This season, Saint Ignatius High School will be showcasing the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. Mr. Fujimoto is excited to put one of his favorite stories of all time on stage for the last show of his career. He says that he wants to preserve the folklore and heritage that The Wizard of Oz carries:
“Everybody sings Silent Night – 80 year olds, five year olds, everybody knows the song. Not everybody even knows the National Anthem but everybody knows Silent Night. So I was trying to think of some of the responsibilities that older generations have to preserve American Culture and to preserve some things that everybody knows – Wizard of Oz is one of those things. Everybody has seen the Wizard of Oz; everybody knows the story of Dorothy and Toto… My parents passed that whole thing down to me. The Wizard of Oz was sacrosanct. It was always on around Easter time and no matter where we were I would always come here so that we as a family could watch it … I know a lot of people have done it but I look at it as more of a legacy than a show. And I think our show is going to be spectacular.”
The tale of Dorothy and her dog Toto’s journey through magical Land of Oz is a classic story that all ages love and cherish. This version will include professional set designs by Ignatius alums, lovely music by Mr. Roth and Mr. Falcofsky, and a talented cast of Saint Ignatius students as well as girls from area schools and children of faculty members as Munchkins. Mr. Fujimoto does not want to give away anything specific about the show but he assured me that there would be “a few surprises here and there.” The show opens April 19th with additional performances on the 20th, 26th, and 27th, as well as a matinee performance on the 21st. The Wizard of Oz is going to be an outstanding show that the whole family will enjoy, come support your fellow Wildcats at the Breen Center this April.
