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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Magic for the munchkins


Bryson Toth, the Cowardly Lion; Nathan Webb, the Tin Man; and Jared Mola, the Scarecrow, check their costumes before performing scenes from

Amia Stephens, a first-grader at Adams Elementary, already has plans for high school.

“I want to be the mean witch. I have a dog just like Toto except he’s black and he’s a poodle,” the 7-year-old said.

The main characters in Central Valley High School’s upcoming “The Wizard of Oz” musical production offered a sneak preview at several elementary schools this week.

Nicholas Bonforti and Jordyn Moll, both second-graders, weren’t sure they liked the green-faced wicked witch, aka Emily Hansen. Nicholas hit the deck and hid behind his classmates, and Jordyn left the room in tears when Hansen demonstrated her frightening witch’s cackle. But Jordyn was quickly comforted by Glinda, the good witch of the north, played by Meisha Hemenway.

More than 100 student actors, musicians and theater technicians have spent months preparing for this production.

Central Valley’s $4.5 million state-of-the-art performing arts theater is equipped with a system that allows characters to fly above the audience.

Ten actors, including Dorothy, Glinda, the flying monkeys and the wicked witch, will use this equipment during the show.

These special effects are provided by Flying by Foy, an internationally recognized aerial rigging company that flew Mary Martin in the 1954 Broadway production of “Peter Pan.”

Flying by Foy was hired by Central Valley last spring so they could use flying sequences in their production of “Peter Pan.”

“It’s a little scary, but it will be fun and I’m very excited,” said Hemenway. She will float in above the audience in a magic bubble. “There’s this metal hoop with a seat across the middle that I sit on. I can’t swing back and forth or I’ll fall.”

Anna Daines plays Dorothy. She’ll fly around in the tornado scene and again with the terrifying flying monkeys. “Actually the monkeys do scare me,” said Daines. “They’re my good friends, but when they’re in their monkey faces, my screams are very real.”

Michael Muzatko, CV drama instructor and artistic director, said this is the biggest, most extravagant show he’s attempted in his 16 years at the school. It would be difficult to do the “The Wizard of Oz” in a regular high school theater.

“I never would have done it because the failure factor is too high. Everyone has seen the movie, and it means too much to people to not do it right,” Muzatko said.

Members of the Spokane Symphony and other professional musicians will join the students in a 22-piece orchestra to play familiar favorites like “Over the Rainbow” and “We’re Off to See the Wizard.”

Other members of the Oz cast include Jared Mola as the Scarecrow; Nathan Webb, as the Tin Man and Bryson Toth as the Cowardly Lion. The munchkins are played by students from CV middle and elementary schools.

And last but not least, Toto is played by a real dog named Jeb. He has performed in other area productions and with the help of two trainers he’s been trained to do this show.