center’s theater troupe, will bring the land of Oz to life with two consecutive productions based on the classic tale “The Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum at 7 p.m. March 27 and 28 at the Winchester Culture Center Theater, 3130 S. McLeod Drive. “Two Nights in Oz” begins with a glimpse into the lives of the good, the bad and the ugly of Oz in “Witches,” which serves as back-story for the beloved “The Wizard of Oz,” the second show. The players take on this traditional story, adding unconventional twists along the Yellow Brick Road. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors.

“Witches,” written by Winchester Players director Susan Swanson, stars Emily De’Angelo as Elphaba, Sean Taua as Glenda, Sydney Spahn as Selena and Gabrinia Gomez as Melinda. “The Wizard of Oz” features Mia Richards and Sarah Stiles as Dorothy, Cierra Smith as The Scarecrow, Gabby Grubaker as The Tin Girl, Adam Krist as The Wizard of Oz, Ryan Carlton as The Mean Old Lion, Jessy Poma and Clara Watson as The Wicked Witch and Molli Hammon Behrhorse and Kimberlee Wiggins as Glenda. The shows’ casts range in age from 6 to 17. The cast was split for “The Wizard of Oz” in order to give more actors the opportunity to perform.

The brother-and-sister team of Susan and Christopher Swanson direct the two shows. Susan Swanson brings Broadway experience to the troupe from shows such as “No, No Nannette,” “Pajama Game” and “Anything Goes” while Christopher Swanson has performed in “Jubilee!” at Bally’s on the Strip, among others.

Those interested in “Witches” or “The Wizard of Oz” can call the Winchester Cultural Center at 455-7340 or visit the Web site at www.accessclarkcounty.com/parks.

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