Equipped with plenty of heart, wit and courage, Studio Tenn Theatre Company will travel to Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center and transform it into an opulent Emerald City for its season finale production of “The Wizard of Oz,” live on stage June 13-14, 2015.
Sure to enchant audiences of all ages, this lavishly staged and costumed production backed by a full symphony orchestra will take place Saturday, June 13 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 14 at 2:00 p.m. For tickets, visit StudioTenn.com or call the Schermerhorn Box Office at (615) 687-6400.
Studio Tenn’s Managing Director Jake Speck said the company decided to revisit the Schermerhorn this season following the overwhelming success of its 2013 production, “Les Miserables.” “We refer to this as our ‘field trip’ show,” he said. “It is a thrill to produce these epic titles in such a visually and acoustically magnificent space as [the Schermerhorn’s] Laura Turner Hall.”
For the starring role of Dorothy, Studio Tenn has tapped Broadway’s Diana DeGarmo, who rose to fame as the runner-up on American Idol in 2004. Since then, she has starred in Broadway’s “Hairspray” and “Hair.” Most recently, DeGarmo co-starred in a national touring production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” alongside her husband and fellow American Idol veteran, Ace Young.
“I’m so excited to be working with Studio Tenn in what is shaping up to be a truly magnificent theatre experience,” said DeGarmo. “It is a thrill to take on the iconic role of Dorothy in such an imaginative, innovative production in my own hometown.”
The rest of the cast comprises an abundance of Nashville talent, including Studio Tenn veterans Graham Keen as the Scarecrow, Patrick Waller as the Cowardly Lion, Greg Maheu as the Tin Man, Laura Matula as the Wicked Witch of the West, Megan Murphy Chambers as Glinda the Good Witch, Conrad John Schuck as The Wizard/Professor Marvel, as well as 40 local munchkins.
While the iconic film’s influence will certainly be felt, Logan assures that Studio Tenn’s “Wizard” will be far from a mere rerun. “We want to pay homage to where this classic story has been and what it has looked like in the past, but at the same time, we feel the best, most genuine way to honor its spirit of imagination is to unleash our own,” Logan said.
This approach is central to Studio Tenn’s mission to use a rich combination of talent from Nashville and Broadway to bring classic works of drama and musical theatre to life in Middle Tennessee. “It is a dream come true for us to create live theatre of this caliber and this scale right here in our own backyard,” said Speck. “There truly is no place like home.”
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