The Wiz in Minneapolis: “There’s no place like home.”

In both The Wiz and its original inspiration, The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s famous mantra is “there’s no place like home.”

But what is “home,” anyway?

That’s the question Project Success and Anwatin Middle School students encourage audiences to think about in their unique upcoming production of The Wiz.

In their local spin on the famous 1974 musical, Dorothy is a recent transplant from Omaha trying to find her way in Minneapolis, where she has moved to be with her aunt and uncle. As Dorothy navigates the neighborhoods of North Minneapolis, she bumps into her friends in nearby places – finding the Scarecrow in the community garden behind Anwatin, and meeting the Lion at a familiar Broadway Avenue beauty shop. The good witches who aide Dorothy in her journey hail from places south, north and east of the school.

According to C. Ryan Shipley, Project Success facilitator and director of the show, it’s an opportunity for students and audiences to “take a tour of places they know and love.”

As the group of new friends “Ease on Down the Road” – the musical’s most reprised song – they pass by recognizable local landmarks chosen by the students in the show. The production is deeply personal for its cast and crew of 6^th, 7^th and 8^th graders, and they hope the work they’ve done to place the show in their own communities will resonate with attendees.

Savvy audience members might even be able to pick out a Prince tribute during one of the dance numbers.

The Wiz is the 17th annual production Project Success has brought to Anwatin Middle School. In 2008, Project Success added student musicals at Sanford and Marcy Open middle schools, totaling more than 200 student participants each year. Putting on a very professional and successful theater performance contributes to young peoples’ skills and self-esteem. Teachers report students raising their grade point averages and becoming more motivated after being part of a Project Success musical.

The opportunity to perform on stage goes hand-in-hand with other Project Success programming, building on what students learn through monthly goal-setting workshops in their English classrooms.

While students in Anwatin’s The Wiz certainly focus on their acting, singing and dancing skills – just like any professional performer would – they also spend time talking about the universal themes of show, the experience of performing and how they can tie it back to their own lives. They work together to create a quality production, building new and stronger relationships with students in their own school, and experience success when they perform the show for their peers, family members, and the community.

“Each character has a different challenge which is really relevant to students – being true to yourself, finding where you’re comfortable, figuring out how to not shut down when things get tough,” Shipley says.

Students have a chance to find their own confidence through the show, while going through the process of defining “home” for themselves and their viewers – a path that mirrors Dorothy’s own journey from Omhaha to Minneapolis and all along the Yellow Brick Road.

The Wiz is on stage at Anwatin Middle School May 27 and 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and advance reservations are not required. We hope to see you there!