This weekend, the Stanley Theatre will open its doors for a unique piece of community action and entertainment. For the Good Inc., a non-profit organization started by Kirkland alumna Cassandra Harris-Lockwood '74, has collaborated with the youth of Utica and Cornhill to stage The Wonderful Wizard of Was, an adaptation of L. Frank Baum's children's classic set in Utica. The show, which is written and produced by Harris-Lockwood, features some of the best-known songs from Quincy Jones' The Wiz and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The Utica production is directed by T. K. Howard. Doris Yager, originator of the locally famed Rhythmlites, is the associate producer, and Hamilton Professor of Music Michael "Doc" Woods serves as music director, as well as the arranger and pit conductor.
Instead of Kansas, the action starts in Cornhill, where Dorothy (who prefers to be called DJ) tries to rid her neighborhood of the gangs, drugs and violence she sees around her. DJ is whisked off the land of Was, where she and her friends remember the way things used to be in more prosperous times. The characters in DJ's real life show up as metaphors in Was – the Wicked Witch is a drug runner and madam, while the benevolent Mohawk Medicine Man appears when Dorothy calls his name, a reminder of how important it can be to call out for help. Together, DJ and her friends return to the real world to bring back the quality of existence, dignity and cooperation of the way life "was."
The show, featuring a cast of local actors, gives Uticans a chance to showcase their talent and act on one of the best stages in the area, while doing something positive for their community. The production has been a goal of Harris-Lockwood's since 1993, says Woods, illustrating her hope for the inner cities of America.
Performances are at the Stanley Theatre in Utica on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 22-23, at 8 p.m., and on Sunday, Aug. 24, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15, and may be obtained through the Stanley website:
http://www.stanleytheatre.net/WizardofWas.php
Instead of Kansas, the action starts in Cornhill, where Dorothy (who prefers to be called DJ) tries to rid her neighborhood of the gangs, drugs and violence she sees around her. DJ is whisked off the land of Was, where she and her friends remember the way things used to be in more prosperous times. The characters in DJ's real life show up as metaphors in Was – the Wicked Witch is a drug runner and madam, while the benevolent Mohawk Medicine Man appears when Dorothy calls his name, a reminder of how important it can be to call out for help. Together, DJ and her friends return to the real world to bring back the quality of existence, dignity and cooperation of the way life "was."
The show, featuring a cast of local actors, gives Uticans a chance to showcase their talent and act on one of the best stages in the area, while doing something positive for their community. The production has been a goal of Harris-Lockwood's since 1993, says Woods, illustrating her hope for the inner cities of America.
Performances are at the Stanley Theatre in Utica on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 22-23, at 8 p.m., and on Sunday, Aug. 24, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15, and may be obtained through the Stanley website:
http://www.stanleytheatre.net/WizardofWas.php
