Actor Danielle Wade, who plays Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" at the Ordway Center, traded her ruby slippers for a ruby-colored hard hat Tuesday as she joined other members of the cast and crew on a Habitat for Humanity build. Actually, the cast split up into two crews, one working on a home in St. Paul, the other in Crystal.
Wade (pictured above, right) was with ensemble members Anthony MacPherson and Kelly Grainger worked on the house in Crystal, a three bedroom home that will be sold to a family with five children. The home-building is part of a national campaign called "There's No Place Like Home" that Habitat has launched in conjunction with Warner Bros. The campaign coincides with the 75th anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz," which was released in 1939.
The "Oz" cast and crew did similar volunteer work with Habitat in Los Angeles, where the tour started, and hopes to do similar work in other U.S. cities as the tour works its way across the country.
"The home in Crystal will probably be finished in the spring," said Habitat communications manager Matt Haugen. "The families are always excited to move into their homes, especially since they put sweat equity in this home. A partnership like this with the cast brings attention and more volunteers. The message of 'The Wizard of Oz' resonates with ours. It takes brain, courage and heart to make all of this happen."
"Oz" plays at the Ordway thru Dec. 29.
