Home Photo Galleries   • 2000-2009   • 1990-1999   • 1989   • 1988   • 1987   • 1986   • 1985   • 1984   • 1983   • 1982   • 1981   • 1980   • 1970-1979   • 1960-1969   • 1950-1959   • 1949   • 1948   1981 The Wicked Wazir of Oz The Thirty-Fourth Year: April 10 and 11, 1981 Steering Committee Chairman: Lee Weismeyer Producer: John Bartley Writer/Director: Jill Benone Musical Director: Steve Hill Choreographers: Barbara Benz and Linda Heimerl Singers: Jim French Set Design: Liz French Set Construction: Dick Soderlund Airplane Design: Dave Kern Graphics: Nancy Campbell Projection: Tom Dibble By Jill Benone: This was a year of changes. VW lost Principal Steve Smith after fifteen years, and welcomed Lenore Lacey, who was to serve for the next thirteen. Steve Hill joined Follies as Musical Director, and Irene Louie volunteered to accompany the singers. (Miracles happened: I needed music while Mombi stirred a cauldron, and Steve said, "Okay. Witch music." Then Irene Louie walked into the Singers’ rehearsal with the music professionally pasted up, and asked, "Need an accompanist?) I have always loved the OZ stories and leapt at a chance to write one. Gary Goold, the PTA ladies, and kids fly with Lovelady Lomax past the first star to the right, over the rainbow, and straight on till morning, when they arrive in the Land of Oz, which has been captured by The Wicked Wazir. They meet the Wizard, Googly-Goo, Ozma, Jellia Jamb, the Cowardly Lion, the Hungry Tiger, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Scraps the Patchwork Girl, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Red Jinn, Glinda the Good, Mombi, a talking Signpost, and some stumbling blocks. Singer Bill Struebing played the Wicked Wazir, and he and the Singers sang"Was I Wazir?" If you don’t recognize the names, do yourself a favor and read the books. (Lovelady and the Wazir are my contribution.) Steve Smith made a cameo appearance as himself when the Singers sang "Let’s Go Fly A Kite", honoring Kite Day which he instituted at VW. We listed all the OZ books hoping someone would read them. Dave Kern hung the airplane on the GCC aviation department wall for years.