Last year, the Eagles lost their blues and cut Footloose. This year, they should prepare to ease on down the road with the East Meck performance of The Wiz.

The Wiz will run from February 23rd to the 25th. It is directed by drama teacher Bernadette MacLeod and chorus teacher Kathryn Heinen. There is a diverse group of roles in the show, from animals to the tornado and the Yellow Brick Road. The four main characters are Dorothy, who is played by Harlym Pike, the Scarecrow, played by Jackson Santander, the Lion, played by JT Faucette and the Tin-Man is played by TJ Elliott.

During rehearsals, there have been only a couple of challenges.

“Blocking, line memorization and customization,” Elliott said.

When all of these elements are put together, it looks fantastic on stage but it requires a lot of work and commitment.

“It is something I really enjoy,” Pike said, “so it is a lot easier.”

Another big challenge to overcome was the time lost from the two snow days.

“Time with snow days have made it hard, ” JT Faucette said.

“We missed three rehearsals but we already made up one,” MacLeod said. “But through hard work they have pulled through.”

The hard work really shows from the cast as they push for the days of the performance.

The Wiz is different from the Wizard of Oz because it was originally written for an all African American cast. It still follows the plot with changes to certain aspects like songs, names, and music.

“Dialect,” said Pike, “It is important to stay true to the dialect.”

“[The Wizard of Oz] is more jolly, and this one is more down to Earth and more groovy,” Elliott said.

“It has more soul, ” Santander said.