For Bronwyn Beardsley of Ellsworth and Molly Hagerty of Bangor, the two young ladies who will alternate playing the lead role in Penobscot Theatre Company’s holiday production of “The Wizard of Oz,” finding their inner Dorothy wasn’t too difficult. The spunky, no-nonsense heroine of the “Oz” books and movies is an easy character to get in touch with.
Beardsley, last seen in PTC’s 2013 production of “Cinderella,” and Hagerty, seen in “Cinderella” and “Annie” in 2012, are both seventh-graders — Beardsley at Ellsworth Middle School and Hagerty at the William S. Cohen School in Bangor. That means they are a little younger than the age Judy Garland was (16) when she portrayed the girl from Kansas. Having a younger Dorothy was kind of the point, however, said director Michele Colvin (PTC’s “Honky Tonk Angels”).
“Dorothy is the only child in the show. We see this journey through her eyes. For me, it was important to make her 12 or 13 because a big part of our show is about the journey from child to young adult,” said Colvin.
For the two Dorothys, their own personalities aren’t too far off from the “Oz” heroine.
“She reminds me a little bit of ‘Annie,’ because she’s an orphan and she’s not afraid to think for herself,” said Hagerty. “She’s the youngest one in the group, but she’s the leader.”
That group, of course, is Dorothy and her companions on the Yellow Brick Road — the Scarecrow, played by Dominick Varney (“The Mystery of Irma Vep”), the Tin Man, played by Ira Kramer (“The Rocky Horror Show”) and the Cowardly Lion, played by Ben Layman (“Cinderella”). All the classic songs from the 1939 film are featured in the show, which was adapted from the movie for the stage by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1987. The performances are backed by a seven-piece band led by musical director Phil Burns.
As the Wicked Witch of the West (and as Mrs. Gulch) is Portland-based actress Pamela Chabora, who is making her Penobscot Theatre debut. She’s been seen on stages all over the country, including in the 2011-2012 Broadway tour of “Fiddler on the Roof.” The cast is rounded out by the likes of Arthur Morison (The Wizard/The Professor), Bradley LaBree (Uncle Henry/The Guard), Brianne Beck (Auntie Em/Glinda), Tina Burns, Stephanie Erb, Grace Livingston, Heather Libby, Matt Madore, Daniel Perkins, Bob Potts, Birdie Sawyer and Alyssa Stubbs.
And, of course, the 5-year-old, 8.5-pound Yorkshire terrier named Sophie, who lives with Cyndy Ingalls and Amy McCormick of Bangor, is making her theatrical debut as Toto.
Director Colvin and costume and set designer Lex Liang have created a visual palette that combines classic elements of the 1939 movie with a fresh, updated take on “Oz.” The Yellow Brick Road, the ruby slippers and the Emerald City are all there, of course, along with a few new elements.
“We’ve tried to marry the movie with some of our own things,” said Colvin. “So the munchkins are club kids. The Winkies are maniacal doctors. The flying monkeys are a biker gang. We tried to bring it into the future a little bit. We’ve had a lot of fun with it.”
“The Wizard of Oz” will be performed at the Bangor Opera House Dec. 4 through 28. Performances are set for 7 p.m. Dec. 4-6, 10-12, 17-19 and Dec. 26; 3 p.m. Dec. 7, 14, 21 and 28, and 5 p.m. Dec. 13, 20, 23, and 27, with a special 10 a.m. performance on Dec. 24, Christmas Eve. Tickets are $20-$35 and are available at the PTC box office or online at penobscottheatre.org.
