Humm Team Productions, the creative ensemble behind 2019’s Who Stole Christmas from Mississippi Mills and 2022’s Sketchy Santa, is getting ready to bring another original full-length musical to the stage in November of this year. Written by Rob Riendeau and featuring original music by Mike McCormick (of Arrogant Worms fame), The Wizard is… Odd!? will be directed by Kris Riendeau with musical direction by Ian Guenette.
“You don’t need to be k.d. lang or Fred Astaire,” quips Kris when asked who should audition, “but musical abilities are certainly an asset. We also have a few non-singing / non-solo parts. If you are eighteen or over and keen to try your hand at acting, singing and dancing, we would love for you to ‘odd-ition.’”
She is quick to note that The Wizard is… Odd!? is NOT a reproduction, take-off or modern version of The Wizard of Oz. Rather, it is an ode to oddball, small-town productions and the quirky characters that bring them to life.
“It’s basically our love letter to amateur community theatre,” Kris explains. “A father and daughter move out of the big city and land in a small town. There, they find themselves entangled in a production of The Wizard of Oz, complete with a host of interesting characters, both on and off stage. Some drama, a few tears and lots of laughs ensue.”
There are 20 roles to fill — most of which can be performed by adults of almost any age. Some of the parts require strong singing voices, and several of them require cast members to memorize numerous lines. There are also two roles for younger women (18 and over) with strong voices and an ability to memorize lots of lines.
“Odd-itions” are being held in the multi-purpose room at the Mississippi Mills Textile Museum (3 Rosamond Street East, Almonte; Coleman Street entrance on the east side of the building) on Saturday, April 13 from 1–3 pm, and Monday, April 15 from 7–9 pm.
Rehearsals will be held on Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons from April 21 to the end of June, and then from September through early November. The production will be staged at the Almonte Old Town Hall November 8 through 17.
More information can be found here:
