A Little Something From My Past

The Wizard of Oz

Here's the place for discussing music, plays, YouTube videos, and any other media that doesn't quite fit in the other sections of Harlequin Theatre.
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Shadowpaw
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A Little Something From My Past

Post by Shadowpaw »

While I've been talking about some plays I was in on this board, I decided to go through some old school files I have on CD and came across this interesting video.

Click here to download (21 megs)

It's from a production I did of "Wizard of Oz" in my last year of high school. It was a huge cast for us (65 people) and very expensive (we even had a fly wire for the witch to fly around the stage as well as to simulate me floating away in my balloon). At one point in act 2, Dorothy, Lion, Tin man, and Scarecrow arrive at the Emerald City and visit the Wizard. During this scene, a huge machine is wheeled onto stage with spinners and puffing smoke and some very elaborate sound effects. On the front of this machine we projected this video of me (the Wizard) demanding to know what the characters wanted. As you can tell from the video, I left breaks for the characters to react. We performed this play so many times that whenever this scene started up, I would be in the green room getting ready for my next scene (since I wasn't need on stage at this time) and over hear other cast members reciting my lines in unison. It was pretty funny ;).

Unfortunately my voice was completely shot that day we recorded this clip. I was doing another play that same day, in which I also did quite a bit of shouting, and we needed this scene done before the following morning. So I recorded it immediately after school was over (as well as a second scene where the characters return to the Emerald City) and did two takes to ensure we had it. There was so much shouting in this scene that I had no voice left at all. Unfortunately, I had to perform that first play I mentioned that night and was going to be on stage in an hour and a half. Moments before I went on stage for my opening scene, my voice returned... it remained with me until my very last line of the play (which didn't come out and so another cast member had to cover for me). I was very blessed that day ;).

Here are pictures of me as the "normal" Wizard from the play. I played 4 other roles, but only have pictures of me as the wizard (and one of me in diapers, as I was a member of the lullaby league, but I don't think it's appropriate for this board ;):

The main cast...
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Joy (the Stage Manager) and I pose for the camera...
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In the middle of a photo, another cast member drags me away for a different photo...
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Anyone else have memories of plays they've done that they'd like to share?
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Frodo
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Post by Frodo »

I like the second pic.
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Frank
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Post by Frank »

This is really interesting....
Chandler

Post by Chandler »

Not a video that I'd want to keep around. :anxious:

Thanks for sharing all that with us! \:D/
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MDB17
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Post by MDB17 »

is the video the whole play?
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Post by Chandler »

No. :lol: It's just a recording of The Wizard of Oz (hard not to say The Great Wishy Woz) talking on the screen when Dorothy and the others first arrived. They later discovered the real "man behind the curtain."
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Frank
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Post by Frank »

Uhhh...that's really creepy.
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Post by Trent DeWhite »

Oh my goodness, Shadowpaw. I certainly wasn't prepared for what I saw. I nearly wet myself. :oops:
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Chandler

Post by Chandler »

:shock:

:bolt:
The emoticons say it all.
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Shadowpaw
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Post by Shadowpaw »

Well it's not really me. In the sense it's is me who sat down and recorded it, but not in the sense that that's the kind of person I am ;). As a matter of fact, I'm completely the opposite... it's probably been years since I've even raised my voice :(.
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Frank
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Post by Frank »

Shadowpaw wrote:Well it's not really me. In the sense it's is me who sat down and recorded it, but not in the sense that that's the kind of person I am ;). As a matter of fact, I'm completely the opposite... it's probably been years since I've even raised my voice :(.
Well...that's good to know. :anxious: Long live the Wizard!
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Elf of Rivendell
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Post by Elf of Rivendell »

0_o

*starts shivering uncontrollably* That was seriously scary. Especially since I had my sound cranked up.
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dancer02248
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Post by dancer02248 »

yeah, that was freaky shadowpaw...thanks for sharing :anxious: :bolt:
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Post by Bennett »

I cannot believe the coincidences.

I just finished my last production of ''Fiddler on the Roof'' LAST NIGHT. After rehearsing for a year, I landed the part of Lazar Wolf, the Town Butcher. I was stuffed with pillows, made myself ugly (an enormously difficult task. lol. jk), and was applied about a pound of makeup. We did a dress rehearsal for some schools and it was a great perfromance. In all my years of peformances, children have never clung onto jokes being said.

Friday night was a good show. The Audience was completely wonderful. I had a solo dance for a part, and the crowd was completely insane (I mean, seriously, when do you ever see a drunk fat guy dance at a wedding?) Originally, we had bottles on our heads while dancing...but that didn't exactly work out. (Duh) But it was wonderful all the same. The crowd was completely nuts!

Last night was a completely different audience. They laughed when you weren't supposed to be laughing, and didn't seem to grasp the funny moments. But, it was the farewell show, and we all gathered for goodbye pictures and until 12:00 was taking down the scenes, and pilling up the chairs. Trust me folks, this wasn't some cheep play...our director is a proffesional Conductor who peferms at the famous Symphony Orchestra. It may have been his last play since he will be replaced. We had all learned from him a great deal...especially for us older students who had been in the play last year of ''Les Miserables'' (I played the part of Gavroche, the Begar who pops in for numerous solos about how 'little people are just as big as anyone' but than gets repeatedly shot at and dies on the baracades). This director was teary eyed before he wished us luck before going on stage. It was vey emotional.

And so, I got home late last night...fell into bed...missed church this morning...and slept in until noon. I'm now catching up on homework, and still have smudged eye-liner and makeup on my face as I write this. I need to shower.

The theatre rocks. Nothing gives you a greater sensation than to give that final bow, thinking to yourself, ''Yes, I did do a good job''

If I can, I'd like to post pictures as Shadowpaw did.

Oh yeah, as an edit, the show wasn't probably as expensif as his (simulating flying??) The cost came up to a little over 2000 dollars, and the cast was only 40.

BC
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Shadowpaw
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Post by Shadowpaw »

Thanks for sharing that Bennett... our school's production of Les Miserables was my director's last show (he had been with the school for 30 years). I had only known him for that year, but we got along great and I had so much fun doing that play.

I would like to see some of your pictures!
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Sunday
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Post by Sunday »

Elf of Rivendell wrote:0_o

*starts shivering uncontrollably* That was seriously scary. Especially since I had my sound cranked up.
Try it without sound.... :oops: Talk about spooky. Whats that word...abberition?
Chandler

Post by Chandler »

Apparition? :-k
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Sunday
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Post by Sunday »

Both! O:)

ab·er·ra·tion n.
A departure from the normal or typical: events that were aberrations from the norm.


and


ap·pa·ri·tion n.
A ghostly figure; a specter. A sudden or unusual sight

The latter was the one I meant originally, I had to look up the first to see that it also applied! :anxious:
Chandler

Post by Chandler »

Are you sure that's an aberration of Shadowpaw? :anxious:
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Sunday
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Post by Sunday »

lol

How can we be sure that its not... on the other hand, how can we be sure it is? ](*,)
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