by Annie Ruckman |

See Video Cast members of the fall musical, The Wizard of Oz, prepared to take a flying leap at their shows running Friday, November 18 through Sunday, November 20. This year a special addition was added to provide a new twist to the musical. Actors flew across the stage and flipped through scenes thanks to a company from Las Vegas.
“We have hired Flying by FOY from Las Vegas to set up a flying rig system. The witch, the monkeys and even Dorothy herself will be harnessed and will fly throughout the show. We even get to use Glinda’s bubble and the hot air balloon,” Director Phillip Holthus said.
Training for the flying process started November 11. Everyone flying was required to attend special fly choreography rehearsals the weekend before the performances to figure out the feel of flying. However, with the training that the company provided, some students still found the thought of flying a little scary.
“I knew auditioning for the part of Glinda I would be flying, which was nerve-wracking at first. I am not a huge fan of heights, but knowing that I am going to be using professional fly equipment, and relying on professionals who fly performers on a daily basis in Las Vegas, it definitely calms down my nerves,” senior Libby Hill said.  Throughout the whole musical multiple characters leapt to life on stage.
“I was really excited at first and then I started to think about it, and then I thought, oh this is really scary because we have only two wires and we’ll be flipping. But I’m still just mostly excited,” junior Kayleigh Tinkham said.
Flying in the musical gives the performance a more realistic feel, the audiences could be stunned by the tornado that sweeps Dorthy up and around making them feel like it is real.
“I definitely think it is necessary for Glinda to fly in her bubble. I want all the little kids in the audience to just freak out and believe that it’s all so real. I would do anything to make these performances as real as possible just for their sake. It’s going to be a great show, and great experience for everyone involved with the production,” Hill said.
The new addition of flying brings in many challenges that should be factored in before the final product is ready to be presented.
“I think the biggest challenge will be that I have to get over the fact that I’ll be like 20 feet off the ground,” Tinkham said.
These actors were determined however, to present the best performances that they can possibly give. Shows included flying, flipping and twirling and were sure to leave audiences blown away.