Friday, November 6, 2026
We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Or, in Long Beach, either.
For two magical hours at the Lindell Elementary School last Sunday afternoon, the mostly young cast of the Long Beach Theater Guild presented the iconic “The Wizard of Oz.”
And the audience, captivated, was also in Oz.
The play was presented Saturday as well, but what made Sunday’s performance extraordinary is that it was put on for sensory-sensitive children, some of who are on the autism spectrum.
Nancy Gallinaro, president of the Long Island Theater Guild, and several volunteers handed out packets to sensory-sensitive children, who may be sensitive to loud noises. The packets consisted of earplugs, and squishy toys that could be squeezed to relieve any tensions the children may experience. The voices of the actors were sometimes modulated to reduce loud sounds.
“Last year, we did a sensory show, but we did it remotely because of Covid,” Gallinaro said. “This is the first time it’s live.”
The Wizard will be performed again - Saturday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, Oct. 20, at 2 pm at the Lindell School. The Theater Guild will be celebrating is 50th anniversary this weekend, honoring its founders, Don Kelly and his wife. Ginny.
The kids loved the play, and they all had their favorite characters.
Ashley Deutsch, 14, of Long Beach High School, sat with friends waiting for the play to begin. Ashley had seen The Wizard before, elsewhere, but had to see it again, especially so she could see her favorite, the Tin Man, played Sunday by Shane Levine, a sophomore at Hofstra.
“He’s cool,” Ashley said. “And he’s funny.”
Ava Abramson, 13, of Long Beach Middle School, had a part of The Wizard with another theater group, called Spotlight, which is geared to young people. She liked the Lion, played by Tommy Larson, who performed in “Fiddler on the Roof.” Ava said the Lion was funny “because he’s scared of everything.”
Moving projections on the screen on the stage augmented the production Sunday. Parts of the movie of The Wizard were shown on the screen. The Wizard, produced in 1939 by MGM, has become a classic over the decades and starred a young Judy Garland playing Dorothy Gale.
The cast was led by Ariel Pearl, 20, of Long Beach, who played the lead role, of Dorothy, the girl lost in a storm who must find her way back home to Kansas from the Land of Oz. She is a bilingual singer/actress who has released a debut single, “Let It All Go.” Her rendition of the “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” held the audience spellbound.
“My biggest goal is to win a Grammy, and to make a difference in the world,” Pearl said. She is already signed to a contract with Warner Music.
