Alliance Theatre presents The Wizard of Oz

Alliance Theatre presents the beloved classic The Wizard of Oz

Feb. 25 – Mar. 11, 2012; Opening Night: Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7:00 p.m.

“FAMILIES Centerstage” scheduled for March 3, 2012 –

Annual Alliance fundraiser includes family festival and tickets to The Wizard of Oz

ATLANTA, November 22, 2011 — Atlanta’s nationally acclaimed Alliance Theatre will present The Wizard of Oz February 22 through March 11, 2012 as part of its Theatre for Young Audiences series.

Introduce your children to the kind of magic only found in the Land of Oz. This 70-minute production features iconic songs like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Follow the Yellow Brick Road” from the movie score and is filled with characters who are like childhood friends one never tires of visiting. The Wizard of Oz reminds us that no matter what you’re searching for, you don’t have to look further than your own backyard.

While remaining true to the story and familiar characters, the Alliance’s version of The Wizard of Oz will uniquely incorporate an “American Folk Art” design concept. This seems a natural fit, since, for example, the Tin Man is composed of tin found-object items making him essentially a work of folk art. Casting also reflects the diversity of the Atlanta community in the same way folk art reflects the surroundings of each artist.

“Our Alliance Oz is inspired by the ingenuity of famous American folk artists and by the license that is granted to all “outsider artists” – to create from the heart in ways that move the spirit,” said Rosemary Newcott, Sally G. Tomlinson Artistic Director of Theatre for Youth.

The Wizard of Oz will delight old and new audiences with vivid characters and enduring themes that inspire in a way that only live theatre can.

“We dedicate this production to all the artists out there who see with youthful hearts and recreate beauty often from the most humble elements… and perhaps help all of us to identify and appreciate the places we call ‘home,’” said Newcott.

The cast for The Wizard of Oz includes Lowrey Brown as Scarecrow/Hunk, Jordan Craig as Tin Woodsman/Hickory, Je Nie Fleming as Wicked Witch of the West/Miss Almira Gultch, Reay Kaplan as Nikko/Lead Puppeteer, Patrick McColery as Uncle Henry Gale/Lead Winkie, Erin Meadows as Glinda Good Witch of the North/Aunt Em, Brandon O’Dell as Wizard of Oz/Professor Chester Marvel, Brad Raymond as Cowardly Lion/Zeke, and Sharisa Whatley as Dorothy Gale.

On March 3, the Woodruff Arts Center Galleria will transform into a family fun fair with live performances, arts, crafts and music for the whole family to enjoy! Besides all of the festivities of FAMILIES Centerstage, your tickets include admission to either the 1:00 pm or 4:00 pm performance of The Wizard of Oz. Tickets for FAMILIES Centerstage support the education program at the Alliance Theatre. Tickets for FAMILIES Centerstage are available at alliancetheatre.org/familiescenterstage for $35 for adults and $25 for children. Sponsorship opportunities are also available (see below).

The Wizard of Oz will only have twelve performances - Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00pm and 3:30pm, from Feb. 25-March 11, 2012 on the Alliance Stage.

Adult tickets are $35 and Child tickets are $20 and are available at The Woodruff Arts Center Box Office, by calling 404.733.5000 or visiting online at www.alliancetheatre.org/oz. Discount rates for groups of 10 or more are available by calling 404.733.4690. Discount rates are also available for members of the military, seniors and students. The Alliance Theatre is located at The Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree Street, at the corner of Peachtree and 15th Street, in Midtown Atlanta.

The Wizard of Oz is part of the Delta Family Series on the Alliance Stage.

Additional Sponsors: The Wizard of Oz is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines – Official Airline of the Alliance Theatre; Marriott Residence Inn – Official Hotel of the Alliance Theatre; The Home Depot – Set Construction Sponsor of the Alliance Theatre; and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

Production of The Wizard of Oz is made possible with grants from the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, the Fulton County Arts Council, the Georgia Council for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Families Center Stage:

Benefiting the Alliance Theatre's education program
Festival is from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Family Fun Fair + The Wizard of Oz!

For one day only, the Woodruff Arts Center Galleria transforms into a family fun fair with live performances, arts, crafts and music for the whole family to enjoy! Besides all of the festivities of FAMILIES Centerstage, your tickets include admission to either the 1:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. performance of The Wizard of Oz.

Go to alliancetheatre.org/familiescenterstage for tickets and more information. Tickets are $35 for adults and $25 for children. To learn about becoming a patron sponsor for FAMILIES Centerstage, please contact Lindsey Hardegree at lindsey.hardegree@woodruffcenter.org.

Calendar Listing Synopsis:

The Wizard of Oz

Alliance Theatre

February 22 – March 11, 2012

Introduce your children to the kind of magic only found in the Land of Oz. This 70-minute production features iconic songs like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Follow the Yellow Brick Road” from the movie score and is filled with characters who are like childhood friends one never tires of visiting. The Wizard of Oz reminds us that no matter what you’re searching for, you don’t have to look further than your own backyard. The Alliance production is inspired by American Folk art, representing the style in all design aspects of the production.

For tickets, visit alliancetheatre.org/oz or call 404.733.5000.

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About the Alliance Theatre

Founded in 1968, the Alliance Theatre remains closely tied to the cultural identity of Atlanta, growing as the city has grown. The theatre has gained national recognition and prominence as we have become a leading international city. In 1977, the Alliance merged with the Atlanta Children’s Theatre (founded in 1929) in order to include Atlanta’s youngest audiences in fully produced theatrical experiences. In 1979, the Alliance created the Theatre School (now the Acting Program and Education Department) in order to strengthen the relationship with our community. In 2007, under the leadership of Susan Booth, Artistic Director, the Alliance received the Regional Theatre Tony Award®, in recognition for sustained excellence in programming, education and community engagement.

Realizing that our audience and the national field supports plays developed in Atlanta, the Alliance has created a large body of new work. The Alliance produces world premiere American musicals with a strong track record of Broadway, touring and subsequent regional productions. The theatre creates and nurtures the plays and careers of early career playwrights through the Alliance/Kendeda Graduate Playwright Competition, providing a premiere for the winner as part of our regular season and national networking opportunities for four finalists. Locally based artists create work on a nationally watched stage, launching and sustaining Atlanta’s artistic community. Finally we create and produce original plays for young audiences at every age level: from the Collision Project which creates opportunities for high school artists to collide with classic texts to the ground breaking Theatre for the Very Young, creating interactive work for infants and toddlers.

The Alliance takes great pride in our multi generational educational programming. Believing that the same excellence found on our stage must be found in our education programs, the Alliance created the Alliance Theatre Institute for Educators and Teaching Artists. A collaborative partnership between the Alliance and partner schools, institute programs equip teachers with theatrical techniques that link directly to school curriculum, align with the Georgia Performance Standards, and increase student learning. These innovative programs include GA Wolf Trap, a nationally recognized professional learning program that focuses on literacy skills for children in pre-K – 2nd grade, Dramaturgy K-12, a unique program that empowers student scholars to create research material that both informs Alliance productions and prepares their peer audiences; and Collision Plus, which takes the creativity and collaboration of the Collision Project into our high school classrooms. The Alliance also offers community education, including classes for all ages and abilities of theatre interest; and adult student productions of unproduced plays in development (working with local writers and playwrights from the National Graduate Playwriting Competition). Twice recognized by the Federal Department of Education as leaders in the field of arts education, these programs reflect the Alliance’s commitment to city wide arts access.

The Alliance Theatre strives to set the highest artistic standards and create the powerful experience of shared theatre for a diverse audience. Above all else, we value excellence, pursued with integrity and creativity, and achieved through collaboration.

The Alliance Theatre is a division of The Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia, which also houses the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, High Museum of Art and Young Audiences.

404.733.4650 or www.alliancetheatre.org