Here's the story from my pal Dave Lavender:
The First Stage Theatre Company production of Peter Pan may be over, but a handful of kids refused to leave dreamland.
Of course, they have exchanged Neverland for the wonderful world of Oz.
A dozen local grade school and middle school students, many whom were in Peter Pan, were hand-picked to perform as Munchkins in Tuesday's traveling Broadway production of The Wizard of Oz.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center in downtown Huntington. The show is part of the Marshall Artists Series 2008-2009 season.
Tickets for The Wizard of Oz are $55, $50 and $45.
The kids will perform Tuesday morning a full-length, sold-out school show. Then they'll perform again Tuesday night at a regular Marshall Artists Series show that is also looking like a sell-out.
Jack Cirillo, professor in Marshall University's Department of Theatre, said since First Stage was in production for Peter Pan at the time, he checked with "Pan" director Mary Smirl to see if she thought they could gather enough kids (no taller than 5 feet and no more than 100 pounds) to play Munchkins.
Armed with a DVD, a background music CD, and the expertise of a range of First Stage personnel including Lara Donahoe, Smirl, and even Mary Kate Young, who played Peter Pan, the group has gotten its Munchkinness down to a fine art with two rehearsals a week.
"Parents very quickly realized what a great experience this is, and the kids they're thrilled to be a part of it," Cirillo said. "They've done a terrific job and have really paid attention. I mean they know this is a professional company that is reliant upon them."
Cirillo said it's some pretty extensive stage time with the Munchkins singing such songs as "Follow the Yellow Brick Road," and "Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead" in addition to roles as The Winkies, the Wicked Witch's guards.
Rose Colclough, 9, a fourth grader at St. Joseph Elementary School, and Franklin Norton, 11, a sixth-grader at Beverly Hills Middle School, are two of the kids in the show.
Both said they love the spirit of the Munchkins.
"They are the kind of merry character that anything they do is jolly and filled with excitement," Norton said.
Interestingly, as excited as the kids are to be on stage with the 20 or so cast members of this traveling Broadway production, the feeling is mutual, said Chris Kind, who plays the Tin Man.
"With any kids going into that environment there always is that wonder that is still there and that adults tend to lose when they work on stage," he said. "There is that sense of awe and it is really good to have that around. It's a constant reminder of how honored we should feel to be out there on the stage."
(Pictured top row left to right: Rose Colclough, William Beverage, Meg Barber, Franklin Norton and Nathaniel Porter. Middle row: Maggie Donahoe, Sarah Bryan, Rebecca Craig, Salem Carlton. Front row: Rileigh Smirl, Lindsey McKelvey, Mary Bolano.) Photo courtesy Angela Jones.
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