‘Wizard of Oz’ production promises musical magic at Glendale Centre Theatre

When Todd Nielsen took on the task of directing “The Wizard of Oz” at the Glendale Centre Theatre, he said he wanted to use a variety of props and theatrical elements tailored to his vision for theater in the round.

“We can be a little more theatrical and creative about it. It’s your traditional, iconic classic ‘Wizard of Oz’ with some new twists,” Nielsen said.

The musical will open on Friday and run through Aug. 20 at the local theater, which has an arena stage with seats surrounding it.

“I think (theater-in-the-round) enhances the story because the audience will totally be involved. Whether they expect it or not, there’s a lot of interaction. I don’t think they have any choice but to get involved in the story,” said Lisa Dyson, who plays the Wicked Witch of the West.

Katie Hume, who plays Dorothy, said the theater’s physical setup adds to the audience experience.

“It helps to tell the story in a different light,” she said.

The musical production includes a children’s ensemble as well as a real-life Toto, whose real name is Scrappy, not to mention plenty of special effects.

“This is the biggest production value that I’ve ever seen or done here. Everything is big, bigger than life, the costumes, the set, the special effects,” Dyson said.

Nielsen said he ultimately wanted to tell an honest and real story.

“We didn’t want to make it cutesy or children’s theater. We wanted to give it the emotional reality that the story had, something that reaches both children and adults,” he said.

True to Nielsen’s plan, the story deeply connected with the cast of the show on various levels.

“The whole idea of going from a dreary farmland to that colorful World of Oz is magical. There’s a lot of love there, but there’s turmoil, too,” said Marty Hrejsa, who plays the Wizard. “You can’t have good without having conflict, but the idea of conquering conflict and everything comes down to a big, happy, feel-good situation, that’s what I like about this story.”

“I fell in love with the story and the music all over again,” Hume said.

Third-generation theater owner and producer Tim Dietlein selected the musical for its universal story of “going on a quest and finding that everything you were looking for was within you all along.

“That resonated with me when I was young. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. It’s sort of right there already, but we don’t realize it,” Dietlein said.

Of the eight main shows the theater produces annually, Dietlein said he tries to put together a season that offers something for everyone.

“Any adult who comes in is going to go back down memory lane with all the great music and remember how they felt about the movie when they first saw it, so that’s going to resonate with them,” he said. “The kids, with all the color, the dog, the music, special effects, it’s a visual feast. I don’t think they’ll be bored.”

The Glendale Centre Theatre is the longest continuously operated theater in the United States. Opened in 1947 by Dietlein’s grandparents, the theater has produced countless productions, the first of which was written by his grandmother.

“There are a lot of people in Glendale who don’t know that we’re here, although we’ve been here 69 years. There’s this great theater that’s been here forever and the history is just gigantic,” Dietlein said. “It’s really a driving theatrical venue, and they should know about it. Come and see it and then you’ll see why we’ve been here for 69 years. We give quality work.”

“The Wizard of Oz” will be presented on Fridays, Saturdays and select Sundays and Thursdays. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $20 for children ages 16 and under. The Glendale Centre Theatre is located at 324 N. Orange St.

For more information or ticket reservations, call (818) 244-8481 or visit glendalecentretheatre.com.