Saugus pair heading to Oz for NSMT debut

SAUGUS – A pair of Saugonians will be making their North Shore Music Theatre debut next week in a production of The Wizard of Oz.Will Fafard, 12, and Angelina Breda, 7, will be playing munchkins and have been rehearsing eight hours a day for next week?s show, which runs from July 16 to Aug. 4.Breda is entering the third grade at Veterans Memorial Elementary School this fall and her mom, Melissa, said The Wizard of Oz is her first stage performance.?This is the first thing she?s ever done,” said Melissa Breda. “She acts around the house all the time, and sings and dances and makes up songs. She?s always doing that, but when she heard about the audition she went crazy, ?I want to audition!? I want to do it!? So we took her and she went through it.”Auditions were held in March and Melissa Breda said she and her daughter are more than excited to be a part of the production.?It?s super cool,” she said. “A whole bunch of family is coming. Cousins, uncles, everybody. She?s very excited and I?m excited. It?s one of my favorite movies ever.”Fafard is no stranger to the stage as he was awarded Best Youth Actor in a Musical at the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theater?s annual Distinguished Awards and Special Honors ceremony last year. However, next week?s performance will be his first with the North Shore Music Theatre.Fafard has two lines in the musical and will be a part of the Lollipop Guild.?It?s my first professional show,” said Fafard, who?s entering the seventh grade in the fall. “I?m a little nervous. I just have a little nerves. Now that I know a lot of people I don?t have a lot. We started rehearsals on June 29 ? The rehearsals are really, really long and we run things over and over and over again so many times to get it perfect. Then we don?t do it anymore.”Fafard said he?s also planning to audition for A Christmas Carol with the North Shore Music Theatre this winter too.The Wizard of Oz runs from July 16 to Aug. 4 at North Shore Music Theatre at 62 Dunham Road in Beverly. For tickets and information, visitwww.nsmt.org or call 978-232-7200.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].