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A HEART A BRAIN THE NERVE


Considered one of the most popular movies of all time,The Wizard


of Oz, now celebrating its 75th anniversary, is a film we all know and love. Now the magic continues live on stage with a national tour de- veloped from the original MGM screenplay. All the beloved songs from the Oscar-win- ning movie score are there, including a few musical surprises by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The Rage Monthly had the chance to speak with the three actors playing the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion about the production coming to Seger- strom Center for the Arts:


FIRST UP: THE SCARECROW JAMIE MCKNIGHT No stranger to the stage, a career highlight for him was touring in 2008


with the Canadian Tenors, followed by appearances in Canadian productions ofThe Producers, The Toxic Avenger, Hair andAnnie Get Your Gun. Stratford Festival performances includeOklahoma, King Lear; I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Other credits includeA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum andJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.


58 RAGE monthly | FEBRUARY 2014 RAGE monthly | FEBRUARY 2014


Where are you from and where are you living now? Right now I am living all over the United States, but I still have a permanent


residence in Toronto. What brought you to theOztour? So many things came into alignment; but basically it was a traditional audi-


tion process. I have an agent and she sent me all of the audition materials to memorize and work on. I went to the first audition, then a second, third and fourth. I knew they were looking at me for the Scarecrow and I got the part! The characters inThe Wizard of Ozare so iconic; how did you feel when you landed the role? When you get any role as an actor you get excited, right? It was a trip be-


causeThe Wizard of Oz is part of your indoctrination as a kid. It has a profound place for me because I watched it with my grandmother, she would let me stay up late and watch until the credits rolled. And of course, I was trauma- tized when the Scarecrow gets torn apart, so it is a trip to be playing the part. People expect to see an imitation of your character, how have you made it your own? The movie is quite different from the stage play and the audience is accept-


ing when they are at a live anything. It is so many years later with the same story, same characters, same dialogue, I just try to be in the present, keep it real and alive in the moment and hopefully the audience connects with that! Which is your personal favorite scene from the show and why? It is different every week; lately it is rescuing Dorothy from the castle. It’s a musical montage and very traditional with a really fun fight sequence, I even


by tony reverditto


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