‘Wizard of Oz’ comes to GMUHS this weekend Please watch for falling houses

Cast members rehearse a song on Monday afternoon Photos by Shawn Cunningham

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC

A yellow brick road will be running through the Green Mountain High auditorium this weekend as the school’s theater department presents The Wizard of Oz. 

Based on the classic 1939 MGM musical with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. ‘Yip’ Harburg, the play recounts the story of Dorothy’s trip to the magical city of Oz in hopes of returning to her home in Kansas after being deposited over the rainbow by a tornado. That story, by L. Frank Baum, was first published in 1900.

The cast is made up of Harper Goddard as Dorothy, Moriah Knisely as Aunt Em, Isabella Welwood as Uncle Henry, Catherine Soulia as the Tin Man, Abagayle Mack-Dyer as the Lion, Bentley Bonneville as the Scarecrow, Samantha Willis as the Wicked Witch of the West, Anya Boucher as the Wizard and Caydance Curtis as Glinda.

Bentley Bonneville as the Scarecrow is pestered by a ‘jitterbug’. The scene with the bugs was cut from the 1939 musical.

Featured as Munchkins, Ozians, Flying Monkeys, Winkie Guards, Crows and Jitterbugs are a dozen Chester-Andover Elementary School students from grades 4 to 6. They include Khloe Schleimer, Aerlynne Horton, Clarissa DiMarco, Ivy Wyman, Caleb Bennett, Emily Rushford, Dahlia Kingsbury, Ciara Cahill, Ellie Thomas, Olive Finch, Emma Lawson and Izabella Zacarias.

Violet Haight is the production’s stage manager while Seairra Stowell is handling props and costumes. Luna Osier worked on costumes and choreography and rounding out the stage crew are Lochlyn Nicholes, Claire Thomas, Candace Mitchell, Desi Broadley, Natalya Dunich and Jaelyn Tatro. Arielle Goddard worked on set design.

The production is being directed by Daryll Kale and Michael Hilkert with choreography by Nicole Hilkert. Piano accompaniment by Mary Westbrook-Geha.

Performances are at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 28 and on Saturday, March 29.

Admission is $8 for students and seniors and $10 for adults. The high school is located at 716 Route 103 south in Chester.