*Photo by Wendi Koble from Swoon Films
The Great Falls Theatre Company is off to see the Wizard, taking the community on a trip down the Yellow Brick Road with its summer musical opening July 9.
More than 40 local actors, a live orchestra, original sets and costumes take audiences to the Land of Oz in the stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s tale, The Wizard of Oz, featuring the musical score from the MGM film.
Wes Peterson, a local high school teacher, is performing with the company for the first time.
“It’s been kind of a dream role, really, to plan the Tin Man,” he said.
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There’s a line the Wizard says to the Tin Man, “and now, my sentimental friend,” Peterson said. “I guess I am kind of sentimental.”
He performed in his first real production in the eighth grade. One year, he was in five different shows.
Throughout his life, Peterson has been involved in theater, ushering, working concessions, and serving as an assistant or co-director.
When he came back to Great Falls as a teacher at C.M. Russell High, the drama department was doing a production of Beauty and the Beast. Peterson said he offered to help out and ended up as an assistant director.
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He remembers going to rehearsal and realizing, “oh yeah, I’ve missed this.”
“As far as performing, it’s a lot of work,” Peterson said of playing Tin Man, and it’s been great getting to know his fellow castmates and the production crew.
Some of his former students are in the show with him and “that’s been really fun.”
His hometown of Cheyenne, Wyo. has one of the longest-running theater companies in the West that owns two theater buildings.
It’s really cool, Peterson said, that GFTC has this production company that can come into a receiving house like the theaters at Great Falls High or the University of Providence and put on a show like The Wizard of Oz.
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“There’s something about being an audience member in live theater, where you’re free from distractions or notifications or whatever it might be, to have an experience in the dark with other audience members,” he said.
As America celebrates its semiquincentennial, Peterson said The Wizard of OZ is “America’s fairy tale. To be able to see it live is a real treat. In a way, it’s a celebration of American writing and theater and American composers.”
Adam Talbert, a local architect, has been part of the backstage crew for all but two GFTC shows.
He had no theater experience until he joined the crew in 2023 for their production of Oklahoma!
A friend of a friend was involved in the company, and when they needed help, Talbert volunteered.
They’re stuck with him now, he joked, “I love these people.”
Before joining the company, “I didn’t even know this kind of thing could be done in Great Falls” and now they do it several times a year, he said, and it’s an accessible, affordable experience locals might not get otherwise.
Tiffany Staigmiller first performed with GFTC in Steel Magnolias in April 2024.
In Oz, she’s the Wicked Witch of the West, out to get Dorothy Gale and her little dog, too.
She’s been involved in theater since she was a little kid, participating in plays at school and her church, and writing her own to perform for family and friends.
When she got to high school, “I got bit by the theater bug.”
She moved away from Great Falls with the military and when she got back, she felt like something was missing.
About 15 years ago, she did a show with a company that no longer exists; then she saw the GFTC starting up.
Her friends and family pushed her to audition when GFTC did Steel Magnolias, which was the first show she ever did in high school.
She’s been involved ever since.
The Wizard of Oz has been “one of my all-time favorite shows since I was a little kid,” Staigmiller said.
In the company, “it’s always fun watching everybody come together and build this amazing piece,” from learning lines to adding music and costumes. “It just builds and builds.”
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Live community theater is important for any community, but especially in Montana, she said, where people think of events like rodeos. It’s important to have different, diverse types of art in our communities.
“We’ve realized as a company that there’s a want and a need and they love it,” Staigmiller said of their live theater productions.
Most people are familiar with The Wizard of Oz film, it’s an American classic, she said, but “there’s always something so different about live theater.”
This summer’s musical also showcases other local artists with backdrops painted by Tana Murray of Running River Creative.
Murray has painted two murals downtown as part of the annual ArtsFest, now called Great Walls, and others indoors around town.
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Amber Henning Griffith, board president, said it was important to make Oz come alive on stage.
Griffith said it’s cool to see the murals around town and was connected with Murray.
“She jumped at the challenge” to create 17-foot-tall panels for Munchkinland, the Haunted Forest and Emerald City.
“They just bring the world to life,” Griffith said.
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Now in its fourth season, she said more and more people are auditioning, helping backstage and contributing financially.
“It takes a village, and Great Falls has just shown up, and it’s so wonderful,” she said.
As they prepare for their next season, the company is offering season tickets at a $10 discount. It’s a bit of a mystery purchase, she said, since they haven’t announced their next season yet.
Welcoming the audience for their July 8 preview of The Wizard of Oz, Griffith said, “we do it because we love theater and we hope you get a glimpse of that joy.”
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Want to go?
The Wizard of Oz
Show times:
- July 9 at 7 p.m.
- July 10 at 7 p.m.
- July 11 at 7 p.m.
- July 16 at 7 p.m.
- July 17 at 7 p.m.
- July 18 at 2 p.m.
All performances are in the Davidson Family Auditorium at Great Falls High School, 1900 2nd Ave. S.
Tickets are $27 for adults and $12 for children. Purchase online here. Limited tickets will be available at the box office one hour prior to show time. There is no reserved seating.
The show is about 2.5 hours with a 15-minute intermission.
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On July 15 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the Cordingly Room in the basement of the Great Falls Public Library, the Great Falls Theatre Company is hosting “From Page to Stage” story time featuring The Wizard of Oz.
This special storytime for kids and their families explores the story with a theatrical flair featuring their favorite characters.
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The GFTC is hosting its third annual kids’ summer camp Aug. 3-6 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ursuline Center.
The camp is designed for young performers, ages 10-14, to learn and grow in theatre, music, and movement—all while building confidence, creativity, and friendships along the way. From acting games to stage performance, your child will experience the magic of theatre in a supportive and high-energy environment.
