The Valley Catholic April 29, 2014 | Page 7

The Valley Catholic catholic schools CATHOLIC EDUCATION INSPIRES leadership. April 29, 2014 7 St. Mary’s students wow crowds with ‘The Wiz’ St. Mary (Los Gatos) student members of “The Wiz” cast presented musical numbers from the upbeat redo of a classic tale based on L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” The story follows Dorothy on her journey from Kansas to Oz where she encounters a variety of creatures: Scarecrow, Tinman, Lion, Munchkins, and Flying Monkeys. “Dorothy,” played by sixth grader Kate Lally, displayed a range of emotions and vocal skills, especially with the closing ballad, “Home.” Other vocalists included Nicole Vierra (Aunt Em), Gage Sandman (Uncle Henry), Joseph Shifman (Scarecrow), Ryan Remmel (Tinman), Matthew Nazari (Tinman), Maddie Schmid (The Wiz), Sophia Fijman (Evillene), and Christina Hingle (Glinda), who all accompany Dorothy on her quest. In addition, an ensemble of some 60 students in grades 4-8, provided a choreographed routine with a live music ensemble. Behind the scene was Director Jeremiah Clauss, sixth grade teacher, who Admiral Pat Clancy visited with fourth grade students at Sacred Heart School, Saratoga. St. Mary, Los Gatos, students performed “The Wiz.” commented, “The Wiz has held a special place in my heart. In 1995, the role of the Lion was my first major lead role at CMTSJ (Children’s Musical Theater San Jose). What a fabulous time! Taking on this production from the director’s standpoint has been even better.” Sacred Heart Nativity School musicians perform at Sister Cities Concert On the evening