The Academy of Children's Theatre will take audiences off to see the wizard with its first show of its 2009-10 season.
"We're pulling out all the stops for this year's fall musical of The Wizard of Oz," said Linda Hoffman, ACT's executive director.
The show opens Oct. 2 in the auditorium at Chief Joseph Middle School in Richland. Curtain time is 7 p.m. Additional performances are Oct. 3, 9-10 at 7 p.m. with a 3 p.m. matinee Oct. 4 and 11. Tickets are $13 for adults, $10 students and senior citizens and $5 for kids 12 and younger. Tickets are at www.academyofchildrenstheatre.org or call 943-6027.The show opens Oct. 2 in the auditorium at Chief Joseph Middle School in Richland. Curtain time is 7 p.m. Additional performances are Oct. 3, 9-10 at 7 p.m. with a 3 p.m. matinee Oct. 4. Tickets are $13 for adults, $10 students and senior citizens and $5 for kids 12 and younger. Tickets are online at www.academyofchildrenstheatre.org or call 943-6027.
"The Wizard of Oz has always been one of our favorite plays here at ACT," Hoffman said. "It's also a community favorite, and when we discovered (the film version of the story) was 70 years old, we knew we had to bring it back to the stage."
All the beloved characters you remember from the classic story will be part of ACT's show.
"We'll have flying, pyrotechnics and lots and lots of Munchkins," Hoffman said.
You'll also meet Dorothy and Toto, of course. And all those adorable Munchkins she meets after a horrific tornado whirls her and the house she shares with her Uncle Henry and Auntie Em over the rainbow.
The house finally plummets to the ground in a place called Oz where it ends up landing atop the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her.
The witch's evil sister shows up, and just when it looks like it might be curtains for Dorothy, Glinda, the Good Witch from the North shows up, snags the magical ruby slippers from the dead witch, waves her magic wand and voila! those shoes end up on Dorothy.
Well, that ugly bad witch can't do anything about that, so she huffs away in a cloud of black smoke and makes plans to get those ruby slippers another day.
Meanwhile, Dorothy must journey to Oz to find a way back home to Kansas. Along the way, she meets a trio of dorky but devoted chums, one looking for a brain, one seeking a heart and another in search of some courage.
Rebecca Kelly, a Kamiakin High freshman, is Dorothy, with Southridge High drama teacher Barbara Wilson as the Wicked Witch of the West.
There's the Scarecrow, played by Chis Kelly, the Tin Man, played by Breck Huerta, and the Cowardly Lion, who is Ty Wilde. All three are seniors at Kamiakin High. Jim Mailloux of Kennewick is the all powerful Wizard of Oz and Sarah Jackson is Glinda.
Music teacher Perry Kelly is heading up the vocals for the production.
"He's got a special interest in this cast with three of his own children participating," Hoffman said. "Our cast ranges in age from 6 to 65."
Costuming for the show has been in the hands of Cynthia Chase Spilman, who's been aided by a band of volunteers to create the elaborate costumes.
◗ Dori O'Neal: 582-1514; doneal@tricityherald.com