Parents need not fear if they're accompanying their young children to see Footlight Theatre Company's upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz.
The kids will be riveted - not scared, vows director-choreographer Lalainia Lindbjerg Strelau, a Coquitlam mom of a two- and eight-year-old.
Her secret? Create over-the-top roles. "I see it just like Halloween: children are in costume that's other-worldly so they're not afraid," she said.
Her Wicked Witch, for example, is green-faced and grotesque, with a big puffy dress and sparkles and spews a hideous laugh.
"She is evil embodied but kids know she's bad and, in the end, that Dorothy conquers and all is well," Lindbjerg Strelau said.
To keep their interest, she also aims to keep the story line moving with fast-paced scene changes and visually stunning sets. Children like new sensory experiences, she said, "and they're not use to something so larger than life right in front of them."
Though her cast of 70 is largely made up of minors, Lindbjerg Strelau has added mature actors, too: her mother, Elaine, plays one of the 41 munchkins while The Oz is in his 70s. "There's really something to appeal for everyone," she said.
Last year, Lindbjerg Strelau had tried to secure the licensing rights for the show; however, when that didn't happen, Footlight put on The Sound of Music instead. The Wizard of Oz will be Footlight's 45th anniversary production, which opens next week at the Michael J. Fox Theatre in Burnaby and features 26 Tri-City actors.
Gleneagle secondary's Jennifer Gillis, 15, is cast not only as a featured dancer and flying monkey, she's also the Dorothy understudy.
"It's been a great adventure learning her part," the Grade 10 student said. "She's one of my dream characters to play. It's a lot of hard work but musical theatre is my passion. I love it so much."
Taking on Dorothy is Michelle Creber, 12, who is no stranger to being the star on stage: two years ago, she portrayed Annie at Theatre Under The Stars (her parents, Michael and Monique Creber are also The Wizard's musical directors).
Lindbjerg Strelau said she picked the 1939 movie classic to be Footlight's biggest production to date because of its challenge.
"I really, really love tackling things that we already know and love, and I really try to analyze why we know and love them," she said. "I want to put a creative spin on it and keep the pace, just like in the film."
Her biggest hurdle, though, has been balancing her jobs as both director and choreographer. "My role as a director suffers more," she admitted. "When you have to focus on people moving well, it can be a little more difficult to get the scene organized on the stage."
Luckily, she has a dance assistant this year to allow her to focus on multi-tasking. "There are some days I would be lost without her," she laughed.
The Wizard of Oz runs Nov. 4 to 19 at the Michael J. Fox Theatre (7373 Macpherson Ave., Burnaby, 604-664-8875)at 7:30 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees on Nov. 6, 11, 13 and 19. Tickets range in price from $20 to $43 and can be bought online at www.ticketstonight.ca. For more information, visit www.footlight.ca.
The Oz's local talent
Twenty-six actors from the Tri-Cities - many of them under the age of 18 - are cast in The Wizard of Oz, Footlight Theatre Company's biggest production to date.
Here is a list of the actors and their roles:
COQUITLAM
Jennifer Gillis (featured dancer/flying monkey/Dorothy understudy)
Nicole Tortora (munchkin/Ozian)
Sydney Waack (munchkin)
Anna Waack (munchkin)
Jason Persiani (munchkin)
Jocelyn Tsui (munchkin)
Haruka Kubo (munchkin)
Hannah Wiebe (munchkin)
Shaleigh Lachance (munchkin)
Tyler Wong (munchkin)
Kallista Jones (munchkin)
POCO
Jianna Ballard (featured dancer/flying monkeys captain)
Helen Volkow (Ozian)
Julia Ziegler (Ozian)
POMO
Kimberly Page (Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch)
Lauren Phillips (munchkin/featured dancer/flying monkey)
Alyssya Swales (munchkin)
Ciana Swales (munchkin)
Jeffrey Wallace (munchkin coroner)
Jillian Perkins (munchkin)
Joanne Perkins (Ozian)
Julia MacLean (munchkin mayor)
Bryce MacGregor (munchkin barrister)
Elaine Lindbjerg (munchkin)
Trevor Kobayashi (munchkin)
Emilie Redekopp (munchkin)
Nathan Piasecki (munchkin)
