St. Mary's Kids Wowed With 'The Wiz'

Applause, applause, laughter and more applause filled Howley Hall at St. Mary's School in Los Gatos last month as students sang, danced and delighted audiences with their performances of “The Wiz.” 

An upbeat redo of the classic L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” this show had a script of wit and catchy songs.  

Dorothy, played by 6th grader Kate Lally, showed off her range of emotions and vocal skills, especially with the closing ballad “Home.” 

Other great vocalists included: Nicole Vierra (Aunt Em), Gage Sandman (Uncle Henry), Joseph Shifman (Scarecrow), Ryan Remmel (Tinman), Matthew Nazari (Tinman), Maddie Schmid (The Wiz), Sophia Fijman (Evillene), and Christina Hingle (Glinda), who all accompany Dorothy on her quest.  

All of these solo performances were made even better by a fabulous ensemble of close to 60 students in grades 4-8.   

And behind the curtain was a crew of vocal directors, a choreographer, parents, and teachers who worked tirelessly on production, ticketing, concessions, sets, props, and makeup that made it all happen efficiently and professionally. 

Director Jeremiah Clauss, a 6th grade teacher at St. Mary’s, said,  “Personally, ‘The Wiz’, has held a special place in my heart.  In 1995, the role of the Lion was my first major lead role at CMTSJ (Children’s Musical Theater San Jose).  What a fabulous time!  Taking on this production from the director’s standpoint has been even better.”