Sequel of 'Oz' to premiere

Lake City Playhouse Prep is enjoying a rare feat this weekend, said Academic Director Dustin L. Sorrell.

A world premiere.

And no, not the kind written by a cousin of the director.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in this area," said Sorrell, also director of the Playhouse Prep program.

Young local actors will be performing L. Frank Baum's "The Magic of Oz," a stage sequel to "The Wizard of Oz" musical. The sequel was written by Baum, author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" novel, Sorrell said.

Penned in the early 20th century, the show never got off the ground, Sorrell said, as Baum got caught up in other projects and died in 1919.

The piece was unearthed and revised last year, however, by Pennsylvania playwright Eric Stedman, who Sorrell networked with to premier the show in Coeur d'Alene.

"I decided I wanted to find my own show and do something really interesting and fun," said Sorrell, who started with the playhouse in the beginning of the year.

The show was appealing because it maintained Baum's original music and script, Sorrell said.

And it's just a great show, he added.

"It's very cute. It's funny, with a lot of the old characters we already know from 'The Wizard of Oz,'" he said.

The plot was quite an undertaking for the actors, Sorrell added, who range from 8 to 17 years old.

Picking up in Oz after Dorothy's exit via ruby slippers, the story follows the aftermath of the pre-teen's misadventures. The witch of the north, peeved over the house squishing and melting of her eastern and western counterparts, seeks revenge by taking over all of Oz's magic.

A band of Oz residents set out to make things right.

"There are a lot of new characters, who if you're familiar with any of the novels, they're not new to you," Sorrell said.

Premiering the show has required some real effort, he said. He has collaborated with Stedman over the phone on script and song changes all along the way.

"It's been stressful at times," Sorrell conceded, adding that the kids have had to learn a lot of new words in the script. "Overall, most of (the kids) have done a really great job in memorizing the script, and had a lot of fun in the whole process of learning a new show."

He hopes to find new pieces to perform every year, he added.

"The Magic of Oz" runs tonight through Saturday at the Lake City Playhouse.

The performances are scheduled at 7:30 tonight, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Tickets are $10. Folks can buy tickets at the door, by calling 667-1323 or online at lakecityplayhouse.org.

"We're really excited," Sorrell said.