When the classic musical "The Wizard of Oz" comes to the stage at Mount Calvary Christian School, audiences will see a specific theme play out throughout the show as Kansas farm girl Dorothy gets swept away in a tornado to the magical land of Oz. "This show is about home," said Jessica Shaffer, a senior who plays Dorothy. "It's about realizing you might not understand at first that home isn't necessarily a place, but it's the people you know."

Mount Calvary will present "The Wizard of Oz" at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, through Saturday, March 25, with an additional 2 p.m. performance on Saturday. The show will be performed in the gym at the school, 629 N. Holly St., Elizabethtown.

Directed by Kelli Robinson, the musical will feature 37 students in grades six through 12. "The Wizard of Oz" is similar to the movie of the same name, said Daniel Hess, a seventh-grader who portrays the Cowardly Lion. "There are a few extra scenes in the musical, but it's about Dorothy's journey through Oz and the friends she finds along the way to help her," he stated. "She learns that she doesn't have to look very hard to find an adventure."

The students have been working on the show since December, and their hard work is paying off, said Reagan Mertz, a senior who portrays the Scarecrow. "It's going to be a very exciting show to watch," he stated. "I'm excited to see it all come together. We have a great cast." He noted that for his character in particular, the performance requires a bit of physicality. "I've been practicing falling a lot," he said with a laugh. "It's been fun to sort of flop around in character. It's controlled chaos."

Each of the actors has put time and effort into honing his or her character, said Jessica. "To see this cast put their heart and soul into this show has been really great," she noted. For some of the students, the roles have been especially challenging: Seventh-grader Karly Bozell, for example, portrays Dorothy's dog, Toto, using a puppet. "It's been a strange but fun experience to learn how to use the puppet," she shared, noting that she has some lines as Toto. "I get to bark a little bit."

As Dorothy travels through Oz in the musical, she encounters a variety of situations that lead to an entertaining show, said Malachi Shenk, a sophomore who plays the Tin Man. "Audiences can expect fun times and a lot of laughs," he remarked. "There are comedic parts, but there are tears, too. It's an emotional roller coaster of a show."

Tickets for "The Wizard of Oz" may be purchased at https://mcchristianschool.hometownticketing.com/embed/all. Tickets will also be for sale at the door.