'The Wiz' offers tale of optimism

Las Vegas Academy show puts 1970s soul twist on classic tale

JERRY HENKEL/VIEWCody Canyon as The Tin Man, Raven Thomas as Dorothy, Michael Kershaw as The Lion and Gianni Becker as The Scarecrow are framed by Jamie Edelman, left, Avree Walker, second left, Jean-Luc D?Anjou, second right, and Kolin Bernard, right, portraying The Yellow Brick Road in "The Wiz" at Las Vegas Academy?s Lowden Theater for the Performing Arts, Feb. 13 Advertisement

Every foot of the massive Lowden Theater inside Las Vegas Academy bustled on a recent afternoon as the school geared up for the opening of "The Wiz."

In one room, a dozen students sewed costumes. Next door, a handful of students balanced on ladders to paint large set pieces. Another group worked to perfect part of a rotating stage. In the choir room, four high-rises full of students crooned a song number from the production.

The hectic scene has been a routine occurrence inside the theater since November, when Las Vegas Academy started preparations for its biggest production of the season, "The Wiz," a 1975 take on "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

The musical opened at the academy Thursday, Feb. 19, and will run through March 7 inside the Lowden Theater, 315 S. 7th St.

"The Wiz" includes a cast of 62 students and an off-stage crew of about 50. Students from the Las Vegas Academy's orchestra, choir, dance and theater departments -- nearly every major in the school -- came together to put on the production.

"It shows off all of the school's aspects in one show," said senior Sylvia Brasuell of Summerlin, who is one of two students who alternate the role of Dorothy.

"The Wiz" gives an up-close look at the characters of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," with a little twist. It follows the well-known story with a meld of special effects and fresh music.

"It's the funkier version of Wizard of Oz," Brasuell explained. "It's got a lot of soul. After all, it was first done in the '70s."

Instead of one witch, "The Wiz" casts three, one of whom adorns two massive afros, one on top of the other. The Scarecrow boasts a lot of attitude and wit. The Lion still is a coward, but reveals his dramatic side. The Tin Man takes on the mature, fatherly role. Dorothy is just as innocent, but she matures throughout the story.

Along with Brasuell, the cast includes junior Drew Lynch of Summerlin as The Wiz, junior Cody Canyon as the Tin Man, sophomore Raven Thomas as Dorothy, senior Mike Kershaw as the Lion, and senior Gianni Becker as the Scarecrow, all of whom are southeast Las Vegas residents.

Director Robert Connor said he settled on "The Wiz" for the spring musical because it involves a lot of students and it communicates an upbeat message.

"It's a feel-good story with great music," he said during a rehearsal. "Right now, with everything going on, we want to step out of life and know that there really is hope. This fantasy allows that."

Las Vegas Academy, a magnet school, is known for its professionally done theater productions. The school has 1,600 students, 350 of whom are theater majors.

Contact Southeast and Southwest View reporter Danielle Nadler at dnadler@viewnews.com or 224-5524.