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Muse Machine students journey to magical Oz

Musical production will feature 140 young performers.

Contributed photo Cautious Munchkins hide among the trees in the Muse Machine's production of "The Wizard of Oz."

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By Terry Morris, Staff Writer Updated 1:05 PM Sunday, January 8, 2012

DAYTON — Not even the Muse Machine can turn Dayton emerald green at this time of the year, but it’s more than capable of transforming a corner of First and Main streets.

The 30-year-old arts education organization will present its annual winter musical, “The Wizard of Oz,” Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 12-15 at the Victoria Theatre.

More than 140 area students from several counties will take to the stage, orchestra pit and backstage to contribute to the effort as performers, musicians and stagehands.

It has been almost four months in the making.

The head wizard is director Rufus Bonds Jr., who took on the daunting task of succeeding the legendary Nat Horne to stage 2011’s Muse production “Into the Woods” and is back for another round.

Now that he knows the ways of the Muse Machine, keeping to the Yellow Brick Road is less of a personal challenge for the veteran of Broadway musicals including “The Lion King” (as Mufasa) “Rent” (Tom Collins) and “Parade,” and the national tour of “The Color Purple” (Mister).

“It’s better for me this year because now I know the process. It’s clear how to go from point A to point B,” he said by phone somewhere on the road.

“My cousin is driving, so it’s fine for me to be talking,” said the Cleveland native, who was on his way to visit his father before returning to Dayton and final rehearsals. He lives in southern California.

Like the show’s choreographer Lula Elzy, Bonds had studied with Nat Horne in New York. The Muse Machine consulted him for expert guidance on a recent summer concert production of Disney show tunes, and when Bonds cut back a bit on his theater touring schedule, director of student activities Doug Merk said, “We jumped at the chance to bring him in to direct.”

Music director is Jeff Olt, who succeeds Horne’s longtime co-director David Dusing in that capacity. The production is being dedicated to Dusing.

Working with probably the year’s biggest cast for a local live theatrical production has its challenges, especially when the cast is made up of high school, middle school and younger students.

Cameron Elliott, who plays the Wizard, is an old hand at 17.

The first time he tried out for a Muse show, he was in sixth grade and there were no roles for anyone that age. But he kept coming back. The Fairborn High School senior has been in every winter musical since. This is his first featured part.

I love this,” he said of “spending four to five hours a day in downtown Dayton rehearsing with all of these talented people. There are so many kids from all over the area with all kinds of abilities. I’ve grown so close to so many people. I’ve made friendships for life.”

Elliott, 17, plans to major in musical theater and is applying to the University of Michigan, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Wright State University and Ithaca College.

He’s actually playing four different characters in “The Wizard of Oz”: Professor Marvel in Kansas, the Guard in Oz, the Wizard and Professor Marvel in Oz. “They are all at least slightly different.”

His main challenge “has been getting the weight behind the character. The Wizard is older. There’s so much he’s gone through that is part of him,” said Elliot.

The least challenging aspect “has been how much fun it is. The Wizard has a serious and philosophical side, but for half of his lines, he’s giggling at his own jokes. He’s a jolly character.”

He made his debut as a member of a children’s ensemble in a Wright State University production of the musical “Parade.” “My brother saw a poster and told me about it. I sang ‘Happy Birthday’ for my audition because it was a song I knew. I got the part.”

When not working on a Muse Machine show, “I’m almost always in a show somewhere,” Elliott said.

Bonds said a lot of students are new to the process this year. “That’s good, because education is a big part of this. They learn that this is not a high school production. It’s a professional production. Once they know what’s expected of them, they come through.”

The Muse Machine “Wizard of Oz” won’t be quite like anyone else’s.

“We filmed the cyclone scene and the parts with the Wizard,” Elliott said. “My face and voice in those parts have been purposely distorted. My voice is like a deep booming growl. I haven’t seen what my face looks like yet. I’m kind of scared to see that.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2377 or tmorris@Dayton DailyNews.com.

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