Cedar Hill High School Returns to the Stage With THE WIZ

Cedar Hill High School has returned to the stage with a production of The Wiz, which opened on Thursday, January 28, Spectrum News 1 reports.

The actors have been rehearsing with masks and social distancing guidelines in place. Audience members will also be distanced throughout the theater.

"This show was originally supposed to go up in October, but because of COVID, we didn't even start rehearsing until September," said director Bethany Kennedy as she worked with the orchestra off stage.

However, the Cedar Hill performers decided that the show must go on! The Wiz cast and crew started working early in the school year to figure out ways to put on their show with as little risk as possible.

Senior Sandy Johnson and other members of the crew worked to sew special singing masks that sit elevated over the nose and mouth so that vocals could be understood.

"Each one took about an hour and a half to two hours and we fitted them to each individual lead singer's face," said Johnson.

For the production, all audience members will be required to pass a COVID-19 screen, and everyone in attendance will have to register some information with their ticket purchase for contact tracing purposes.

"The passion is alive for them because everything was abruptly taken away from them in March," said Kennedy.

Read more on Spectrum News 1.