By: Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
It’s safe to say that Bucyrus likes to go old school when it comes to musicals but not too old school. Rather than stick to the 75-year-old musical, “The Wizard of Oz,” the Bucyrus Secondary School vocal music department decided to stay in the past but fast-forward it a few decades. Students will be putting on a rendition of “The Wiz,” a modern, 1970’s funk and jazz take on L. Frank Baum story.
“The Wiz” had last been performed on a Bucyrus stage in 1986 when Bucyrus alum Marshal McPeek starred as the musical’s namesake.
Students participating in the musical said the music found in “The Wiz” is more upbeat and jazzier than its 1939 predecessor. They added during a morning interview on 92.7WQEL that this show will have more dancing and singing than past musical performances.
Performances have been scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on March 21 and 22 and a 2:00 p.m. show on Sunday, March 23. There will be a dinner theater before the show on Saturday. It is opportunities like the dinner theater that allow students who don’t necessarily like to be on stage to still participate in the musical in some way, Director of Choirs Nikki French said.
“It seems like every year we get a couple of new students that will jump on board,” French said, “but the great way that we get students involved is we get them painting sets, building sets. We get them helping with ticket sales, helping with dinner theater. So even students that aren’t interested in being on stage necessarily can find a place to help us out. So, really, the show encompasses quite a few students.”
There are about 70 students involved in the show this year, which includes the crew, actors, ushers, and dinner theater helpers.
“Everything onstage, backstage—that’s all student-run,” French said, though she added that there will be the occasional teacher helping out in the pit or with lighting.
Show tickets and dinner theater tickets are reserved seating only. Tickets can be purchased by contacting French at 419-562-7721 ext. 4019 or email at nfrench@bucyrusschools.org.