Off to see the wizard, then and now

GOSHEN — Fifty-four years ago, when Goshen High School was housed at the C.J. Hooker school, Fred Batorski directed members of the high school glee club in "The Wizard of Oz."

Times were different then. The student-actors stayed late after school to rehearse, which meant only until 5 p.m. because they had to get out in time to catch the late bus home. Most families had a car, but usually just one that, in many cases, the father drove to work. Most students in the '50s didn't have their own cars, or even a mom-chauffeured ride with a second family car.

Yet students in the '50s enjoyed performing just as much as their peers do today. It was a different world, but kids were kids. They loved being on stage, and they loved performing. They had their share of stage fright — or anxiety, as we call it today — but they rose to the occasion when the curtain rose. The memories last even to this day.

The leading cast members of the 1958 production included Carol (VanLeuven) Silvernail, who played Dorothy; Ben Boyce, who played the Scarecrow; Bernard Matalucci, who played the Lion; and Joseph Skladanek, who played the Tinman.

At a recent reunion, Skladanek recalled having forgotten his oil can for one of the performances and having to fake it. Matalucci remembered the piano and chorus, replaced by the orchestra pit of today's productions.

The whole cast remembered Batorski as influencing their development. He was a ahead of his time. He started the productions when the high school budget and accommodations were minimal. At the time, he was the music department. He was responsible for the high school band, the junior high school band, the marching band, the swing band, the boys' and girls' choruses, and the Glee Club. He introduced his students to music, singing, and musical theater.

Where are the 1958 cast members today? Skladanek, who was valedictorian and class president in high school, became an engineer. He is now living in Northfield, New Jersey. Matalucci, who was student council president in high school, became an elementary school teacher. He was inspired by his "Wizard" experience to do an elementary school version of the musical with his fourth-grade class in North Babylon on Long Island.

Silvernail, a freshman at the time, had a striking voice that won her the part of Dorothy. As organist and choir director at St. John's Church in Goshen, her love for music and singing is still evident. Ben Boyce was a junior at the time. Unfortunately, he met his untimely death shortly afterward, while he was a college student.

Today's cast is preparing for its own production toward the end of March. Matalucci says Goshen's recent musicals are a lot closer to Broadway productions than theirs were in the '50s. The sets are much more elaborate. The orchestra is made up of paid professionals. Many parents pitch in with their time and talent.

The cast spends many hours rehearsing, often returning to school at 5 p.m. and staying until 9 p.m. As the performance gets closer, they rehearse even later, and on the weekends too. There are more family cars, more cell phones, more quick dinners, more texting, more things to do and less time to do it in.

But the cast still has a great time putting the production together, and developing friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. The cast of 1958 wishes the cast of 2012 the best of luck as they travel “off to see the Wizard.”