By Steffanie Costigan - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on March 7, 2024.
The Catholic Central High School theatre department is skipping down the yellow brick road in their new production of “The Wizard of Oz” at CCH east campus starting Friday at 7 p.m..
CCH is in its 32nd year of productions at the school.
“The Wizard of Oz will run until Saturday, March 16, CCH director of the musical production Braden Dalton shared Monday.
“We are fortunate that we have chosen a show this year that kind of serves to remind people of the magic of theatre. ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is a classic story… The production itself follows very closely to the Judy Garland film, and has a little extra things thrown in there to bring it to the beauty and magic that is live theatre,” said Dalton.
Tickets for the show are available at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-wizard-of-oz-march-16-matinee-tickets-836977260517 or at the door. It’s first-come, first-serve.
CCH producer and vocal director Danielle Christensen she has appreciation for the diligence the students have done in putting on this play.
“I’m incredibly proud of these students. They have given their all to make this the best production that they can. And they are growing in so many different ways, vocally, acting, dancing, and we are really stretching them to improve as performers and they are rising to the challenge,” said Christensen.
Dalton said fine arts have an impact on CCH students.
“When it comes to the students, we love to know that our students are so involved in the fine arts, they are an important part in their lives, whether it is the acting side, the singing, the performing, the dancing.
“The fine arts are such an important part of what we do here as teachers, what our students do as students, and even for our audience, if they are walking out the door and having just enjoyed themselves for that last two hours and a bit. That’s reward in itself,” he said.
Christensen expressed the hard work vocally that went into the production and the talent the students hold.
“The majority of what happens vocally in this school actually happens outside of the day. So these students have been working very hard, since the beginning of the year for singing,” she said.
Dalton echoed her sentiments, talking about the hard work students have done for the past four month.
“With our kids, our actors, are cast, our crew, everyone has been working very diligently and very hard over the last four months to bring this story to life in front of the audience for the next two weeks here.”
Christensen said the audience can expect some great singing in the performance.
“We have some incredibly talented young people with just incredibly beautiful voices that will be performing so they are in for a treat vocally.”
17