Because of the rapidity with which the world ushers change into the workforce, one can often feel as if he or she needs a ton of skills simply to remain relevant. Ask Ellie Mooney what she sees as the necessary key to keeping afloat, and she will gladly reply with “adaptability.” Through Jan. 8, the versatile veteran of Philadelphia’s stage community is enjoying another cherished chance to show her fluidity by playing Miss Gulch and The Wicked Witch of the West for the Walnut Street Theatre’s “The Wizard of Oz” production.
“It’s just such a wonderful opportunity,” the Queen Village resident said shortly after a flight scene rehearsal at the playhouse, which is enlisting the musical adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s timeless narrative as the second show in its 208th anniversary season. “My interest and curiosity have been growing each day because not only is this a classic but also since it’s in the hands of wonderful people.”
When learning early last winter of the work’s placement among the theater’s upcoming offerings, Mooney thought about securing an ensemble presence, but the overseers desired a different use of her talent and cast her in the roles that Margaret Hamilton made famous in the 1939 cinematic masterpiece. Owing to eagerness to make any role a reflection of her regard for fraternizing with fellow performance buffs, she soared with enthusiasm in taking on the tasks, especially with respect to the broom-wielding antagonist.
“I thought, ‘Yes, a new voice and a new laugh,’” Mooney recalled of her giddiness with the materials, which stretches back to her Bucks County-based childhood. “I really wanted to dig in and do my best to give life to a story that will always have a special place in my heart.”
She showed off those novel components of her involvement with glee during the aforementioned run-through of the show that opened last night, drawing praise from peers when saying that helping Dorothy Gale to reach the titular wise man would serve as the Scarecrow’s “last burning ambition.” Thrilled yet again to assist the Walnut Street Theatre, which has employed her nearly 20 times, including concurrent directing duties for “A Christmas Carol,” she loves the trust with which the powers that be endow her to present projects that make exceptional use of her fascination with transformation.
“I get to learn so much each time around because one thing informs another and constantly pushes me to give more of myself,” the courter of captivating endeavors said. “This is always going to be my home. To put it lightly, I feel very, very useful here.”
Mooney has always relied on creative prospects to feel fruitful, with her parents proving quite instrumental, particularly through their owning musical recordings. Cello and ballet lessons offered additional outlets for the maturation of her inquisitive nature, with the latter’s storytelling components a treasure trove of perpetual blessings.
“I’d definitely say this life is all I’ve ever wanted,” Mooney said of being among the fortunate few who feel compelled early in life to pursue a passion, tabbing that classification as “delightful and torturous” at the same time, the latter on account of the tireless dedication that a vocation always requires. “My journey has made me a graduate of the school of hard knocks, for sure, but I think having the discipline and the courage to become better is what has kept me going and wondering what I can get out of my finite existence.”
DeSales University gave the Doylestown product an initial reply to her musings, and she eventually contemplated transferring to Temple University to further her voice mastery. Interestingly, given her present assignment at the Walnut Street Theatre, she passed on that idea and instead gained her first exposure to the country at large as Dorothy on a nearly year-long Oz tour.
“There are not many paths in life where you can just be unto yourself,” Mooney said. “There is so much to learn about yourself from getting another perspective, and that’s what this line of work gives me every single day. You have to be willing to adapt for true growth to occur.”
A visit to the artist’s website reveals that she has indeed thrived as a mutable hire, amassing enough credits and considerations, including as a choreographer and a teacher, to merit the creation of three resumes. Inspections of them offer great insights into her willingness to navigate the sea of new works and the ever-inviting ocean of established works, with “The Wizard of Oz” as a beloved entry in the latter canon.
“It was always on around this time of year, and we loved watching it,” she said of viewing the film with her mother, who grew up at 18th Street and Oregon Avenue and whose parents initiated Mooney’s knowledge of South Philly, including through frequent stops at Barry Playground. “I always had admiration for Judy Garland and how she pulled off the role with such emotional depth. I think that’s something that people overlook when thinking about the text, but there’s some really impressive weight to the plot.”
Like Garland’s Gale, a Kansas adolescent who proclaims “there’s no place like home” following her trip over the rainbow, she values the joys of being close to kith and kin, with that yearning for constant connection keeping her an East Coast resident, with Philadelphia as her five-year source of satisfaction.
“It’s such a wonderful place to interact with creative geniuses and to test your own tenacity,” Mooney, who also helps to open the gateway to stage-situated glory as an audition technique teacher, said. “I’ve had enough experience with failure to know you have to keep persisting and being your biggest advocate, but here, in this city, you’re going to find a bunch of people who will root for you, too.”
As Mooney manages her ever-busy fall schedule, she is already considering next year, when two more Walnut Street Theatre productions will enlist her. Dubbed “a tiny blonde with a big voice, swift feet and all kinds of energy” by a Denver-based reviewer, she looks forward to continuing to give local audiences intense performances bred out of love for their desire to be entertained and her enthusiasm for being a conduit for quality scripts to resonate.
“There’s so much to love about being in this field,” she said. “What’s really great is that the learning process never stops. You’ll never feel as if you’ve run out of curiosity.” SPR
Event: The Wizard of Oz
Date: Through Jan. 8
(various times)
Where: Walnut Street Theatre,
825 Walnut St.
Tickets: $20-$95
Contact info: 215–574–3550
or walnutstreettheatre.org.
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com.
Profile Photo by Maria Young. Background Photo by Mark Gavin
