Rick Williams Comes Full Circle As Cowardly Lion In MTC's Wizard Of Oz

MOORESTOWN, NJ — In 2007, Rick Williams took his family to see a play. They had just moved to Moorestown, and were taking in a Moorestown Theater Company (MTC) production for the first time. The show was “The Wizard of Oz.”

A year later, Williams, his wife Jocelyn and their son Nicholas were performing on stage in “The King And I.” And on Thursday night, Williams will take on his dream role as he plays The Cowardly Lion in the show that introduced the 6 ABC anchor and now MTC Trustee to the theater company in the first place.

“The Wizard of Oz” opened at Hope Community Church — which does have its air conditioning back on following issues last week — Thursday night with a performance from the “Black Cast.” Williams is in the “Gold Cast” of this double cast play. Their first performance is set for Friday night, 7 p.m., at the church, located at 235 West Main Street in Moorestown.

In all, there are 10 performances scheduled over the next two weeks, with the remaining schedule as follows:

• Saturday, July 22: 2 p.m., 7 p.m.;
• Sunday, July 23: 2 p.m.;
• Wednesday, July 26: 7 p.m.;
• Thursday, July 27: 7 p.m.;
• Friday, July 28: 7 p.m.; and
• Saturday, July 29: 10 a.m., 7 p.m.

There are a total of 64 cast members, including 63 humans and their little dog, too: Artistic Director Mark Morgan’s son’s dog will make his acting debut as Toto. Morgan himself will play the title role as a member of the “Gold Cast,” alongside Williams.

Williams said it was Morgan’s salesmanship that had his son, who was 5 or 6 years old at the time, excited about getting on stage.

“He invited me and my son to come on back next summer,” Williams said. “That really stuck with Nicholas. The next summer, he asked me if we could audition, so I took him.”

MTC has a policy that all actors under the age of 12 years old must have a parent on stage with them. Williams said he expected he might be a tree or a member of the chorus, after the audition, he ended up playing the lead role in “The King And I.” He even talked his wife into joining them in the production, as a member of the chorus.

Willliams had some previous experience on stage, both in high school and as a communications major in college. He is now a habitual MTC performer, as is his son, who is now 15 and a rising sophomore. The two have performed in six or seven shows together, and played father and son in “Mary Poppins.”

He’s coached his son in baseball and goes to see him run track, but says there’s something different about being on stage together, and learning to do tap and choreography together.

“He watches me, I watch him,” Williams said. “It’s a special kind of father-son time."

Nicholas Williams isn’t performing in “The Wizard of Oz.” He’ll be performing in “West Side Story” next month, a show Morgan said has 21 teenage boys performing in it. He says this is amazing, considering how difficult it is to get teenage males to come out for theater. “The Wizard of Oz” has 23 males between the two casts.

Morgan said Williams told him he always dreamed of playing The Cowardly Lion, but no matter which show theater-goers attend, there’s plenty of talent on stage.

There are three Wicked Witches cast for this show, including two older women and one woman in her 20s, who is also the sister of one of the actresses playing Dorothy.

Williams called performing in the same show that was the first one he saw from MTC “coming full circle.” It’s unlikely to happen, given that MTC rarely performs the same show twice. Morgan is comfortable doing that with “The Wizard of Oz” because it’s a fun family show that everyone knows.

It also gives MTC the chance to cast actors of all ages, from 6-68, including children with special needs playing munchkins.

The show is one of five summer musicals MTC is performing over the next few weeks. A full list of shows, dates and times can be found here.

Tickets for all five musicals are reserved, and can be purchased online at MoorestownTheaterCompany.org , or in the lobby 60 minutes before curtain time. Tickets are $17 for adults and $13 for seniors and students for “The Wizard of Oz.” They are $12 for all other shows.

The theater will open 30 minutes before curtain time. Call MTC at 856-778-8357 with any questions or to get group rates.

Attached image was posted on the Moorestown Theater Company's website.