Live, On Stage! PCP's The Wizard of Oz Opens Friday November 8!

Join the Portland Civic Players on a journey over the rainbow to visit the magical Land of Oz! The cast and crew are excited, and ready to present L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz, November 8-10 and 15-17. The story begins when a tornado rips through Kansas, and Dorothy, and her dog, Toto, are whisked away to the wonderful land of Oz. They follow the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City to meet the Wizard, and en route, meet a Scarecrow that needs a brain, a Tin Man missing a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who just wants some courage. You won't want to miss this timeless classic.

Led by Mary Timmer as Dorothy, Jonathan Showerman as the Scarecrow, Antonius Watkins as the Tinman, and Jonathan Bair as The Cowardly Loin, the cast also includes Pamela Robinson as Aunt Em, Bob White as Uncle Henry, Jessica Schneider as Miss Gulch, Rory Miller as Professor Marvel, Cassie Little as Glinda, the Good Witch, Mary Teachout as the Wicked Witch of the West, Francis Austen as the Mayor of Munchkinland, Keagan Krieger as the Coroner, and Simon White as the Barrister. The Lollipop Guild includes Clayton Rice, Xander Dilley, and Evelyn Johnson. Abby Rice, Maria Austen, and Olivia Evansen make up the Lullaby League. The crows are portrayed by Chuck Dibean, Emerson Dibean, Preston Dibean and Wade Dibean; with Kali Thelen, Emily Perry, and Krysta Koenigsknecht as the Trees. In the Emerald City, you will meet Kent Bennett as the Guard, Marriah Lawler, Veronica White, and Melody Merrill as the Beauticians, Tom Little, Rory Miller and Chuck Dibean as the Polishers, Candice Dilley, Amanda Laming, Nikki Morgan and Kristi Dibean as the Manicurists, and Richard Hans as the Wizard of Oz. Avery Martin is Nikko, Commander of the Monkeys and Chuck Dibean is the Winkie General. Rounding out the chorus are Nathaniel Barron, Rosemary Camp, Ember Dilley, Leon Miller, Jack Sheehan, Lyndsey Camp, Maddy Day, Cecelia Little, and Charlotte Sheehan. The part of Toto is played by Pippin.

"It is a privilege to be at the helm of so much talent, creativity and plain, old-fashioned hard work. I am humbled by my cast, crew, design, and tech teams. So much goes into bringing this magic to our community, and incredibly, it's all volunteer! I hope you get tickets to support these people and experience the wonder of live theater!" said director, Mattie Timmer.

The Wizard of Oz is presented through special arrangement with TMS-WITMARK www.tamswitmark.com. The Wizard of Oz is written by L. Frank Baum, music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and EY Harburg, with background music by Herbert Stothart. Dance and vocal arrangements by Peter Howard, and orchestration by Larry Wilcox. Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company, based upon the classic motion picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros. This much loved classic is sure to please all!

The PCP production is directed by Mattie Timmer, with assistant director Dr. Roger Miller. Musical director is Louise Hill, and Orchestra Director is Charlene Hans. Play dates are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 8-10 and 15-17. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:30pm. Performances are at the Portland Community Theater located at 231 Maple Street, Portland, Michigan. Call (517) 647-4041 or go online to PortlandCivicPlayers.com for reservations.