The Wizard of Oz’ lands at the Mishler Theatre
P&J Productions presents classic tale this weekend
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ALTOONA – There’s no place like home, or as P&J Productions likes to call it, the Benzel Stage at the Mishler Theatre, where “The Wizard of Oz” will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 16 and 17, and at 2 p.m. on Oct. 18.
“It’s a beautiful theater, and it’s a relatively small theater so that attendees feel very close to the stage,” co-producer Neil Port said, adding that a majority of their shows take place at the historic theater.
One of their most recent productions, “Frozen,” brought grandparents, parents and children to see the show, he said, which is why he and co-producer Will Jones believed “The Wizard of Oz” would be a great follow-up performance.
Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s book and the 1939 movie, “The Wizard of Oz” musical follows Dorothy, a Kansas girl who is transported to Oz after a tornado hits her home. Making unlikely friends with a Scarecrow, a Tinman and a Cowardly Lion, they travel to the Emerald City in search of Dorothy’s way home.
Brandon Pine is looking forward to portraying Scarecrow’s silliness on stage, as the straw-filled character both yearns for a brain and struggles as a dancer.
Pine participated in several past P&J Productions, playing Weselton in “Frozen,” and appearing in other shows such as “The Music Man” and “Ghosts: The Musical.”
“I’m used to being a dancing character, but he’s unstable,” he said. “I feel like he’s the leader of the pack, and that’s very fun.”
Pine said Port and Jones know how to put on a good show, mentioning that they do a lot for the community.
“I think it’s one of the classics, a time for people to come in, sit down, unwind and relax,” Pine said.
Like Pine, Port said that “The Wizard of Oz” has a great soundtrack filled with some of the most iconic showtunes in American history, such as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
Watching a local production also serves as the perfect excuse to leave the worries of the day at home and submerge oneself in art, if only for a few hours, he said.
“We just like to transport the community’s people into another world,” he said.