Owen musical follows the yellow brick road to 'The Wizard of Oz'
Swannanoa Valley students to debut live performance of beloved film
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 28, 2026
Owen High School students, from left to right, Eliza Martin, Genevieve Marshall, Taliah Techeira and Romana Wardwell will star in a musical production of “The Wizard of Oz,” April 30 through May 2. Photo by Fred McCormick
The familiar scenes and songs of a timeless classic will take center stage in the Swannanoa Valley, beginning at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 30, when Owen High School theater and chorus students present the spring musical production of the “The Wizard of Oz.”
The premiere will mark the first of three live performances, continuing at 7 p.m., Friday, May 1 and 2 p.m., Saturday, May 2, celebrating performing arts education, while taking audiences down the yellow brick road.
Preparation for the annual production began last fall, according to theater arts teacher Lyn Nihart, in his 33rd year at Owen.
“This year, the musical is a collaboration between theater and chorus,” said the National Board Certified Teacher and director of N.C. Thespian Troupe 2294. “I met with choral director (Elizabeth Seal) early in the school year, and we discussed productions we might want to consider. We presented ideas to the students, starting with the officers of our theater group.”
While the teachers lobbied for a production of “Sister Act,” the 32 student technicians, stage designers, sound and light engineers, musicians and actors were intrigued by “The Wizard of Oz.”
“It really fit their personality, too,” Nihart said, following an April 27 dress rehearsal of the show. “You can really tell, between the lion, scarecrow, tin man and Dorothy, they have such a great rapport.”
Dress rehearsals and final preparations for the Owen High School spring musical, “The Wizard of Oz,” are underway, as the show is scheduled to premiere, April 30. Photo by Fred McCormick
Experienced performers were selected to fill many of the musical’s most notable characters, with senior Taliah Techeira cast as the Cowardly Lion and fellow senior Eliza Martin filling the role of the Tin Man. Junior Genevieve Marshall rounds out the trio as Scarecrow, joining protagonist Dorothy, and her little dog, Toto, on a quest through a curious and sometimes frightening land.
Owen performers portraying other characters, like the Wicked the Witch of the West, played by Six Coe, and the titular wizard himself, are joined on stage by young students of Swannanoa-based ArtSpace Charter School. The smallest actors in the production display versatility, with supporting roles as winged monkeys and residents of Munchkinland and the greater Land of Oz.
Through a collaboration with Concord Theatricals. Owen performing arts will present the Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage adaptation of the 1939 film, which incorporates the original music in two acts.
The familiarity of the soundtrack led Nihart and Seal to turn to freshman Ramona Wardwell for the lead role of Dorothy, following auditions last September.
“She just is Dorothy,” Nihart said. “Ramona is a freshman, and she’s in chorus, but she really has the voice and personality for this role. Eighty percent of directing is casting, and for us, selecting her for that role was one of the easiest decisions.”
The young singer, with no previous acting experience, was surprised to learn she would play the lead character.
“I came to audition, before Christmas, not thinking of getting a role,” Wardwell said. “My audition was not very good. I made up most of my monologue, and winged like 90% of it.”
The Wicked Witch of the West, played by Six Coe, joins winged monkeys, portrayed by students from ArtSpace Charter School, on stage, as Owen performing arts students prepare to present “The Wizard of Oz,” April 30 through May 2. Photo by Fred McCormick
After singing a song from a Disney movie, accompanied by a karaoke track, the student was asked to return to sing in a play. Wardwell’s vocal talents were later featured in a competition piece.
“Mr. Nihart asked me if I would be Dorothy in the musical, and I was like, ‘I have never acted in my life,’” she said. “I was so stressed. The second I got the script, I knew I had no idea what I was doing.”
The patience of Nihart and Seal, combined with the support of her fellow cast members, allowed the young performer to build confidence through understanding her character.
“A lot of it started with practicing at home with my family,” Wardwell said. “They would be silly as some of the other characters, and I would think, ‘how would a young girl react to this?’” I leaned into naivety, and I kind of ran with the idea of what I was like in the sixth grade.”
Wardwell’s voice on classic pieces, like “Over the Rainbow,” will likely strike a chord with the audience, according to Nihart, but transforming the stage inside the Owen auditorium into the Land of Oz and Kansas required months of behind-the-scenes work for students.
“We had quite a few people in theater class who volunteered to be technicians, so we kind of turned our first period into a theater tech class,” he said. “We’ve been working on the set, which involves hand-painting our pieces and designing backgrounds. It’s a lot of work, especially since we’re on a limited budget.”
Owen freshman Ramona Wardwell will star as Dorothy, April 30 through May 2, when the performing arts students present “The Wizard of Oz.” Photo by Fred McCormick
At least 10 Swannanoa Valley individual residents and businesses, including GreyBeard Realty, Sarah Sunshine Pottery and Mellie Mac’s Garden Shack, sponsored the production, Nihart added.
“I know this phrase is used a lot, but we literally could not have presented this musical without these community sponsors,” he said. “Fine arts are part of our core curriculum, and academic are obviously important, but the reason a lot of kids come to school is to have these kinds of growth experiences with each other.”
The theater teacher also credited Owen alumnus Chloe Munn, who volunteered to choreograph the production.
“This is a community effort, in almost ever sense of the phrase,” Nihart said. “It takes a lot of work and dedication to do a spring musical, so this is a big event for our students.”
Tickets for the show are $20 for adults and $15 for students and available online at GoFan.com, or purchased at the event.
“We would love to see the community come out and pack this place to show its support for all of the time and dedication these kids have put into this,” Nihart said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun, and we’re proud to present something we believe people of all ages will enjoy.”
A trip through Oz will offer a “magical and exciting” evening of entertainment for the audience, according to Wardwell.
“This is such a timeless show, and it’s so fun,” she said. “It’s a favorite of older people who have seen it before, but it has so much to offer to younger people who have maybe never seen it performed live. I think sharing our talents with the community is something we’re all really looking forward to, and we’re excited to share all of our work with the audience.”