Pequea Valley townlively.com
FEBRUARY 22, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LIX • NO 9
Singing, Dancing, and Flying! PVHS To Stage “The Wizard of Oz” BY ANN MEAD ASH
hen Nathan Bankert chose “The Wizard of Oz” as the Pequea Valley High School (PVHS) spring musical, he knew he would be directing student actors in an “energetic performance filled with quirky animated characters that would appeal to the whole family.” He also knew that he wanted some of the characters to fly, and he turned to ZFX Flying Effects, the system that helped him get Mary Poppins off the ground in 2018. “The Wizard of Oz” will be presented at PVHS, 4033 E. Newport Road, Kinzers, on Thursday, March 2, at 7 p.m.; Friday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, March 4, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. The well-known tale of “The Wizard of Oz” begins in Kansas and follows a young farm girl, Dorothy Gale, played by Ruthie LaCorte, who dreams of a better place for herself and her dog, Toto. Before she can run away, a tornado hits
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the farm and Dorothy sustains a bump on the head, resulting in her being transported “beyond the rainbow” to a land where people from her Kansas life become magical characters. Dorothy meets Glinda the Good Witch, played by Olivia Ross and Kianna Winey. Accompanied by the Scarecrow, played by Nicholas Ammon; the Tinman, played by Peter Brumbach; and the Cowardly Lion, played by Jarred Knepp, Dorothy and Toto follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Land of Oz, where they contend with the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Naomi Brumbach, and meet the Wizard of Oz, played by Sean Ammon. Several members of the cast, including Ruthie, Nicholas, and Olivia, noted that they grew up watching the movie and hoping to play specific characters. “Tackling a show as iconic as ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is a challenge because there’s expectation,” pointed out Kianna. “Everyone knows the story.” See PVHS pg 5
Members of the cast of the Pequea Valley High School production of “The Wizard of Oz” are preparing to stage the musical.
Launching a Student Author PEQ
BY ANN MEAD ASH
Salisbury Elementary School author Evan Johnston holds a copy of the book he wrote and published with help from ReadyAimWrite Kids.
In the spring of 2022, when Stephen Kozan, author and founder of ReadyAimWrite Kids, visited Salisbury Elementary School, he gave an assembly on the writing process and talked about persevering toward goals. As a child, the Harrisburg resident was told it was not realistic to pursue becoming a writer, so when Kozan became one, he started a publishing company to help students become authors. Kozan brought artist Jain Cable along to help explain the illustration process.
During the assembly at Salisbury, Kozan gave the students an opportunity to do some creative writing. “(Kozan) asked them to do something original,” explained Kayley Gates, one of the teachers who helped bring Kozan to the school. “He was looking for a story summary.” The story summary that most interested Kozan that day was written by Evan Johnston, who outlined the adventures of a worm who was tasked with helping a president to arrive safely in Worm Mania. “There were Crants in the way,” said Johnston of the villainous agency made up of crows and ants that
Cavod to Stage “Hello, Dolly!” BY ANN MEAD ASH
According to Alicia Burton, director of “Hello, Dolly!” at Cavod Theatre, the show is about finding joy in each moment. Musical director Amy Rau concurred, pointing out that Dolly is going through a difficult time, but that she is stepping out in faith. “Even in the hardest things we go through, you’ve got to find the bright side,” she said. “Hello Dolly!” will be presented at Cavod Theatre, 641 W. Main St., New Holland, with a dinner theater at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24. The
show will also be performed at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 3; at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturdays, Feb. 25 and March 4; and at 4 p.m. on Sundays, Feb. 26 and March 5. “Hello, Dolly!” centers around lovable widow and matchmaker Dolly Levi, played by Erin Wright. The musical follows her to New York to practice her matchmaking and heal her own heart. Along the way, Dolly matches up Irene Molloy, played by Eliza Moran, with Cornelius Hackl, played by Alex Weaver, and Barnaby Tucker, played by Richard Weaver, with
See Salisbury Elementary pg 7
See Cavod pg 6
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