Over the Rainbow

The Broke Thespian’s Theatre Company will premier its free summer musical in the park with a six-performance run of The Wizard of Oz. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on July 15 and 16; 22 and 23; and 29 and 30 on the San Marcos Plaza Park Stage located at 206 N CM Allen Pkwy.

“Given the fun, family-friendly nature of the production, we thought it would be a great choice to introduce people to outdoor theater,” said Mitchell Oden, co-founder and BTTC president.

The Plaza Park stage is a well-known fixture for live music from the Summer in the Park Concerts to Sights & Sounds of Christmas performances. The BTTC’s performances of The Wizard of Oz are the first of their kind: a free summer musical in the park, brought to the community through grants from the San Marcos Arts Commission.

The production features an ensemble cast of more than two dozen performers — both veteran and first-timers — and includes residents from San Marcos, Austin, Seguin, Leander and Kyle. The group ranges in age from five to sixty-something.

The Wizard of Oz would be an ideal end to a San Marcos-style outing. With the Plaza Park state situated next to the river and close to the Square, an afternoon swim followed by an early dinner downtown would be the perfect lead up to an evening of live theater. Seating is first come, first served. Blankets and lawn chairs are recommended.

The Broke Thespians Theatre Company is a nonprofit organization founded in 2019 dedicated to enriching the San Marcos community with performance and visual arts. The Wizard of Oz is one of 6 productions the local Company is presenting in 2022. Productions of Romeo & Juliet, the 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee and The Smell of the Kill, have been held at the Price Center downtown. Two more productions — “White” and “Murder’s in the Heir” — are slated for production at the center before the end of the year.