Putting on a professional-quality musical takes more than a wave of a magic wand and a click of two ruby slippers.

A trio of cast members from “Wicked,” the smash Broadway hit based on “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” imparted the rigors of live performance upon 88 students at a TexARTS workshop Saturday morning. The national tour wrapped its stint in Austin over the weekend at Bass Concert Hall in the University of Texas Performing Arts Center.

“Wicked” tells the tale of the land of L. Frank Baum’s Oz from the perspective of the witches.

Anne Brummel, understudy for the role of Elphaba and ensemble member, told students that musicals demand an array of skills from the cast.

“You have to sing, dance, act. In some musicals, you have to play an instrument. It’s getting more and more specific as to what you have to know,” Brummel said.

She worked with students on conveying performance and emotion through vocals and said she was impressed with how children retain a lot of information in a short amount of time.

As she went over alto lines with students, she stressed the need to put energy into vocals as much as dance moves.

“The audience can hear what you’re feeling,” she explained.

Dance captain swing Jeremy Duvall said he enjoyed the students’ enthusiasm as he taught them moves from “Dancing Through Life,” the dance that sparks the friendship of Elphaba, who later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, who soon becomes the Good Witch of the North.

“They were all very eager to learn, which is definitely a positive aspect,” Duvall said.

Kylah Schmidt, 10, of Lakeway said she realized the road to being a professional dancer wouldn’t be as easy as looking for yellow bricks.

“I was surprised by how much work goes into performing,” Kylah said.

Ensemble member Nathan Peck taught younger students not only choreography from “Dancing Through Life” and “One Short Day” but also how understanding the background or meaning of a scene can enhance a dancer’s presentation.

Peck said he wants to show children that they can make a living as a professional actor or dancer.

“It’s not just a silly pipe dream,” he said.

After working on vocals and dance, students had the chance to ask their teachers some questions.

A student asked what keeps the professionals inspired.

“One of the most amazing things about working in theater is that it’s always different,” Peck said, adding that the chance for a random light to go out or an instrument in the orchestra to blare off key keeps actors and dancers on their toes.

“Because you’re always aware, you’re always invested,” he said. “TV and film don’t have the immediacy that theater does.”

When Kalie Naftzger, 12, saw Wicked on Aug. 16, she wanted to try out those moves and vocals at the workshop.

“It was cool to see their positions and precise hand movements,” Kalie said. “It did inspire me. It motivated me to see these people working hard who have become somebody.”

TexARTS production of “Nunsense” is set for Sept. 25 to Oct. 11. For information on the association’s off-Broadway 2009-10 series, visit tex-ARTS.org.