New Bedford Has Its Own Yellow Brick Road You Can Follow
Downtown New Bedford is where you will find the yellow brick road that leads you to the The Wiz.
If you find yourself in downtown New Bedford over the next few weeks, be on the lookout for the yellow brick road (it's hard to miss) leading you to Zeiterion Performing Arts Center for New Bedford Festival Theatre's production of The Wiz, which kicks off April 27.
Curious minds (me) wanted to know how this came about so I reached out to Festival Theatre Executive Director Wendy Hall to get some answers.
It turns out this was Hall's idea. She worked closely with Assistant Director of City Planning Anne Louro and Destination New Bedford's Marketing Manager Amy Desroisers to get it done.
"I've always loved public art but as a theatre artist never found a great way to marry the two," Hall said. "When I was dreaming up marketing ideas for our production, I knew I wanted something community-driven that was engaging."
Hall said the idea came to her as she listened to "Ease On Down The Road" from the beloved 1970s musical based on The Wizard of Oz.
"It's such a fun way to get the word out about our show and that allows everyone to have a chance on the famed yellow brick road," Hall said.
The local artist responsible for the design would be none other than Mandy Fraser, a creative ambassador for the SouthCoast.
The Wiz at the Zeiterion runs for eight performances April 27 to May 6.
New Bedford Festival Theatre is bringing two nationally known singers in for the production including Kyla Jade of The Voice (season 14) and Lawrence Flowers, who has topped the Billboard charts as a gospel singer.
Tickets are available here for the show. In the mean time, you can take your own walk down the yellow brick road, which makes for a perfect Instagram post.