Audiences off to see the 'Wizard' in single Classic Center showing

Noah Aberlin might recall his father's first experience with the "The Wizard of Oz" more than his own.

Instead of watching it at home on TV as many children do today, Aberlin's father watched it in the movie theater. He was 7 and unprepared for a Technicolor jolt.

"When the (Wicked) Witch's full green face came on the screen, he ran out of the theater screaming," Aberlin said. "I think he ran into the ladies room, he was so scared."

Now Aberlin is performing in the "The Wizard of Oz" - on stage. His role is a lot friendlier for family audiences, he promised.

After all, Scarecrow is the character he latched onto when he saw the movie for the first time.

"I thought he was lots of fun, goofy, liked to flip around," Aberlin said. "I could totally associate with that character. That was me because I'm as energetic and goofy."

Aberlin will join Dorothy and her dreamy gang Wednesday, when the touring production of "The Wizard of Oz" visits the Classic Center for one show, thus concluding its 2008-09 Broadway Series.

Joining the cast as munchkins will be 12 children from the Oconee Youth School of Performance, a singing, dancing and acting academy in Watkinsville.

Similar to the local understudies, Aberlin learned to dance at age 5 in his native home of Brooklyn, N.Y. He later studied musical theater at Syracuse University, before embarking on a professional career that has led to roles such as Sky Masterson in "Guys and Dolls," Pepe in "West Side Story" and Fyedka in "Fiddler on the Roof."

Scarecrow, by comparison, is a departure, Aberlin admitted.

"This is a very demanding role. Besides Dorothy, I'm on stage the most, which I really hadn't had to do in the past with previous roles," he said. "It's really nonstop action, especially the first act, which is very fast paced. You're just going and going and going."

Audiences might feel that way, too.

In order to beef up the theatrical performance in a way that differs from the 1939 film classic starring Judy Garland, director Nigel West has introduced a variety of dynamic elements into the production.

Aberlin mentioned the tornado special effects as particularly mesmerizing.

"When I saw it my first time, I was very impressed. My jaw was down during the whole sequence," he said. "They use a lot of projection to kind of encompass the whole stage so it looks like it's in the middle of the tornado. They have lots of flashing, thunder and lights that go into the audience."

What has proven more difficult to master, at times, are the pyrotechnic displays.

Many involve the Wicked Witch, who lobs fireballs at Scarecrow and accidentally has set off fire alarms in a couple of theaters.

"The whole audience had to leave," he said, mentioning one theater mishap specifically. "We added a few jokes (when we came back). We just asked (the audience) to jump right back (into) where we started."

Generating enthusiasm for "The Wizard of Oz" among children who arrive familiar with the story doesn't take much prompting.

This is true even when stage directions go awry, which is bound to happen during a 38-city tour.

Take the time the Tin Man failed to hurl the Scarecrow's broken straw limbs to him. The scene happened after the winged monkeys dismembered the Scarecrow in the forest.

"(Tin Man and Lion) are supposed to throw them back to me as I supposedly put them back on my body," Aberlin recalled. "The Tin Man threw my arm but didn't get it over what it had to get over (obstacles on stage.) It wasn't a very good effect," he said, laughing.

The crowd didn't mind a bit, he said.

No one ran out of the theater and into the woman's bathroom.

"I put my arm out when it was still in plain view of the audience," Aberlin said. "The audience had a good laugh at that."

'The Wizard of Oz'

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Classic Center Theatre

Cost: $10 to $65; for tickets, go to www.classiccenter.com or visit the box office at 300 N. Thomas St.

Call: (706) 357-4444

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