Centennial High School Theater Performs Classic Musical, The Wizard of Oz
Franklin, TN – February 23, 2025 – The Centennial High School Center Stage Theatre Company invites you to follow the yellow brick road in their unique stage production of The Wizard of Oz. This nostalgic and classic tale, in which young Dorothy Gale travels from Kansas over the rainbow to the magical Land of Oz, “has themes that are still incredibly relevant today,” says Centennial High School’s Theater Director, Megan Hardgrave. “This is a story about women empowering women. It’s a story about figuring out who we are at the core. It’s a story about the choices we make in isolation and how our choices change when we find others who support who we really are.” When asked what it is about Oz that makes the story endure over time, Hardgrave says the themes of Oz, “still stand today. L Frank Baum wrote characters who break social stereotypes.”
It was a conscious choice to choose Oz as this year’s musical, with the timing of the movie version of Wicked, the 85th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz movie, along with the new documentary, “The Mysteries of Oz,” which features the last living munchkin from the original movie who happens to be the grandmother of a recent CHS graduate. Hardgrave says, “we feel like we have a direct connection to the original movie. it was the right time to do Wizard of Oz.”
Audiences should be prepared for a fresh take on The Wizard of Oz. It’s visually stunning and dynamic, with an incredible ensemble of storytellers, including two powerful witches, and four beautiful characters at the center who will make audiences fall in love with them. It’s everything you have come to expect from Center Stage Theatre: it’s art.
Hardgrave is known for taking classic stories and putting her own spin on it. “Our version of Oz,” Hardgrave says, “is right on the edge of the ‘poor theatre’ concept, which allows the soft heart of the story to come forward.” The hard edges of the industrialized design of Emerald City contrasts perfectly to the soft, loving characters at the center of the story. A lot of the credit for that goes to the people playing the four leads, Hardgrave says. Senior, Rainey Fellows plays Dorothy, and a trio of sophomores, Bennett Miller as the Scarecrow, Jack Ives as the Tinman, and Markus Dilling as the cowardly lion, round out the cast. Hardgrave comments, “they have brought a freshness to these iconic characters that everyone is going to want to see. They are relatable, lovable, and relevant.”
Boasting a cast and crew of over 100 students, one of the things that makes Center Stage Theatre unique is that all of it is student led. “I have assembled the Avengers for this one!,” Hardgrave jokes. “ The lighting design is the work of junior Jamesyn Whitlock. Our scenic design and construction was engineered by student designer, senior Kylie Rasmussen. The idea for the Emerald City gates came from student technical director, junior Emilia Muterspaugh.” Hardgrave credits their student assistant director, junior Madeleine Fleming, with bringing the witch’s tower to life, and the choreography was predominantly student-choreographed by senior Jade Collins. A highlight of the production is the 150 individual costumes you will see on stage, as well as the hair and make-up, were designed by a student team led by senior Benjamin Cordero Reeves.
And yes, the production will feature a real, live dog on stage. When asked about Toto, Hardgrave beams, “She’s lovely. Her name is Rodeo.” Hardgrave continues, “Her trainer is Charlotte Blake of Fresh Canine Training Academy, and we have loved working with her!”
Performances are Thu. Feb 27th 2025, 7:00 pm, Fri. Feb 28th 2025, 7:00 pm, Sat. Mar 1st 2025, 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm, and Sun. Mar 2nd 2025, 2:00 pm. Tickets are $12 and may be purchased at https://our.show/thewizardofoz or at the door.
