Brillianteen Announces its 60th Production of Classic Soul Musical "The Wiz"
Brillianteen, the McGaw YMCA’a longstanding Evanston tradition, is proud to present for its 60th Brillianteen production, The Wiz. The show will be performed at King Lab School Auditorium February 26-27 and March 4-6, 2011.
The winner of 7 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Choreography, The Wiz is the classic fairy-tale retelling of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz set to a funky rock and soul score with a modern day twist. With music by Charlie Small and book by William F. Brown, The Wiz originated on Broadway in 1975 and became a hit movie in 1978, and returned to Broadway in the spring of 2005. This will be Brillianteen’s first staging of The Wiz.
After celebrating the end of the Wicked Witch of the East with the Munchkins, Dorothy (Aijalon Walker) takes off along the yellow brick road to meet The Wiz (Ricky Sutherland) in Emerald City. Along the way she encounters a hip Scarecrow (George Sereika), an uptight Tin Man (Jeff Bishop) and a scaredy-cat Lion (Adam Maloney). The group band together and face down the Evil Witch of the West, Evillene (Najeema Muhammedbey) with the help of two good witches, Glinda (Sarah Roth) and Addapearl (Liz Cheever), and The Wiz himself. Aunt Em (Ashley Smith-Andoh) also sings a solo. The Wiz is an upbeat spin on a well-loved classic.
The Brillianteen 2011 Showboard is led by ETHS senior Sarah Fisher with ETHS senior Colleen Semla as Stage Manager. Shun Tucker, the YMCA’s Brillianteen Manager coordinates the adult creative team. This group of volunteers includes Judy Kemp (Director), Cindi Schuneman (Choreographer), Linda Perney (Music Director), and Nancy Cunniff (Business Manager). For a complete list of Showboard members, as well as the members of the cast ad crew, please visit www.brillianteen.org.
Performance Schedule and Ticket Information
Brillianteen’s production of The Wiz will be presented at King Lag School Auditorium, 2424 Lake Street in Evanston, February 26, 27, March 4, 5, and 6, 2011. The performance schedule is as follows: Saturday, February 26 at 7:30pm; Sunday, February 27 at 2pm; Friday, March 4 at 7:30pm; Saturday, March 5 at 7:30pm, and Sunday, March 7 at 2pm.
General admission tickets are priced at $15 (children under 13 are $10) and are currently on sale at www.brillianteen.org or via phone through the Brillianteen Ticket Hotline at 847-475-7400 ext. 277. McGaw YMCA and Brillianteen supporters can purchase priority Angel tickets at $65 or Patron tickets at $35.
About Brillianteen
Brillianteen serves as an event that brings the community together year after year, giving students, who otherwise may not have the opportunity – a chance to be involved in music and the arts. For the past 60 years, Brillianteen has provided area high school juniors and seniors with the opportunity to experience every aspect of putting on a Broadway musical. Students, under the guidance of adult volunteers, are charged with everything from creating the costumes to building the sets. Through this no-cut program, the teenagers sing, dance, act or are part of a committee managing all of the behind-the-scenes action. Brillianteen is administered by the McGaw YMCA, an open, charitable cause-driven membership association that promotes youth development, social responsibility and healthy living through programs and services for our diverse community.
For more information about Brillianteen, please visit www.brillianteen.org.