Next week, the OVS community will be able to enjoy the first in-person musical staged by the Upper Campus since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic when the theater program presents a new musical, Trouble in Oz.
The play is inspired by three stories, Wicked, The Wizard of Oz, and The Wiz. Due to the fact that the Wicked script was unavailable, theater director Carmen Doane-Barkan created a new story that combines elements from all three stories.
The new story follows some of the plot lines from the original stories, but more is revealed. For example, the protagonist in one story became the antagonist in the new musical.
“In terms of this play, I wanted to bring that element directly into the whole narrative,” said Mrs. Doane-Barkan. “Because it’s often seen that Dorothy is the protagonist, and they’re doing the world a service by helping to destroy this wicked witch. But the story is much more complex than that.”
The theater program this year is led by Mrs. Doane-Barkan who has acted in several large shows in Hollywood and other parts of LA throughout her adult life and biology teacher Lisa Boyd, who has been a voice coach at OVS since 1986 and passionate choir singer since she was in high school.
The program is being run differently this year with the new H block elective class built into the daily schedule. Previously the after-school LEAP period was used for the musical, but with the new allotted academic space, the program has been able to give high school credit as a Theater 2 semester program.
A variety of music styles will be brought to the audience, including classic Tin Pan Alley songs from the original The Wizard of Oz, Broadway pop music from Wicked, and then R&B and soul rhythms from The Wiz.
The limited number of students in the cast produced some challenges, and most performers play more than one character. But the small crew has managed to make everything work out.
“Everyone has to be really dedicated and invested in their part and I think everyone’s doing a really good job with that,” said Hannah Little, who plays Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.
The cast is about to embark on the final push before putting on two big shows on April 28 and 29 in the Greenberg Activities Center at the Lower Campus. Showtime is 7 p.m. both nights.
With final and AP exams looming, both the teachers and students participating are on overdrive and starting Monday the cast, stage crew and tech people will start dress rehearsals.
The pressure is high, but so is the excitement. 
“We’re all very congratulatory and happy for each other in our success, and we’re looking forward to sharing it with everybody,” Mrs. Boyd said.