OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD—Oak Park High School student Ren Rudner, center left, and Ari Stidham, center right, rehearse with younger actors for the upcoming production of "The Wizard of Oz" as director Allan Hunt, right, looks on. The play will be the first time the high school has invited younger students from the community to participate in one of their productions. WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers The spring musical being put on by Oak Park High School next week is quite different from its usual annual productions.

With 116 performers it's the largest cast the school has ever had and the first time preschool, elementary and middle school students were invited to participate.

"The Wizard of Oz" will be performed at the school from April 2 to 5. The 32 younger students are serving as munchkins, flying monkeys and poppies, and have been dubbed the WizKids by director and drama teacher Allan Hunt. The 84 high school students are filling in the other roles. The cast has been working together for several weeks.

MONKEY BUSINESS—Oak Park resident Ofir Feur, 8, practices her part as a Flying Monkey. "At first we were all like, 'What are we going to do with these younger kids?' but it ended up being kind of cool. They look up to us," said junior Maggie Wilson, 17, who plays Glinda, Witch of the North. Her 5-year-old brother, Garrett, an Oak Park Neighborhood Preschool student, is a poppy and a munchkin.

The high school students with primary roles have spent Saturday mornings working with the younger children, then in the afternoons they've rehearsed with the older students. Senior Gretchen Waldron, who is the Wicked Witch of the West, was impressed by the younger children.

"It's pretty surprising how much they know. Since the first day they haven't needed their scripts," said Waldron, 17. "They know what they're doing."

Hunt admits to also being surprised by how well the younger actors, even those as young as 5, knew the songs from as early as the auditions.

"I thought I'd have to teach them," Hunt said. "It's a tribute to the show's mystique and our culture. The only other show like that is 'The Sound of Music.'"

MUNCHKIN MEET AND GREET—Ellie Hand, an elementary school student who plays a munchkin in the play, meets Oak Park High School senior Megan Coffiel who shares the role of Dorothy with twin sister Sarah Coffiel. It's also made his job easier, as Hunt said he made a deal with musical director Heidi Cissell and choreographer Traci Wilson that he would handle the entire sequence involving the younger children.

"Little kids onstage are such a delight to the audience. It gives a dimension that is clearly intended by the author," Hunt said.

Jonathan Laifman, 9, wants to be an actor when he grows up, and the Oak Hills Elementary thirdgrader is excited about being in the high school play.

"I wanted to try out because I watched the movie at home and I liked it," Jonathan said.

His mother, Barbara Laifman, complimented drama teacher and director Allan Hunt.

"The patience he has, the calmness is just wonderful. I can't say enough about him," said Laifman, who has watched the rehearsals. "I think it's wonderful to include all the schools."

Jennifer Waldron, president of the Oak Park Performing Arts Association, said the munchkin parents made the process easy by volunteering.

"I think the little kids are going to add a lot of charm to the production when they're onstage," Waldron said.

Jared Swedelson, a Brookside Elementary fifth-grader, is playing a munchkin, the coroner and a flying monkey.

"I love doing plays. I've been in millions of plays, and I really wanted to be in the high school play because they always do a really good job, very professional," Jared said.

Oak Park puts on four shows each year. Hunt chooses three of them; his students choose the fourth. Hunt decided on "The Wizard of Oz" because of the strengths of the current group of students.

"I base my choice on who we have in school at the time. Sometimes we have stronger female voices; other times it's the male voices," Hunt said. "I thought our particular group of students would have a good time with this play."

Sophomore Hanna Iazzetta, 16, and her Brookside third-grade brother, Jake, 9, are both in the production. Hanna plays a tree and a beautician; Jake is a munchkin.

"I'm just excited to have him in the show," Hanna said.

The show opens at 7 p.m. Thurs., April 2 and runs at 7 p.m. on Fri. and Sat., April 3 and 4 and at 2 p.m. on Sat. and Sun., April 4 and 5. Tickets, costing from $5 to $15, will be sold Sat., March 28 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Oak Park High School Pavilion.

A meet and greet with Dorothy and friends for autographs and photos will take place after the matinee performances. Cost is $5 per person, which may be paid when performance tickets are bought on March 28.