The Wizard of Oz
RSC Version
By
L. Frank Baum
Background Music by
Herbert Stothart
Orchestration by
Larry Wilcox
Music and Lyrics by
Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg
Dance and Vocal Arrangements by
Peter Howard
Adapted by
John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company
We’re off to see the wizard! Immortalized in the classic 1939 film, this beloved tale, in which a Kansas farm girl travels over the rainbow, has entertained audiences for generations.
Based upon the Classic Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros.
SHOW DATES & TIMES
Friday
November 22, 2024
7:30PM
Saturday
November 23, 2024
2:30PM
Saturday
November 23, 2024
7:30PM
Sunday
November 24, 2024
2:30PM
Friday
November 29, 2024
7:30PM
Saturday
November 30, 2024
2:30PM
Sunday
December 1, 2024
2:30PM
Thursday
December 5, 2024
7:30PM
Friday
December 6, 2024
7:30PM
Saturday
December 7, 2024
2:30PM
Saturday
December 7, 2024
7:30PM
Sunday
December 8, 2024
2:30PM
CAST
(click character name for more info)
Dorothy Gale
Isabella Bindemann
Isabella is so excited to be back on stage with the Lancaster Opera House in The Wizard of Oz! Past credits include: The Addams Family (Wednesday) with Lancaster High School, The Sound of Music (Brigitta) with LOH, All Shook Up (Natalie) and Mamma Mia (Lisa) with Lancaster Youth Bureau, and Brighton Beach Memoirs with Rocking Horse Productions. She would like to thank all the incredible people who made this show possible, as well as her family and friends for their unwavering love and support!
Aunt Em/Glinda, Good Witch of the North
Emily Yancey
Emily is delighted to return to LOH! Artie recognitions: Watson Intelligence (Eliza) RLTP: Nominee – Outstanding Leading Actress, Play; Disaster! (Sister Downy) MusicalFare: Winner – Outstanding Musical Ensemble & Nominee – Outstanding Featured Role Performance; 1776 (Rutledge) OCC: Winner – Outstanding Musical Ensemble & Nominee – Outstanding Supporting Actress, Musical; Killer Rack (Betty Downer) Alleyway: Nominee – Outstanding Leading Actress, Musical; Factory for Murderers (Kate/Perlman) Alleyway: Nominee – Outstanding Supporting Actress, Play. Emily also performed the title role in the PBS-televised opera Susannah, produced by WNED & Buffalo Opera Unlimited. Soon: Chess (Florence) LOH; Mighty Maisie (Zanna) ART WNY. BA Vocal Performance, BS Biology/Psychology, Canisius University.
Uncle Henry/Emerald City Guard
Zachary Haumesser
Zach is happy to be on stage again at LOH for The Wizard of Oz. He is a professional puppeteer and has trained with the Sesame Street Puppeteers Workshop. Past shows include Little Shop of Horrors (Puppeteer for Audrey 2), Peter Pan (Nana/Pirate/Croc), Shrek The Musical (Pied Piper/Dragon Puppeteer), Charlotte’s Web (Wilbur), Evil Dead The Musical (Ed/Evil Eddie/Moose Head), and The Littlest Snow Monster (Perry Penguin). He has also hosted dinner theater for The Gong Show Live and Redneck Wedding. Zach is a flight attendant with Southwest Airlines and went viral for his “Southwest Looney Tunes” PA announcement. He is grateful for all his friends and family for all their love and support over the years.
Hunk/The Scarecrow
Connor Hesch
This is Connor’s first production at LOH! Connor is a recent graduate of Amherst Central High School. Local credits include Newsies (Mush) with Kavinoky Theatre Company; Les Misérables (Jean Valjean), Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd), and Seussical (The Cat in the Hat) at ACHS; Grease (Danny Zuko) and Rent (Roger) with the Music Academy of WNY; and West Side Story (Tony), Company (Bobby), Catch Me If You Can (Frank Abagnale Jr.), Mamma Mia (Sam), 42nd Street (Julian Marsh), and Something Rotten (Nigel Bottom) at the Academy of Theatre Arts.
Hickory/The Tin Man
Joe Greenan
Joe is overjoyed to take a trip down the Yellow Brick Road! He was last seen at the Opera House in The Producers (Kevin/Ensemble), The Pajama Game (Ensemble), and the Artie-nominated Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour). Other recent credits include The Prom (Ensemble) at MusicalFare and White Christmas (Bob Wallace) at the Historic Lockport Palace Theatre. Joe would love to thank the cast, crew, and creative team for a wonderful experience, and of course his family and friends for their continued support.
Zeke/The Cowardly Lion
Michael Wells
Michael is thrilled to be returning to the Lancaster Opera House. Michael graduated from the University at Buffalo with a BFA in Music Theatre. Some recent credits include The Producers (Ensemble), and The Pajama Game (Ensemble) with Lancaster Opera House, Oklahoma! (Jud Fry), Reefer Madness (Ensemble), Plaid Tidings (Frankie), with O’Connell and Company. Also Golden Girls – The Lost Episodes (Ensemble) at Alleyway Theatre and O’Connell and Company. He would like to thank his partner, Taylor, friends, and family for their constant support in everything he does.
Almira Gulch/The Wicked Witch of the West
Clara Tan
Clara Tan is a classically trained performer with over a decade of experience spanning opera to musical theatre. She is an alumna of AMDA and the LASALLE College of the Arts. Recent credits: Mermaid Hour (Mika), Moonbox Productions; The Music Man (Charlie Cowell), Curtain Up Productions; Fursona non Grata (Teri), First Look Buffalo; Ruddigore (Richard Dauntless), Opera-Lytes; Secret Soldiers (Dr. William Hire), Theatre of Youth; KAIT (Kait), Hear Me Out Productions; tick, tick… BOOM! (Jon), Red Chair Productions; Company (Bobby), The Musicians’ Society. In her previous lives, she was a theatre critic, journalist, truck driver, and everything imaginable in-between.
Follow her @actual_clara on Twitter, Instagram, and Venmo.
Professor Marvel/The Wizard of Oz
Jon May
Previous LOH appearances: Rehearsal for Murder (Alex Dennison), Little Shop of Horrors (Mushnik), The Sound of Music (Max, Artie Nomination), Miracle on 34th Street (Fred), The Pajama Game (Max), South Pacific (Harbison). MusicalFare credits: Disaster! (Maury), Nice Work If You Can Get It (Max Evergreen), A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Magistrate/Ensemble), Ragtime (Grandfather/Ford/Morgan) and How to Succeed… (Gatch). Irish Classical Theatre credits: The Constant Wife (Bernard), Lady Windermere’s Fan (Dumby). Elsewhere: A Great Wilderness (Tim) at BUA, Once In My Lifetime (PT) at Shea’s Smith Theatre, Young Frankenstein (Hermit) at O’Connell & Company. Others: Les Misérables (Valjean), Spring Awakening (Adult Men), Next to Normal (Dan). Love to Lisa and Sophie!
Toto
Aiden Durkin
Make no mistake about it, at the age of nine Aiden has shown us he was born to be on the stage. His love for music, movies and acting started when he was a toddler and has only grown since then. Aiden has been taking vocal lessons at Performing Arts for the last four years. He has also been part of numerous Summer Theater shows with both Performing Arts and Lancaster Opera House, including Moana, 101 Dalmatians, Shrek, The Addams Family, Descendants, and, most recently, Willy Wonka. While this will be his first time in a longer-running production, he knows his way around LOH like a seasoned vet. When Aiden isn’t singing or performing, he likes to play with his friends in the neighborhood and cheer for his sister’s lacrosse team.
Winkie General
Matt Rittler
Matt is delighted to be returning to the Opera House for a third time this year! Matt holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University at Buffalo. Recent credits include Plaid Tidings (Sparky) with O’Connell & Company, Kragtar! The American Monster Musical (Jr. Congressman Sullivan) with Alleyway Theatre, The Producers (Carmen Ghia) with Lancaster Opera House, and Newsies (Crutchie) with Kavinoky Theatre at Shea’s 710. Matt is also Literary Producer and Playwright for Drunk Theatre Buffalo. Written works include Drunk Peter Pan, Drunk Wizard of Oz, and But Make It Drunk. Among written works is also the recent Drunk Murder Mystery, co-written by Michael Wells.
Nikko
Emerson Disch
Emerson is thrilled to be back on the Lancaster Opera House stage after performing in A Christmas Story last holiday season. This winter, she will be performing in Finding Nemo (Dory) and The Lion King (Timon). Previous roles include The Cat in the Hat (Thing 1), Frozen (Anna), Shrek the Musical (Donkey), Seussical (The Cat in the Hat), and Annie (Molly). Emerson plays piano, guitar, and flute, and sings with the Buffalo Niagara Youth Chorus. She also enjoys spending time at the barn with her horse, June. Emerson is so thankful to her music and theater teachers for their continuous support and encouragement.
Jitterbug
Aimée Walker
Aimée (she/her) is a Buffalo born actress whose recent credits include Chicago (Velma Kelly), The Rink (Angel), Damn Yankees (Lola/Artie Award Winner), A Chorus Line (Cassie) with O’Connell & Company, and Nine (Luisa) with Second Generation Theatre Company. Aimée holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University at Buffalo and is a certified dance educator through Dance Masters of America. She currently teaches Musical Theatre at Lancaster Dance Center and Lancaster High School (Kenny Award Winner).
Ensemble Characters
Sydney Conrad
Last seen in Lancaster Opera House’s production of The Pajama Game (Babe Williams), Sydney is overjoyed to be on the stage once again! Local credits include Young Frankenstein (Ensemble) and Into the Woods (Cinderella) with O’Connell and Company, as well as Hello, Dolly! (Chorus) and Titanic (Chorus) with Starring Buffalo. Sydney holds a BA in Music Education from SUNY Fredonia and is currently completing her Masters in Music Education at Buffalo State University. When she is not on stage, Sydney is playing egg shakers and the ukulele at her dream job as an elementary school music teacher in the West Seneca School District. Sydney is so incredibly grateful to be able to do what she loves and would not be able to do so without the support of her family and friends.
Robert McKnight
Robert McKnight is a 2023 graduate from the University at Buffalo, where he received a BFA in Musical Theater. Some of his performance credits include Plaid Tidings: Forever Plaid (Smudge), Reefer Madness (Artie Award Winner for Best Ensemble), and Golden Girl Lost Episodes; Golden is the New Black (Coco, Miles, & Dr. Seth Hazlitt), all with O’Connell & Company. He would like to give a special thanks to his family – mom, dad, Brian, and Catherine – for always believing in him, and supporting him throughout all of his performance endeavors. He thanks you all as well for coming out to support our production, and he hopes you enjoy the show!
Meg Pierce
Meg is so excited to be part of this production of The Wizard of Oz! Aside from this production, Meg has also played Mayor Matilda Hyde in All Shook Up, Grandma Addams in The Addams Family, Tanya in Mamma Mia!, Lumière in Beauty and the Beast, Louisa Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, and Crutchie in Newsies. Meg is so thankful for her best friends and family for their endless support of Meg’s love for theatre, music, and all things whimsical.
Kira Whitehead
Kira (she/her) is ecstatic to be returning to the Lancaster Opera House for this production of The Wizard of Oz! Kira was seen recently as Chiffon in Little Shop of Horrors (Prescott Park Arts Festival, Lancaster Opera House), Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables (Theatre of Youth), and Sharon Lee Bettis in New World Comin’ (The Encore Theatre)! Much love to all who have shown utmost support in her journey so far, and many, MANY thanks to her family.
To keep up with Kira, follow her on Instagram! @kirakibble
PRODUCTION
(click position for more info)
Director
David Bondrow
David is a graduate of New York University with a Bachelors Degree in Music and has a diverse background in the arts as a performer, director, educator and administrator. He currently serves as Artistic/Executive Director of the Lancaster Opera House, where he directed the highly praised productions of A Christmas Story, Damn Yankees, Oklahoma!, Promises, Promises, Fiddler on the Roof, Singin’ in the Rain, Spamalot, My Fair Lady, Annie, Oliver!, The Rocky Horror Show, and The Sound of Music, and appeared as Noah in Two by Two, Max in Lend Me A Tenor, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Cocky in The Roar of the Greasepaint—The Smell of the Crowd, and, most recently, as Cervantes/Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha. David has performed locally with Shakespeare in Delaware Park, The Kavinoky Theatre, Irish Classical Theatre Company, MusicalFare, Theatre of Youth, O’Connell and Co., American Repertory Theater of WNY, Upstage, NY, and Buffalo Laboratory Theatre. He toured Europe in The Phantom of the Opera and has appeared with numerous regional theaters, including North Shore Music Theatre and Provincetown Playhouse. David is a past President of the Theatre Alliance of Buffalo.
Music Director
Fran Landis
This is Fran’s 34th show as LOH Music Director. She also recently directed They’re Playing Our Song, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Tom Dudzick’s Miracle on South Division Street, and she will be directing LOH’s upcoming production of Accomplice. She spent ten years playing regularly as an extra percussionist and pianist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; then moved to New Mexico, where she served as Resident Music Director of the Albuquerque Civic Light Opera Association. Locally, she has provided musical direction for numerous theater companies, and doubles as the LOH Administrative Assistant.
Choreographer
Tara Kaczorowski
Tara is excited to make her choreographic debut at Lancaster Opera House. With over 25 years of experience in choreography, she has worked with youth, school, and regional theater companies from Buffalo to Rochester. Some of her favorite past productions include Footloose and The Producers with Encore Theatre Arts in Batavia, where she also served as director. Special thanks to Fran and David for the opportunity to return to the production side of theater. Much love to John, always.
Stage Manager
Victoria Padilla
Victoria would like to thank her mom and grandma for all her support. This is her second show at LOH. Her theatre career started at MiraCosta College in California as a scene builder and house manager. She then joined the crew at Moonlight Amphitheatre and worked a few shows at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center. Her first ASM and SM shows were at Scripps Ranch Theatre before she moved to Florida, where she worked at major theme parks as a performer and entertainment tech. Favorite shows: The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, Mary Poppins, Titanic, Fear Factor Poseidon’s Fury.
Assistant Stage Manager
Madge Bellanti
Madge is thrilled to be working on this production of The Wizard of Oz! She has worked most recently as assistant stage manager for POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive at the Kavinoky Theater and as an ASM for The Comedy of Errors with Shakespeare in Delaware Park. She has also worked with the Lancaster Opera House as assistant stage manager for productions of The Producers, Airness, The Pajama Game, Rehearsal for Murder, and Little Shop of Horrors; stage manager for A Christmas Story and They’re Playing Our Song; and onstage as Frau Zeller in The Sound of Music, Chelsea in The Night Before Christmas, and Edith in Blithe Spirit.
Costume Designer
Timmy Goodman
Costuming has always been a passion for Timmy. He began sewing for The Rev Theatre Company over two decades ago and has never looked back. He is an Artie-nominated designer, having worked with numerous theaters, operas, dance companies, and even haunted houses. Favorite productions: Clue, The Producers, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Rocky Horror Show, H2$, The Addams Family, and Wicked.
Projection Designer
Rick Frendt
Lighting Designer/SFX
Nicholas Quinn
Nicholas Quinn is a freelance Lighting and Sound Designer and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Niagara University. As a freelance designer, he is in his ninth season with the Lancaster Opera House, and works locally with other theaters such as Ujima Theatre Company, Road Less Traveled Productions, and Alleyway Theatre. He has also worked nationally at places such as the Public Theater and Baryshnikov Arts Center in Manhattan, and the Smithsonian African American Museum in DC.
Wardrobe
Elaine Heckler
Elaine is excited to be part of this wonderful production. Her 20-plus-year theatre career consists of acting, costume designing, stage managing, producing, property mistress, and house managing. She received an Artie nomination for Costume Design in The Full Monty at Subversive Theater. Elaine has also been the Costume Designer for the Opera House Summer Camp for many years. She lives in the Village with a beautiful rescue cat named Ellie and a mischievous bull terrier named Beasley. Thanks go out to friends and family for their continued support. Go Bills!
Hair and Makeup Artist
Valerie Sember
Valerie has designed hair and makeup for numerous shows at LOH since 2015. Some of her favorites include The Rocky Horror Show, Blithe Spirit, Man of La Mancha, and most recently, The Producers. Valerie also volunteers at Williamsville South High School Drama Club working on both costumes and hair/makeup, including SpongeBob, their most recent production. Valerie is grateful for the opportunity to work with so many talented people at LOH. She would like to thank her family for all their love and support.
Sound Board Operator
J. Michael Landis
Johnny has directed Little Shop of Horrors and Man of La Mancha, and he will be directing LOH’s upcoming production of Chess. He is something of a jack of all trades at LOH. He often runs the sound board, sometimes plays in the pit orchestra, and has contributed film footage and/or multimedia material for a number of shows. He has also written three original musicals, including the family musical, The Night Before Christmas.
Spotlight Operator
Laura Rast
Laura has been working as a spotlight operator for 23 years at LOH, including shows with Spotlight Productions, Rocking Horse Productions, and Lancaster Regional Players. She wants to thank her Lancaster Opera House friends and family for their love, support, and memories throughout the years.
