The Warren County School District All-County Musical will be holding sign ups and auditions at the Warren Area High School.

All audition and sign-up information is at the schools and students can contact their school music teachers or go to their school office to get an information packet. Auditions for students in ninth through 12th grades will be Dec. 15-16 at 6:30 p.m.

Sign-ups for students in second through eighth grades will be on either Dec. 15 or Dec. 16 from 4 to 5 p.m. Those interested should come to WAHS on one of the dates listed, bring an adult to complete paperwork, learn more about what’s involved and pick up a rehearsal schedule. No audition is required to participate. Speaking and singing roles will be selected from the students who register.

Rehearsals will take place at Warren Area High School on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. As opening night approaches rehearsals will occur more frequently to prepare for the show. A full rehearsal schedule will be given out at sign-ups.

The Wizard of Oz is the chosen show where younger students can participate in various parts, such as the munchkins, of the beloved story. Other ensemble parts like Ozians, guards, poppies, trees, and various other fun parts that fill out the show will need to be played by younger actors.

Musical director Jennifer Check, along with Jen Dilks, the production manager, both started working on the show last year and since this classic has not been done in Warren since 1986, they thought it would be the perfect choice. The story involves being able to use younger students. There are many young children who are not familiar with this story and have never seen the movie; however, there will most likely be a big interest after the huge success of “Wicked.”

“There are many versions of this show, but this is the one that is most like the movie, including all the original music and some others cut from the movie, but added to this stage version,” Check said.

A cast of around 60 students from second through 12th grades will be needed. Older students will fill as the main characters while the younger students will become the munchkins and other ensemble parts. There will be auditions for ninth through 12th graders, but the second through eighth graders just need to come and sign up. There are speaking and singing parts for all ages, so after it is made known who is interested, parts will be chosen and posted on the WCSD website. The cast will have its first meeting after the holiday break in order to start putting the show together.

“This is a large-scale musical that involves many people to create,” said Check.

In addition to the large cast, there will also be a live pit orchestra made up of around 25 students and community members, under the direction of Conductor Marcia White. She will be looking for musicians during the auditions on Dec. 15-16. Rob Pearce is the music director and will be the one teaching all of the songs to the cast members. There will be a need for backstage managers, stage crew, lighting designers and technicians, a costume team, props to acquire and make, a box office coordinator and many parent volunteers to sell tickets and candy grams for the cast.

“These jobs are filled by volunteers from our school district and community, who donate hours of time to help complete all the necessary tasks to produce a show of this size,” Check said. “One of the coolest things about the All-County Musical is getting different classes from the district to help work on the many things that need done. This year the Marketing class from the Career Center will be making our programs and helping with advertising. Janelle Turk, one of the art teachers at Warren High will be taking on the enormous job of designing, creating, building, and painting the set along with community construction volunteers and her art club members. I am so thrilled she is joining the production team and creating the vision that will become Kansas, Oz, and the Emerald City -all of those iconic places that bring this story to life.”

For more information, call Jen Check at 814-968-3720, ext. 2631

“Jen (Dilks) and I are constantly having people offer to help and willing to do it for the students of this county, all of the students, not just from one school, but from all of them,” Check said.

For more information, call Jen Check at 814-968-3720, ext. 2631