“Just right for kids and a nostalgic blast for the grown ups”
Highly Recommended, Dean’s List A
-Dean Richards, WGN-TV & Radio
Written by L. Frank Baum
With Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg
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.
You may have been to Oz before, but never like this… Stuck on a Kansas farm with her aunt, uncle and dog Toto, Dorothy Gale wishes for a better and more exciting life. When a twister hits, Dorothy is whisked away to the wonderful world of Oz, a fantastical place full of munchkins, a cowardly lion, a tin man with no heart, a living scarecrow … and a wicked witch that will do whatever it takes to stop Dorothy.
We absolutely dazzled you with Disney’s The Little Mermaid. We made you believe in Santa with Elf The Musical. Now we’re taking you over the rainbow in what is sure to be one of our most talked about musicals yet. Thousands of families come through our doors each holiday season, and with our two-story Christmas tree and fully-decorated lobby, you can update your cherished memory of sharing the classic movie at home to sharing it all over again live on stage at the beautiful Paramount Theatre.
The Wizard of Oz Painting Party
Did you know?
- Originally from Kansas, Director Amber Mak has performed in The Wizard of Oz eight times in her professional career, including her very first job. She’s lived in the world of Oz as a performer, and now she’s ready to recreate the world of Oz as a director.
- “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written solely to pleasure children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heart-aches and nightmares are left out,” said L. Frank Baum who published the novel in 1900 and went on to write 13 more novels about the places and people of Oz.
- From the dreariness of Kansas to the technicolor land of Oz, the 30-foot tall Paramount stage will transform and imaginatively take you over the rainbow into another fantastical world.
Meet the Team
Cast
Jessica Palkovic
Ensemble, Munchkin, Jitterbug, u/s Dorothy Gale
Jessica is so excited to be teaching at The Paramount School! Jessi grew up in Peoria, IL, where her love for theatre and dance all began. Jessi studied dance with The Peoria Ballet and The Rock School for Dance Education. She also competed in the Youth American Grand Prix, an international ballet competition, in 2010 and 2011. Jessi received her collegiate musical theatre training at The Chicago College of Performing Arts and Western Illinois University. Paramount theatre credits: Cabaret(Texas, u/s Sally), The Wizard of Oz (Ensemble, u/s Dorothy) and The Producers (Ensemble). When Jessi isn’t singing and dancing, she enjoys hunting for donuts with her husband, Bobby, and cuddling with their cat, Leche. Jessi is represented by Gray Talent Group.
Elizabeth Stenholt
Dorothy Gale
previously in The Wizard of Oz
Kyle Adams *
Hunk/Scarecrow
previously in Elf and The Wizard of Oz
Carl Draper *
Hickory/Tinman
previously in Oklahoma!, Mary Poppins, A Chorus Line and My Fair Lady
Paul-Jordan Jansen *
Zeke/Cowardly Lion
previously in The Wizard of Oz and Sweeney Todd
Caron Buinis
Almira Gulch/Wicked Witch of the West
previously in Cabaret, Oklahoma! and The Music Man
Gene Weygandt *
Professor Chester Marvel/Wizard of Oz
previously in Little Shop of Horrors, The Wizard of Oz, and Annie
Emily Agy *
Ensemble, Mayor, Tree
previously in Elf
Anastasia Arnold
Ensemble, Munchkin, Jitterbug
making Paramount Theatre debut
Anna Brockman
Ensemble, Munchkin, Jitterbug
previously in The Wizard of Oz
Danielle Davila *
Ensemble, Swing
previously in Legally Blonde, Elf and The Little Mermaid
Audrey Edwards
Lullaby League
making Paramount Theatre debut
Allyson Graves *
Ensemble, Munchkin, Tree, Jitterbug
previously in The Wizard of Oz, Elf, The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia!, West Side Story, Hairspray, Oklahoma! and Mary Poppins
Elyssa Hall
Lullaby League
making Paramount Theatre debut
Rodney L. Jones III
Lollipop Guild
making Paramount Theatre debut
Christopher Kelley *
Ensemble, Munchkin, Winkie, Jitterbug, u/s Hickory/Tinman
previously in Cinderella, Kinky Boots, Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, The Producers and The Wizard of Oz
Sebastian Merlo
Lollipop Guild
making Paramount Theatre debut
Maria Montero
Ensemble, Munchkin
previously in Legally Blonde
Leah Morrow *
Ensemble, Coroner, Tree, u/s Aunt Em/Glinda, u/s Almira Gulch/Wicked Witch
making Paramount Theatre debut
Steve O’Connell *
Uncle Henry/Emerald City Guard, u/s Professor Marvel/Wizard
previously in Mamma Mia!
Nich O’Neil
Ensemble, Munchkin, Nikko
previously in Newsies and The Wizard of Oz
Jessica Palkovic
Ensemble, Munchkin, Jitterbug, u/s Dorothy Gale
previously in The Wizard of Oz and Cabaret
Peter Sipla
Ensemble, Crow, Winkie General, u/s Zeke/Lion, u/s Uncle Henry/Emerald City Guard
previously in Miss Saigon
Anthony Sullivan Jr. *
Ensemble, Crow, Winkie, Jitterbug, Dance Captain, u/s Nikko
previously in The Producers, The Wizard of Oz, Legally Blonde, The Little Mermaid and West Side Story
Trey Thompson
Lollipop Guild
making Paramount Theatre debut
Aaron Umsted *
Ensemble, Munchkin, Winkie, Jitterbug, u/s Hunk/Scarecrow
previously in Legally Blonde, Cabaret and West Side Story
Charles Emery Ward
Ensemble, Swing
Previously in Beauty and the Beast, Elf and The Little Mermaid
J Tyler Whitmer *
Ensemble, Crow, Winkie
previously in The Producers, The Wizard of Oz, Legally Blonde, Cabaret, Elf, The Little Mermaid, Oklahoma! and Miss Saigon
Travis Austin Wright *
Ensemble, Munchkin, Winkie, Jitterbug
previously in The Secret of My Success, Newsies and The Wizard of Oz
Nessa
Toto
making Paramount Theatre debut
Nigel
u/s Toto
making Paramount Theatre debut
Artistic Team
Kory Danielson
Music Director & Conductor
Kevin Depinet †
Co-Scenic Designer
Christopher Rhoton
Co-Scenic Designer
Theresa Ham †
Costume Designer
Greg Hofmann †
Lighting Designer
Kevan Loney
Projection Designer
Adam Rosenthal
Sound Designer
Katie Cordts
Wig, Hair & Makeup Designer
Jesse Mooney-Bullock
Puppetry Designer
Ethan Deppe
Electronic Music Designer
Matt Aument
Orchestrator
Susan Gosdick
Dialect Coach
Jinni Pike *
Stage Manager
Kelly Montgomery *
Assistant Stage Manager
Megan E. Farley *
Associate Director & Associate Choreographer
Charlotte Rivard-Hoster
Assistant Music Director & Associate Conductor
* indicates member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA)
† indicates member of United Scenic Artists (USA)
‡ indicates member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC)