CHAMPAIGN, IL- The greatest family musical of all time, THE WIZARD OF OZ, is touching down in Champaign as NETworks Presentations brings this national treasure to the Assembly Hall Star Theatre April 8, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for THE WIZARD OF OZ are on sale now and start at only $35. Tickets are available online at ticketmaster.com or at the Assembly Hall Box Office. To Charge-By-Phone, call 217-333-5000. Groups of 10 or more should call Rose at 217-333-5404.
This magical production, based on the Royal Shakespeare Company's celebration of the 1939 MGM movie, is presented with breathtaking special effects that will sweep audiences away, from the moment the tornado twists its way into Kansas.
Twelve children from the local dance studio Art in Motion will be performing the roles of “munchkins.” Singing timeless classics such as “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead,” the local children with help bring this beloved classic to the stage of their hometown as part of their continuing performing arts education.
Director Nigel West, choreographer Leigh Constantine and set and costume designer Tim McQuillen-Wright utilize the glamour and elegance of art deco Hollywood as the visually stunning technicolor backdrop for THE WIZARD OF OZ. Dorothy, Toto and their friends the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow are transported “Over the Rainbow” to adventures in Munchkin Land, the Haunted Forest and the Emerald City.
Featuring the classic songs, as composed by Harold Arlen, “Over the Rainbow,” “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead” and “If I Only Had A Brain,” along with the beloved characters, THE WIZARD OF OZ will have the entire family captivated as they travel down the yellow brick road for an unforgettable evening at the theater.
For more information visit: www.wizardofozontour.com or www.uofiassemblyhall.com
NETworks Presentations, LLC (Producer) Founded in 1995 by Kenneth Gentry, Seth Wenig and Scott Jackson, NETworks has produced and managed over 70 national and international touring productions. Previous productions include Oliver!, Little Women starring Maureen McGovern, Jekyll & Hyde, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Cinderella starring Eartha Kitt and Deborah Gibson, Fosse starring Ben Vereen and Ruthie Henshaw, The Light in the Piazza, My Fair Lady co-produced with Cameron Mackintosh, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma, Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, Sweeney Todd, The Demon Baber of Fleet Street, among many others. Joining returning hits Annie, The Drowsy Chaperone, Hairspray and The Wizard of Oz this season are Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Young Frankenstein, and the Lincoln Center's production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific. Future titles include Joyful Noise's production of Handel's Messiah Rocks, Spring Awakening and Les Miserables.
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