By the time June rolls around, most teachers have prepared to pack their classrooms for the summer and the students prepare to enjoy more time outside of school.

However, the staff and students at Lincoln Elementary School were spending more hours inside the school preparing to “follow the yellow brick road.”

The cast of approximately 180 students in grades four and five under the direction of Alma Ritter performed “The Wizard of Oz” on June 4-6 in the school’s auditorium. The cast performed for three nights of sellout crowds.

From the moment guests arrived at the production, they became part of the program. Entering from the playground doors, guests followed a yellow brick road set on the floor leading them to the auditorium. On their way, they could purchase items from the Lollipop Guild, Adrianna’s Signature (one of Lincoln’s own) and numerous tables selling show T-shirts, apple stress balls, Lincoln Lions with a Wizard of Oz T-shirt, adopt your own jitterbugs and wooden roses. Flying monkeys fluttered from the ceiling and life-size figures of Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion greeted guests along the path.

Guests could get an up close view of the incredible costumes of the cast members as they collected tickets, worked the merchandise tables and escorted guests to the auditorium.

Artistic and Musical Director Alma Ritter worked with Junior Directors Nora Carnegie, Abby Greene, Izzy Klimas, Gio Martinez and Gia Zola to produce a musical production that was “Freddy” worthy for elementary school productions.

The scenery and props by Jonathan Chase, Leandra Kenny, and Alyse Wilson exceeded expectations. The props utilized by the cast and the costumes by Jennifer Evans and Julie Straughan brought the production to life.

Miss Gulch, played by Paisley Strauss, rode a real bike through the halls and into the auditorium to the stage. Glinda, played by Violet Svencer, emerged under an umbrella of real bubbles while dry ice appeared with the Wicked Witch, played by Cora Petrunak. Petrunak’s mother Shannon was the parent volunteer in charge of makeup. Her creativity painted her daughter and all the characters so their uniqueness could be viewed from the stage. Students dressed as twisters and rainbows.

Director of Sound Jimmy Ritter made sure that each student’s voice could be heard throughout the production.

The talent of the entire cast chorus and specifically Leila Tavarez as Dorothy, was top notch. The comedic timing and humor of the Scarecrow played by Selena Straughan and Lion played by Madeline Burkholder appeared professional. The seriousness of Tin Man, played by Adriana Ortiz, captured the essence of the original character. The voices of the children such as the Mayor, played by William Sparr and all the Munchkins were entertaining. The Jitterbug dancers in their flashy red costumes provided an exciting number representing the poppy flowers scene in the original 1939 movie.

The audience continued to be part of the program when the trees tossed apple stress balls into the excited crowd as Dorothy and friends passed through the forest. The trees were reversible for the regular forest and the Wicked Witch’s forest.

The stage crew included Mackenzie Burke, Joshua Gerrity, Madden Koehler, Griffin Mast, Skyler Narbona, Alex Nearpass and Ella Pereira who are to be commended for their attention to a fast-moving production with numerous backdrops and scenery.

Numerous children lined the walls of the auditorium as Munchkins or Ozians for the audience to enjoy singing right at their seats. Approximately 40 Winkie Guards marched the yellow brick road to the stage in unison that made the audience feel in the scene as they approached the Wicked Witch’s castle. Since the yellow brick road was placed through the auditorium, the audience got to see and hear the characters up close as they followed the yellow brick road throughout the scenes.

A Lincoln alum from days past, Sherri Zarriski, commented, “We had nothing like this when I went here. It’s good to see the kids getting involved. This part of the building (the auditorium) did not even exist.”

Zarriski continued that these experiences help the children grow as they move onto middle and high school productions. “This is how they prepare for the Freddy’s at the high school,” she said. Zarriski’s son Nathan was volunteering at one of the snack stands.

Another Lincoln alum, Logan Kohler, is a current student at Lower Macungie Middle School. He shared that he participated in both musicals in grade four and five and “loved it.” Enjoying a lollipop from the Lollipop Guild brought back memories for him and he said he “loves coming back to see the shows.”

At the end of the performance, Ritter thanked the community involved with supporting the children in this production. With a cast of this size, so many volunteers are needed.

Fundraising Coordinator Becky Klimas and Jennifer Halcisak and Lisa Lechmanik, office assistants, were valuable in supporting the students and staff.

Ritter appreciated all the support from the custodial staff as well.

Like Dorothy shared at the end of the production, “There’s no place like home.” Experiences like these productions make school feel like a second home to the children and staff. These students and their families would say, “There’s no place like Lincoln.”