Review: Harvest Rain’s The Wizard of Oz playing at QPAC

If you have grown up dreaming of skipping down the Yellow Brick Road then HarvestRain’s production of The Wizard of Oz is sure to delight.

The scene is set with Aunt and Uncles farm and literally whirlwinds you into the Land of the Munchins (played by an adorable chorus line of kids). Unfortunately the strobe lighting (meant to simulate the tornado) went on a little longer than my eyes could handle and set off a migraine. I don’t recall seeing a “strobe lighting” warning but maybe there should have been due to people with medical issues.

The Scarecrow (played by Shaun Kohlman) is delightful to watch.

Dana Musil plays Dorothy and emulates Judy Garland to a tee but unfortunately the stage is stolen by the Love-able Tin mans dance routines (Played by Dan Venz) and the Mighty Lion played by (Matty Johnston).

Matty brings laughter to the crowd with his comical lyrics and scared lion mannerisms that left us with giggles.

This production doesn’t have all the glitz and glam of fancy staging or props but there is no compromise in fantastic singers and overall production. Definetley a must see but I would suggest unless your child is into evil witches and ear piecing cackling screams (Played by Penny Farrow) then enjoy a night out on your own and leave the younger kids at home.

As always the QPAC staff deserve a mention for their wonderful service.

Music & lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg.

Adapted by John Kane from the MGM Motion Picture

QPAC Feb 9th-19th – Online Ticket Sales tickets $49 – $67.10

(Image Source HarvestRain)

Craftgossip attended the show courtesy of HarvestRain.

Lots of Americans seem to think that May 5 is Mexican Independence Day, but that holiday actually falls on Sept. 16.

May 5 is the celebration of the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexicans defeated the French in 1862. Independence Day marks the beginning of their fight for independence from Spain in 1810. That was the day of what’s known as El Grito de Dolores, or the cry of Dolores, for when the Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bells at his church in Dolores and declared that Mexico should be free from Spanish rule.

They would fight for their freedom until 1821 when they finally gained independence.

Fabulous Classroom has a little of the history and ideas for celebrating the holiday for all age groups. There’s also a link to a good video in that post about the real story of Mexican Independence Day.

Twinkl also has a good tops about the history and different activities, discussion ideas, crafts and foods that can be incorporated into lessons at school or used at home.

I also found a few pins that no longer link to a website but include good information on Mexican Independence Day, including some questions for students to answer based on the reading. You can find more printables and questions for kids from TX Homeschool Mama on Etsy (also available in Spanish).

You can find a lot more paid resources about Mexican Independence Day at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Mexican flag crafts are a fun option for celebrating Mexican Independence Day (though the current iteration of their flag has only been in use since 1968). Kids Activities Blog has a free Mexican flag printable and a few different ideas for decorating it including dot markers and torn tissue paper.

You can also find some great Mexican crafts at Red Ted Art. The post includes all sorts of Mexican inspired projects including Day of the Dead crafts, Frida Kahlo pinatas and upcycled musical instruments. I love the giant paper flowers they shared from Honestly WTF.

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