Editor's note: As of Monday, May 9, Arts with Passion has added a performance of "The Wiz" on Friday May 13 at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the Strauss Box Office beginning Tuesday May 10.
The Monroe-West Monroe area loves a good show, and one of the new up and coming production company The Arts With Passion seeks to add to this tradition with its production of "The Wiz." The show opens at the Strauss Theater Center with a 7 p.m. performance Friday, May 6, and again Saturday, May 7 also at 7.
The Arts With Passion was founded in 2014 after a performance of "A Raisin in the Sun" to raise money for the New Light Economic Empowerment Cooperation. Since then, the company has put on several productions including "Fences" and "The Mountaintop." This performance of "The Wiz" is Director Pashen Sims' largest cast so far, and the company has been working hard to prepare.
"We started rehearsing this back in February, and we have an amazing cast. Everybody is super talented and we've put in a lot of work. We can't wait to share it with the community," says Pashen Sims
The play debuted in 1975, and won seven Tony Awards. It is a retelling the classic tale The Wizard of Oz. The musical has become very popular, and was even made into a feature film starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson in 1978.
"We've done a couple of shows where we've had the students from different school come, and they are so engaged with songs and the dance moves. It's just a really great show," says Stage Manager Sandra Swann.
As of the time of this post, both shows are sold out, and Arts With Passion is working with the strauss Theater to schedule more repeat performances. For more information, contact The Strauss Theater Center at 323-6681
