The Yellow Brick Road: Where good meets evil: The Lincoln Theatre Guild production of “The Wizard of Oz” opens next Thursday

Dorothy persuades three friends to accompany her on the trip to the Emerald City to see the Wizard. They are Scarecrow (Jadon Rhyne), who lacks a brain, he thinks; the Tin Woodman (Ashlannde Christian), who has no heart, and the Cowardly Lion (H. Michael Wirth), who would like to have some courage.  The Wicked Witch of the West (Ash Wirth) vows vengeance on Dorothy and does all she can to stop the friends getting to the Emerald City. But they do reach it and manage to see the Wizard. He will only help them, he says, if they kill the Wicked Witch of the West, an apparently impossible task. 

“The Wizard of Oz” is the Lincoln Theatre Guild’s premier production for 2022 and there will be a fantastic, magical set and costumes, a full orchestra and lots of twists and turns on that yellow brick road. 

It’s a return of sorts for both the wicked and the good witches in the show. It’s a return to the cast of “Oz” for Wirth and a return to the stage after a several year hiatus for Raimey.

Wirth was nine years old when he started doing productions with the Lincoln Theatre Guild and his first performance was the 1993 version of “The Wizard of Oz” which was done at the Cultural Center. He played multiple roles – the Mayor Munchkin, a throwing apple tree, and a flying monkey. This year, he’s playing a very different role which he’s enjoying tremendously.

“Apparently I like playing characters that are green for some reason,” he said. 

During the Christmas season, Wirth makes appearances throughout Lincolnton as the Grinch.

“The Wicked Witch is one of my all-time favorite movie villains,” he said. “I’ve always been a big fan of ‘the Wizard of Oz.’ When we were in elementary school, my babysitter used to let me play a movie when I got home from school. To this day, my brother hates ‘the Wizard of Oz’ because I watched it so much as a kid. I’ve always wanted to play the Wicked Witch. I was a little torn in auditions because I love the Scarecrow too. The Wicked Witch is going to be a little bit scarier than in the movie version.”

In the other corner is Raimey who’s a very good witch. She and Wirth are close friends off stage, and she’s thrilled to be playing opposite him. This is Raimey’s first production with the Theatre Guild.

“Brian and I have sponsored shows since we moved to Lincolnton and I wanted to get in one, but I was pregnant when we first moved there, then COVID hit,” she said. “This is the first summer show since we’ve moved here that I’ve had the opportunity to participate so I took it.”

No stranger to the stage, Raimey has been involved in community theater for years. Her last production was in 2016.

“The chemistry between me and Ash is amazing,” she said. “We’re such good friends off stage. I met him early on when I moved here, and he’s always been so incredibly kind. On stage, we become mortal enemies. We’re having a lot of fun with the good witch, bad witch.”

The character of the good witch is motherly – she acts as a mother to Dorothy, played by Megan Carroll, who’s the same age as Raimey’s daughter.

“I see her as my baby on the stage,” she said. “All the munchkins are my babies, so I feel like it came naturally to me. Her character is as the protector as she sees Dorothy through. That’s how I am in real life. It’s cool to play a character that aligns with how you are in real life.”

Raimey’s daughter, Elizabeth plays a Munchkin and a Poppy in the production.

Musical Directors are Joanna and Neil Underwood, pianist is Michael Sisk, choreography is by Kelley Barker. “The Wizard of Oz” opens on Thursday, July 14 at 7 p.m. with additional showings on Friday, July 15 at 7 p.m., Saturday, July 16 at 2 p.m. and again at 7 p.m., and Sunday, July 17 at 3 p.m. The performance is in the James W. Warren Citizens Center at 115 West Main Street in Lincolnton. Tickets can be purchased online through the Theatre Guild website, www.lincolntheatreguild.net, in person at the Lincoln Cultural Center and if available, at the door.