The Wizard of OZ

The Wizard of OZ

The Wizard of OZ

Presenting Sponsor: BMOThe Asper FoundationThe Estate of Barbara Cookhttps://www.rwb.org/uploads/gallery/oz_top_page_barbaracook.jpg

​L. Frank Baum’s tale of family, friendship, and courage is vividly brought to life by choreographer Septime Webre in the Canadian premier of The Wizard of Oz. Join Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion as they journey down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City.

(Story lines and visual elements from the MGM Motion Picture THE WIZARD OF OZ provided by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.)

“When the Royal Winnipeg Ballet opened its eagerly anticipated run of The Wizard of Oz, on Wednesday night, it presented a blockbuster ballet so bold and often quite brilliant one might be tempted to say American choreographer Septime Webre has turned the rarified art form on its head.”
- Holly Harris | Winnipeg Free Press, 2019

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Pre-Show Chats

Come early to Centennial Concert Hall to catch interviews before each performance on the right side of the Concert Hall lobby.

Pre-Show Chat Schedule

Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Host
Tracy Koga | Hue Host
Guest Septime Webre | Wizard of Oz Choreographer

Thursday, May 2, 2019
Host
Stephanie Tsicos | CTV Winnipeg Reporter
Guest Liam Caines | RWB Second Soloist Dancer
Guest Jaimi Deleau | RWB Corps de Ballet Dancer

Friday, May 3, 2019
Host
Doug Speirs | Winnipeg Free Press Columnist
Guest Julian Pelicano | WSO Conductor

Saturday, May 4, 2019
Host
AJ Leite | Hot 100.5 Morning Show Host
Guest Jean Orr | Former RWB Dancer /RWB Alumnus

Sunday, May 5, 2019
Host
Simeon Rusnak | Classic 107 FM Host
Guest Katie Bonnell | RWB Corps de Ballet Dancer

Featured Creative Team

    Choreographer

    Septime Webre

    Lighting Designer

    Trad A. Burns

    Composer

    Matthew Pierce

    Projection Designer

    Aaron Rhyne

    Scenic Designer

    Michael Raiford

    Puppetry Designer

    Nicholas Mahon

    Costume Designer

    Liz Vandal

    Stager

    Larouche

Full Cast

Sophia Lee
Sophia Lee as Dorothy (1,3,5)
Alanna McAdie
Alanna McAdie as Dorothy (2,4)
Jaimi Deleau
Jaimi Deleau as Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch (1,3,5), Munchkin Ladies (2,4), Female Poppy (2,4), Poser Lady (2,4), Winkie Women (2,4)
Sarah Davey
Sarah Davey as Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch (2,4), Munchkin Lady (1,3,5) Female Poppy (1,3,5), Poser Lady (1,3,5), Winkie Women (1,3,5)
Yayoi Ban
Yayoi Ban as Aunt Em/Glinda/Emerald Ballerina (1,3,5), Curly Cues (2,4), Female Poppy (2,4), Yayoi Ban (2,4)
Elizabeth Lamont
Elizabeth Lamont as Aunt Em/Glinda/Emerald Ballerina (2,4), Curly Cues (1,3,5), Female Poppy (1,3,5), Poser Lady (1,3,5), Winkie Women (1,3,5)
Josh Reynolds
Josh Reynolds as Uncle Henry/Emerald Officer (1,3,5), Farmhand/Lion (2,4), Male Poppy (1,3,5), Monkey Puppeteer (1,3,5)
Tyler Carver
Tyler Carver as Uncle Henry/Emerald Officer (2,4), Kansas Puppeteers, Munchkin Men (1,3,5), Yellow Brick Roadie, Male Poppy, Poser Men (1,3,5), Winged Monkey
Stephan Azulay
Stephan Azulay as Farmhand/Scarecrow (1,3,5), Kansas Puppeteers (2,4), Ruffian (2,4), Male Poppy (2,4), Monkey Puppeteer (2,4), Winkie Man (2,4)
Yue Shi
Yue Shi as Farmhand/Scarecrow (2,4), Kansas Puppeteers (1,3,5), Ruffian (2,4), Male Poppy (1,3,5), Monkey Puppeteer (1,3,5), Winkie Man (1,3,5)
Yosuke Mino
Yosuke Mino as Farmhand/Tin Man (1,3,5), Kansas Puppeteers (2,4), Male Poppy (2,4), Monkey Puppeteer (2,4)
Ryan Vetter
Ryan Vetter as Farmhand/Tin Man (2,4), Kansas Puppeteers (1,3,5), Ruffian (1,3,5), Monkey Puppeteer (1,3,5), Winkie Man (1,3,5)
Liam Caines
Liam Caines as Farmhand/Lion (1,3,5), Munchkin Men (2,4), Yellow Brick Roadie, Poser Men (2,4), Monkey Puppeteer (2,4)
Dmitri Dovgoselets
Dmitri Dovgoselets as Prof. Marvel/Green Whiskers/Wizard
Evelyn Little
Evelyn Little as Wizard’s Apprentice (1,3,5)
Lileia Silvaggio
Lileia Silvaggio as Wizard’s Apprentice (2,4)
Cameron Fraser-Monroe
Cameron Fraser-Monroe as Toto
Zhenxi Geng
Zhenxi Geng as Kansas Puppeteers, Yellow Brick Roadie, Monkey Puppeteer
Liam Saito
Liam Saito as Kansas Puppeteers, Ruffian, Male Poppy, Bell Hop, Monkey Puppeteer, Winkie Man
Peter Lancksweerdt
Peter Lancksweerdt as Kansas Puppeteers, Ruffian (2,4), Yellow Brick Roadie, Male Poppy, Bell Hop, Monkey Puppeteer, Winkie Man
Kolbie Edwards
Kolbie Edwards as Kansas Puppeteers, Munchkin Men, Yellow Brick Roadie, Male Poppy, Poser Men, Winged Monkey
Bryce Taylor
Bryce Taylor as Kansas Puppeteers, Munchkin Men, Yellow Brick Roadie, Male Poppy, Poser Men, Winged Monkey
Michel Lavoie
Michel Lavoie as Kansas Puppeteers, Munchkin Men, Yellow Brick Roadie, Male Poppy, Poser Men, Monkey Puppeteer, Winkie Man (2,4)
Peter-Nicholas Taylor
Peter-Nicholas Taylor as Kansas Puppeteers, Munchkin Men, Yellow Brick Roadie, Poser Men, Monkey Puppeteer
Amanda Solheim
Amanda Solheim as Munchkin Ladies (2,4), Female Poppy
Jenna Burns
Jenna Burns as Munchkin Ladies, Tree, Poser Lady, Winkie Women
Erika Delponte
Erika Delponte as Munchkin Ladies, Tree, Female Poppy, Poser Lady (2,4), Winkie Women
Katie Bonnell
Katie Bonnell as Munchkin Ladies (1,3,5), Curly Cues (2,4), Female Poppy, Poser Lady, Winkie Women
Erin Atkinson
Erin Atkinson as Munchkin Ladies, Tree, Female Poppy, Poser Lady, Monkey Puppeteer, Winkie Women
Saeka Shirai
Saeka Shirai as Curly Cues, Female Poppy, Pop Corn Girl, Winkie Women
Chenxin Liu
Chenxin Liu as Curly Cues (1,3,5), Female Poppy, Pop Corn Girl, Winkie Women

All casting is subject to change  

Synopsis

Kansas

It is morning on Uncle Henry and Aunt Em’s farm in Kansas and the farmhands goof off between chores, ignoring Dorothy, who feels unappreciated and dreams of a place far away. Their unpleasant neighbor, Miss Gulch arrives to complain about Dorothy’s little dog, Toto, threatening to take him away. Toto escapes and Dorothy runs away with him. On the road, Dorothy meets a showman, Professor Marvel, who urges her to return to the farm as a twister approaches.

The Twister & Munchkinland

Dorothy is lifted into the sky by the twister and travels for what seems like an eternity. Suddenly she plops to the ground with a thud. The twister has taken her to the Land of Oz, where she meets the Munchkins and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. Dorothy’s bed has fallen upon the Witch of the East, killing her, and freeing the Munchkins from her power. As the Munchkins celebrate, the Wicked Witch of the West arrives to claim her sister’s magical ruby slippers, and avenge her sister’s death. But in a flash, the ruby slippers appear on Dorothy’s feet, thwarting the Witch… for the moment. Dorothy wants to go home to Kansas. The Munchkins tell Dorothy that, surely the Wizard of Oz will help her, and she sets off down the Yellow Brick Road towards the Emerald City to find him.

Along the Yellow Brick Road

Along the way, Dorothy and Toto meet three new friends who need help: a Scarecrow whose head full of straw; a Tin Man with an empty chest, and a Lion who is afraid of his own tail. Dorothy invites them to join her to see if the Wizard can help them too. When the Wicked Witch fails to intimidate Dorothy and her friends, she creates a beautiful field of poppies whose scent is poisonous. Glinda causes it to snow, and the poppies melt away, revealing the gates of the Emerald City. Dorothy and her friends boldly knock on the gates but the Guard with the Green Whiskers and his Assistant send them away.

The Emerald City

The Guard sees that Dorothy is wearing the ruby slippers and assumes she must be a person of great importance. He welcomes the friends into the Emerald City. As they are preparing to meet the Wizard, the Witch flies by with another warning to Dorothy: give her those slippers! Unsettled, the group is led into the Wizard’s throne room where they ask for his help. He tells them that to prove themselves worthy of his assistance they must bring him the broom stick of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Winged Monkeys and the Witch’s Castle

Dorothy and her friends depart in haste, and as they make their way to the Witch’s Castle, they are set upon by the Witch’s Winged Monkeys who capture Dorothy, The Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion, sneak into the castle to try to free Dorothy and Toto, who have been imprisoned by the Witch and the Winkies, her slaves. Amid the chaos, the Witch makes a grab for the ruby slippers and Dorothy defends herself by throwing a bucket of water on the Witch, who melts into nothingness. The friends take her broomstick and return to the Emerald City.

The Humbug and Dorothy’s Return Home

In the Throne Room, the Wizard is reluctant to help Dorothy and her friends, when Toto discovers a befuddled man behind an emerald wall: it turns out that the Wizard is a humbug. He’s not a wizard at all, but an ordinary man from Kansas who found himself in Oz after he lost control of his hot-air balloon. The Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion impatiently remind him that he promised to help them, but the Wizard points out that they don’t need his help—they have already shown brains, heart and courage beyond measure. As for Dorothy, he tells her that he will take Toto and her to Kansas himself in his hot-air balloon. As they prepare to depart, Toto runs off, and Dorothy chases him, but it’s too late—the wind has already taken the Wizard, leaving Dorothy and Toto behind. Glinda appears, telling Dorothy that her ruby slippers will take her home. Dorothy says farewell to her friends, and with the aid of the slippers, wills herself home. Dorothy awakens to finds herself at home in Kansas, with Toto asleep at her feet.