The Yellow Brick Road runs through the 杏吧传媒.
Students embodying the road鈥檚 most famous travelers gathered on October 27 at Brooks Student Center in Gorham. The occasion was a listening party for the premiere of 鈥淭he Wizard of Oz,鈥� adapted for radio by USM鈥檚 Theatre Department. It aired on campus radio station, WMPG.
The cast recorded their parts weeks earlier in the privacy of a sound studio. Since their performances were entirely vocal without an audience to see them, they had no need for costumes. The listening party was their one chance to dress in character.
Salena Goodine was immediately recognizable as the Witch of the West in a black, pointed hat. She鈥檚 a senior in the Theatre program. When she won the role, her family joked that being a witch suited her voice, but she tried to show a softer side to her youngest fans since the listening party was open to the pubic
鈥淒on鈥檛 be scared!鈥� Goodine said. 鈥淚 tried not dressing too scary because this is for kids. I want them to know it鈥檚 okay.鈥�
One of the scariest things about the Wicked Witch in the famous 1939 movie version of the Oz story was her sickly green complexion. Goodine was more restrained with her makeup, only going so far as to wear green lipstick and eye shadow.
Her fellow actors also chose outfits that they could wear comfortably while still evoking their alter egos. Hailey Gagnon wore Dorothy鈥檚 signature gingham dress. Fittingly for the Tinman, a heart-shaped pendant dangled around Jared Lennon鈥檚 neck. And Lucious Fox channeled the Cowardly Lion with a tawny faux fur coat.
The show鈥檚 Scarecrow took a different approach to his outfit. Jesse Murphy is a sophomore in the Theatre program. He wore a t-shirt depicting Ray Bolger, who played the Scarecrow in the 1939 movie. Bolger鈥檚 performance was defined by his loose-limbed physicality.
Using only his voice, Murphy wanted to be just as distinctive as Bolger. He decided to give his lines a Southern twang. He felt anxious to hear himself at the listening party. His confidence grew as he heard his jokes land.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 easier because we took a comedic approach, so it鈥檚 like, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 funny. That鈥檚 funny,鈥欌�� Murphy said. 鈥淒efinitely not what I was expecting or exactly ready for, but I鈥檓 happy with how it turned out.鈥�
The presence of family members and friends further boosted the cast鈥檚 spirits. A few of those guests also wore Oz paraphernalia. One person showed up in full costume as a flying monkey and passed the time before the show by playing ping-pong.
Conversations dropped to a whisper as the show began. The respectful hush only broke after Dorothy clicked her heels to go home, and the actors finally got the round of applause they鈥檇 been waiting to hear since leaving the recording booth.