Spotlight Community Theatre performs ‘Wizard of Oz’ Aug. 3

Members of the Ruby cast rehearse a scene for “The Wizard of Oz.” Six shows will be put on by a cast of 68 people. Of those, five performers are in both casts with the rest divided between the Emerald cast and the Ruby cast, each to put on three of the six performances.

Spotlight Community Theatre, a countywide acting troupe, will perform “The Wizard of Oz” beginning today, Aug. 3, and running through Sunday, Aug. 6, at the Jefferson College campus in Hillsboro.

Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. each of the nights, with the door opening at 6:30 p.m. In addition, matinee performances will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with doors opening at 1:30 p.m.

Tickets cost $10 for anyone 5 and younger and $15 for all others. They may be purchased online at spotlightjeffco.ludus.com.

Audiences should be impressed with the production, said Courtney Wisely, founder and leader of Spotlight Community Theatre, which is based in Festus.

“The performances are very close to the movie,” Wisely said. “We have pyrotechnics, smoke machines and bubble machines.”

She said more than 120 people tried out for the show, and she ended up choosing 68 performers to fill out a “double cast.”

“We had so much talent and I simply couldn’t live with myself had I been forced to turn away over 80 people,” Wisely said. “We have two separate casts, the Emerald cast and the Ruby cast. Both casts are equally talented and will put on a phenomenal show for our audiences.”

The Emerald and Ruby casts will split the six performances equally, she said, with each performing in three shows.

The cast is made up of performers of all ages.

“It’s adults and children,” Wisely said. “Our youngest cast member, Hazel James, is 4, and our oldest is Jim Siebert, who is 79."

She said Spotlight Community also has a talented production crew.

“Our production crew is over 40 strong and have worked tirelessly to build the set, sew the costumes and create props to ensure this is a show that can’t be forgotten.”

Several performers will be in both the Emerald and Ruby casts, including Carnelius Owens of House Springs; Natalie Way of St. Louis; and Erin Bingenheimer, Kailynne Martin and William Hoppmann, all of Festus.

The Emerald cast includes Nick Rowley of Imperial; Elsie Collins and Greta Menke, both of Arnold; Quinn Breeze and Lara Dane, both of Crystal City; Josephine Ray and Dale Michaelis, both of Barnhart; Angee Ferris and Colin Mathews, both of Hillsboro; and Adalyn Petty, Alex Perry, Andrea Patterson, August Petty, Easton Crowe, Emma Patterson, Finn Kort, Gwendolyn Kort, Haylee Sitz, Hazel James, Jack Patterson, Jenny Novotny, Kelsey Kort, Landon Sanford, Lucky Perry, Macy Mueller, Millie Manasco, Naomi Shemwell, Nolan Crowe, Stella Drury, Viah Julien and Zachary Rector, all of Festus.

The Ruby cast consists of June Pinkley of De Soto; Destiny Bauer of Herculaneum; Harrison Clements of Crystal City; Lila Herron of Hillsboro; Mary McNamara of St. Louis; Camilla Land, Faith Willis and Melony Willis, all of Imperial; and Angela Moore, Ayla Ongesel, Benjamin Pilger, Brayden Siefert, Caleb Ongesel, Carter Ongesel, Charlie Labitska, Chloe Schackmann, Collette Lohman, Genevieve Caudill-Osterberg, Heather Moore, Jared Campbell, Jayla Vallo, Jim Siebert, Karen LaPlant, Kayla Campbell, Lilith Becker, Lynn Siebert, Nick Sullivan, Savannah Swain, Taylor Swain, Vivian Kerr, Zach Caudill, Zane Moore, all of Festus.

Wisely said Spotlight Community Theatre has captured the public’s attention.

“We have about 400 people affiliated with Spotlight,” she said. “Our community has been incredibly supportive and has offered up space for us to build the set, rehearse large dance numbers and hang the show posters in their storefronts. Many parents have stepped up to help keep the Munchkins entertained during rehearsals and have been dubbed ‘Munchkin wranglers.’ We also have a group of amazing women who help clean First Christian Church (in Festus), where we rehearse every week.”

For more information about Spotlight Community Theatre, visit Spotlight Community Theatre-Jeffco on Facebook or spotlightjeffco.org.