Chip Smith, Peak to Peak.  Musicals are as American as apple pie and cotton candy. Millions of people, young and old, love them. Singing, dancing, storytelling and musicals are performed in every American community be it rural, suburban or big city. For many decades, musical performers have come together to put on a show!

In the Andy Hardy films of the 30s, Andy (Mickey Rooney) and his friends got together to do just that! Performances can be found in living rooms, garages, church basements, gymnasiums, theaters, and old movie houses. They are a community experience like no other.

Our mountain community is blessed with the formation of the Peak To Peak Players. They have been formed to entertain, enrich and inspire the rural mountain community by producing a wide variety of high-quality theatrical productions.

This summer’s musical is The Wizard of Oz. This story of a young Kansas farm girl being swept up in a tornado and then transported to the colorful and wonderful land of Oz, is very well known.

This is a perfect choice to kick off the Peak To Peak Community Theatre season.

The musical is based on the 1939 MGM film that catapulted Judy Garland into stardom. Generations of boys and girls, moms and dads have all entered the magical world of Oz. Starting in the year 1956, the film was shown on a major television network sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It became a family tradition to gather around a black and white tv to enjoy the story. It became the most famous film to be shown regularly on US television.

The Harold Arlen ballad with lyrics by Yip Harburg, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It has become one of the most enduring standards of the 20th and 21st centuries. The song was adopted by American troops in World War II as a symbol of home. Side note: the song was almost cut from the film by Louis B. Mayer because he thought it slowed the picture. Can you imagine?

The story included the Wicked Witch of the West. The film performance by Margaret Hamilton has traumatized children for over 80 years.

In the past 8 decades audiences have been inspired by musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Stephen Sondheim and many, many others. The King and I, Camelot, Chorus Line, Phantom of the Opera, Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Secret Garden, Les Miserables, Rent, Chicago, Wicked and Hamiliton have each influenced their respective generations.

Our summer company embodies the best definition of community theatre. The audition notices went out, auctions followed. Held upstairs at the Stage Stop, a cast was selected, and the process was started. Music, choreography rehearsals at the Backdoor Theater in Nederland, staging, character development laughs, and building of a community was begun.

Leading the charge is the founder and producer of Peak to Peak Players, Mr. Mark Ragan. He brings with him a wealth of theatrical experience as well as his family, including Chequers, who portrays Dorothy’s dog, Toto.

Jacquelyn O’Brian is the Co-Artistic Director and the Director for the production. She has added family members to the experience as well. Her task is to coordinate, solve the puzzles that arise, answer all the questions, and guide the troops through their paces.

Co-Artistic Director Angela Hunt not only takes the role of the Scarecrow, but Angela’s mom, sister and two sons are participating.

Crystal Zeilbeck gets into the act with her two children and a principal role.

There seem to be about three dozen Munchkins, Winkies, Monkeys and Jitterbugs in this production. This would not take place without moms and dads shuttling their kids to the rehearsals as dedicated community parents!

Did I mention a traumatizing Wicked Witch of the West? Ours is played with aplomb by Jess Schmeling.

Our featured performer is 16-year-old Grace Pouliot. She and her mom, dad, brother and sister have joined in playing various roles in the musical. Mom and dad have become the taxi service, driving from Golden for each rehearsal. Grace will be a junior at Lakewood High School, where she is active in music and theatre. She is the perfect Dorothy for our production. As an accomplished singer, dancer and actress, she will simply knock your socks off with her performance.

Follow the yellow brick road (Highway 119) for The Wizard of Oz performances that will take place at the Gilpin School Auditorium on Friday and Saturday, August 10-11, 2018, at 7 p.m. and a matinee on Sunday, August 12 starting at Noon.

Tickets are available at the door and more information can be found at peaktopeakwizardofoz.brownpapertickets.com.