‘The Wizard of Oz’ onstage at Wallkill Valley

Wallkill Valley Regional High School’s Performing Arts Department will present the musical “The Wizard of Oz” next weekend.

Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, March 10; 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 11; and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 12. There is a special Meet and Greet with the Oz characters at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Show tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students and senior citizens. The Meet and Greet costs $5. All tickets are available online at https://ticketpeak.co/wallkill

In a stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic novel, young Dorothy Gale and her dog, Toto, are swept by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz.

The show features the iconic musical score from the MGM movie, with such familiar songs as “Over the Rainbow,” “Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead,” “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” and “If I Only Had a Brain.”

Under the direction of Christine Molnar and assistant director Anmarie DeGiovanni, the students have been rehearsing their singing and acting and practicing dance routines choreographed by Denise Kulhan and orchestral numbers with Jeff Colarusso.

Dorothy is played by senior Ella White. Her companions on her journey through Oz are the Scarecrow (junior Josh Mendez), the Tin Man (senior Sean Masino) and the Lion (senior Brandon Todd).

Glinda, the good witch, (senior Caylie Tymon) battles with the Wicked Witch of the West (junior Skylar Tomlin) as Dorothy and her friends travel to see the Wizard (sophomore Jesse Diribe).

They are helped by the Oz Guard (senior Evan McCarthy) on their quest for a brain, a heart, courage and a way home.

Versatile ensemble members portray Munchkins, Winkies, Flying Monkeys, Jitterbugs, residents of Emerald City, crows, trees and poppies. A few middle school students will be joining the cast as the famous Lollipop kids.

Berloni’s theatrical animals will play Toto. Brian Michael Hoffman returns to the school with Nessa and Alfie, two Cairn Terriers who were rescued and trained by Tony Award honoree William Berloni.

Hoffman, Frankie the chihuahua and Myrtle the bulldog took part in the 2019 production of “Legally Blonde.”

“All of the Berloni’s theatrical animals are rescues who are now trained professionals, and they love what they do,” Hoffman said.

“Let’s face it, Nessa knows this show better than anyone in the cast, having performed her signature role of Toto across the country in countless national tours and regional theater productions. My job is to train Dorothy to becomes an expert dog trainer before opening night, so that she and her friends can keep Toto safe and on the right path to the Emerald City.”

Behind the scenes, crew members have been working hard on sets, lighting, prop building and more. Students enrolled in the woodshop and art programs have built and painted the set with their respective teachers, Mike DeVore, Mike Napovier and Amy Fairweather, while graphic designer Paul Kane devised the musical’s logo, made fliers and created a program, which was printed in-house by Pete Schornstadt and his classes.

Parents and alumni have donated their time, from helping with costumes to working on the set/backstage, ticket and lobby sales, and supplying the students with dinners during Tech Week.

“Putting up an iconic show like ‘Wizard of Oz’ takes a village,” Molnar said.

“We have alumni, students, teachers and parents all putting their heart into this show. Many don’t realize how much goes into doing a musical - there are so many elements to make Oz magical - and we are all working to do this show justice.

“The goal is to give our students the best theatrical experience they can get, so we have added a lot of technical aspects that are new to all of us.”

Masino, who plays the Tin Man, said, “It’s been an honor to be a part of such an iconic show like ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ We’ve been working incredibly hard on this show for the past few months, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”

White, who plays Dorothy, said, “I am beyond excited to be a part of yet another amazing musical at Wallkill Valley. These last four years will forever hold a special place in my heart and I am so thrilled to end my journey on the Wallkill stage with ‘The Wizard of Oz’ “