On April 2 and 3, Cos Cob School Grade 5 students performed at two sold-out performances of The Wizard of Oz Young Performers’ Edition. Under the direction of Chris Powers and Artistic team led by Sheila Babyak, Lori Leibowitz, Stephen Babyak, Kathy Wiegand, Michele Pennino and Anne Collin, students sang, danced and acted into the hearts of the Cos Cob community.
“Although there are many interpretations of the meaning of this story, what moved me to bring it to our community was that, at its heart, it explores the theme of family-both the ones we are born into and the ones we migrate to. It also explores the meaning of home,” Chris Powers explained.
Aptly nicknamed, The Wizard of Coz students began this process back in December. The cast of 65 students and 30 show chorus members practiced countless hours to put on this 90 min show. It is truly a community event as volunteers throughout the community came together to design the costumes and coordinate this exciting production. While some elementary schools have done away with a 5th grade production or scaled them down, Cos Cob School continues to embrace this tradition as a way to challenge its students to step out of their comfort zones.
All Cos Cob students had the opportunity to attend the show’s final dress rehearsal as did Laura White the Greenwich Public School’s Arts Program Coordinator. “Cos Cob’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” is a wonderful example of the talent, dedication and creativity of our students. They have spent countless hours with our amazing staff to pay homage to one of the most popular musicals of all time. I am proud of the work they have done and thank all staff and parents who have supported the production.” Ms. White proclaimed.
Gene Schmidt, principal of Cos Cob School even had a cameo appearance in the production as a member of the Winkie Guard. “Year after year I keep saying there is no way they could top last year’s performance, and year after year they do! It really is a team effort with lots of moving parts. The staff and volunteers have really outdone themselves,” Schmidt explained.
The 5th Grade production has been taking place for over 40 years. This endeavor could not be possible without the generous support of the PTA and parent volunteers.
