A group of Upper School students huddle around a piano in the choir room adjacent to the auditorium. One by one they begin to warm up their voices by singing “What shall we sing today?” across a range of high and low notes. As they move to actual songs, the voice carrying the vocals of Dorothy registers as is one of the youngest in the crowd.

From March 15-18 the Upper School will put on “The Wiz,” a spin-off of the classic “The Wizard of Oz.” The show is directed by Head of the Performing Arts Department Leslie Holland Pryor and Co-chair of the Music Department Sunnie Hikawa and–in a rare move–feature freshman Tandi Weeks as the lead. “The Wiz” made its debut on Broadway in 1974 featuring an all African-American cast. Later in 1978, the hit musical was adapted into a film with stars such as Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.

Apart from Hikawa and Holland-Pryor there is a team of people helping to put the show together. Woodshop teacher Nick Rupard supervises students who make the entire set, Tom Moster runs the auditorium, Dance teacher Alejandra Gonzalez choreographs the musical pieces, and an artistic assistant for the musical, Parker alumn Brittany Trotter does scheduling. “There are so many moving parts,” Holland-Pryor said. “We have a master schedule, which Trotter is in charge of, that connects everyone including myself, Hikawa, Gonzalez, etc.”

Rehearsals, which began immediately after first semester finals, typically begin with the cast learning the music. Then comes choreography, and finally blocking out scenes. Dance numbers typically include a larger portion of the cast, filling up the stage, but blocking requires the stage to empty out.

Hikawa notes that the largest numbers are the hardest to coordinate, which is why she found the fall play easier to rehearse. “Even though the bigger numbers take longer to put together, I like the energy in them,” Hikawa said. “I’m most excited for ‘Brand New Day’ and ‘Don’t Send Me No Bad News.’”

“Brand New Day” is  a song sung by the entire case, about the evil witch Evilene finally meeting her demise. “Don’t Send Me No Bad News” is a song about Evilene dispatching her minions to capture Dorothy and her friends  

According to Holland-Pryor, traditionally principal roles have been given out by seniority, but not this time. “I was definitely not expecting to get Dorothy,” Weeks said. “I was really hoping for a tree or something really small.”

Weeks noted that is she nervous but excited to take on this role. “Seeing that Dorothy is the main role, it is a big responsibility, but I don’t think it’s right to immediately doubt her,” junior Maya Plotnick said. “Everyone should give her a chance in order to see what she contributes to the role. I’m excited for her and what she’ll bring to the show as Dorothy.”

Before Holland-Pryor came to Parker she worked in the field of professional theatre where “the best people get the roles,” she said, with no exception. Holland-Pryor recalls her first year at Parker in 1998 when she cast a freshman as a principal role. “At first I received a lot of backlash,” Holland-Pryor said. “It was an adjustment for me to cast based on seniority.”

According to both Hikawa and Holland-Pryor, Weeks stood out during the fall play, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Weeks was always ready to jump in whenever needed and also has participated in other programs in the drama department. “Another thing we thought was really important was to stay true to the vehicle, being ‘The Wiz,’” Hikawa said. “We wanted to stay true to the spirit of the musical by casting a student of color in the role of Dorothy.”

Holland-Pryor notes that she is aware that some students were disappointed when they did not receive the parts they wanted. “We care about the kids,” Holland-Pryor said. “We put so much time, and many don’t understand the hours of conversation we’ve had about this show.”

Hikawa notes that for almost every show Parker has put on, students who are not of color have had an advantage over students of color. Shows produced the past were often written for people not of color and cast with students not of color. “This show is opposite,” Hikawa said. “It’s the first time were students of color actually have the advantage. It seems long overdue.”