The winner of “Academic Award for Best Musical” and “Satellite Award for Best Classic DVD,” the Wizard of Oz musical continues to grow its popularity ever since 1903. Nevertheless, the LTHS theater has recently recreated this iconic production on Jan. 20 at 7:00 pm.

Ruby Denson, a senior and the stage manager for the play, talks about her expectations towards the show and described her experience being a part of the crew.

“I want everybody to have fun whether it’s awful or really great, if everybody has fun it’ll be really really great,” Denson said.

Since Densen is a stage manager, she has encountered many obstacles in terms of the timing of the show and the tasks that everyone needs to complete.

“It’s really stressful to sort of make sure your timing is right and every single person has to understand what they’re doing [and] when they’re doing it,” Denson said. “Our conductor of the Orchestra has to be on the same page as us, I have to be on the same page as them.”

Not only did people backstage have a thrilling experience producing “The Wizard of Oz.” The actors also experienced a different side of the story according to freshman Nikhil aluri who played the role of the Tin Man. 

“There’s a regular school load and then it gets really tiring after a little while but it pays off,” Aluri said. 

However, despite the balance of work and exhaustion from working on improving the show,  everyone is willing to give their best and show their passion  on stage.

“I think there’s just a thrill of being on stage,” Aluri said. 

The thrill of resolving conflicts and collaborating with each other created more unforgettable moments and helped persevere through obstacles.

“You just sort of suck it up and you figure it out and you cry on your way home and you complain to your parents and then you get up and do it the next day and you figure it out until you stop crying,” Denson said.

There is a process which everyone follows, and Denson also has her own way of organization to make the show run as smoothly as possible. 

“I give the cast and crew five minutes to open and I’ll give them places and then they’ll go to places,” Denson said. “Usually, we hold the house for a couple of minutes for stragglers and we start the show and the show goes till the time the show goes.”

In the end, this production is not only about being a wonderful actor or a wonderful stage manager, but what truly makes “The Wizard of Oz” special is the passion and ability to grow and learn from challenges that all members have that makes this show a one of a kind experience.