Over the rainbow: Hannah Fletcher has been singing Dorothy's song since she was a toddler

Dennis Doeden, The Bemidji Pioneer, Minn.
·3 min read

Nov. 5—BEMIDJI — One of the first songs Hannah Fletcher learned to sing as a child was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." She especially loved to sing it for her great-grandmother.

Fletcher will be singing it for much larger audiences when she takes on the role of Dorothy in the Bemidji Community Theater's production of "The Wizard of Oz." The play opens an eight-show run on Friday, Nov. 11, at the BCT Performing Art Center, 316 Beltrami Ave. NW.

"My mother claims I could sing before I could talk," said Fletcher, a preschool teacher in the Laporte school system. "I'm a very big Judy Garland fan. 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' was one of the first songs when I was little that I actually learned how to sing correctly and all the way through."

Fletcher, who leads a cast of 33 people and one little dog, is no stranger to "The Wizard of Oz." She played Auntie Em in Bemidji High School's production of the play in 2015 when she was a senior. This time, her role as Dorothy keeps her on stage in all but a couple of scenes.

"I have written in when I get to take water breaks in my script," Fletcher said with a laugh. "And I've made a map of where my five water bottles need to be for my breaks."

She's had a blast working with the cast, especially her main pals, the Scarecrow (played by Becky Marty), the Tinman (John Henningsgaard) and the Lion (Paul Conklin).

"They're amazing," Fletcher said. "We have so much fun. They're such a good group of people. We're always laughing on stage. We spend so much time working on making this the best we possibly can for all the people who get to come see it."

Fletcher is no stranger to both off- and on-stage productions for the BCT. She played Miss Hannigan in "Annie" three years ago and also was on stage in "The Diary of Anne Frank" earlier this year. She has also served as a stage manager and directed the theater's Kids Clubhouse program.

"The Wizard of Oz," directed by Mary Knox-Johnson, will be performed on Nov. 11-13 and 18-20 with special school matinees planned on Nov. 15 and 17. Show times are 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are available at Ken K. Thompson Jewelry, Iverson Corner Drug and McKenzie Place. Prices are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $6 for children.

This year marks Judy Garland's 100th birthday, and the Wizard of Oz is a testament to the love the world still has for her and the story itself, Knox-Johnson said,

Journey along with Dorothy as she leaves the comfort of the Kansas prairie and her Auntie Em (played by Amanda Gatner-Jelinek) and Uncle Henry (Justin Beldo) to meet those loveable characters the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the Lion. With a little help from Glinda the Good Witch (Mary Anderson), they easily defeat the Wicked Witch of the West (Julie Kaiser) in order to meet the wonderful Wizard himself (Mark Christensen).

Scenic design done by Dwayne Johnson includes multi-level hidden spaces, and Rebecca Laesch brings the colorful world of Oz to life through her scenic painting and prop design. The vocal director is Carla Norris-Raynbird, accompaniment is done by Carol L. Johnson, and the stage manager is Kristine Cannon with choreography by Krista Winkka.