Thursday evening, July 16, as the performance of the Fort Totten Little Theater’s “Wizard of Oz” began you could see the clouds building up in the west. Blue sky patches peeking through turned gray, heavy and rather ominous. That’s the risk you take when you perform in the open air in summer, in the Lake Region.
With one eye on the tiny flashes of lightning overhead and the other on the stage with its familiar, loveable characters as they came together for their signature songs; Somewhere Over the Rainbow for Dorothy, If I only Had a Brain for Scarecrow, We’re Off to see the Wizard for Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and all. Their quest began as they linked arms and the four with Toto, too, skipped their way through the audience and stopped at the end of that section of the yellow brick road.
It was the director, Gavin Brown, who made the call. The remainder of the show would be cancelled tonight due to the threatening weather rolling through. As instructions were given for the audience to make plans to see the remainder of the show another night, they all cleared out – cast, crew and audience members – just as huge drops of rain started to fall.
If you haven’t seen this show yet, you still have time to get your tickets. Performances are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. – come early and have a cheeseburger basket and maybe a Coke or an adult beverage [you know who you are!] from the concession stands. The final performance is scheduled for July 31.
For more information go to www.forttottenlittletheatre.com or Facebook: Fort Totten Little Theatre or call 701-662-8888.