More than 1,700 people turned out last week to see the Spotlight Community Theatre troupe put on the classic, “The Wizard of Oz,” at the Jefferson College Fine Arts Theatre in Hillsboro, said Courtney Wisely, who founded the theater group.
Six performances were held, one each night from Aug. 3-6, and a matinee on both Aug. 5 and Aug. 6.
“We had 1,800 tickets available total for all six shows and sold 1,756,” Wisely said. “Absolutely, I’m happy with the attendance. I’m so glad everyone came out.”
Spotlight Community Theatre, a countywide acting troupe, is based in Festus but holds performances at different venues.
For the “Wizard of Oz,” 68 actors were split into two casts – the Emerald and the Ruby, with each cast giving three performances.
“I think it went amazing,” she said. “I think everyone involved had a wonderful time, all the actors and crew. The audiences gave us rave reviews. We’ve gotten a ton of feedback, and it’s been incredibly positive.”
The productions included pyrotechnics, bubbles and two dogs who shared the part of Toto.
“We had Gus and Gizmo,” Wisely said. “The dogs did really well. Everybody loved them.”
Wisely praised everyone involved in the production, both the cast and crew.
“If you include our crew, we had over 100 participants in the shows,” she said. “I’m beyond happy. They’re all amazing. I’m so blessed.”
Wisely said Spotlight Community Theatre’s next production, “Steel Magnolias,” will be held Nov. 10-12 at VFW Post 3777 at 900 VFW Drive in Festus.
She said she was pleased with the public attention Spotlight Community Theatre has garnered since she started the group in March 2022.
Wisely said more than 120 people tried out for “The Wizard of Oz.”
For more information about the organization or its performances, visit Spotlight Community Theatre-Jeffco on Facebook or spotlightjeffco.org.