June17, 18, 24, and 25 at 7:30 p.m.

 Edwardsville LincolnMiddle School Auditorium, Highway 157 and Swartz Street, Edwardsville, IL  

Directedby Carol Hodson

Curtain's Up journeyed to the magical land of Oz. This heart-stirring adventurecombined with the terrific songs you remember from the movie.  The audience listened to thecheerful munchkins singing "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead" and theScarecrow's lamented "If I Only Had A Brain". We all went"Over The Rainbow" and  "Followed The Yellow Brick Road"to Oz during this wonderful production.

Producedby special arrangement with the Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc, New York, NY

Sponsoredin part by a grant from

SYNOPSIS:

     Dorothy Gale, a young girl who lives on a farm inKansas with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, gets in the way while the adults try towork. She finds a quiet place where she won't get into any trouble -Over TheRainbow. The girl is upset because their mean neighbor, Miss Gulch, presentsher with a Sheriff's summons for her cherished dog, Toto. Toto escapes from MissGultch's bicycle basket and joins Dorothy as she runs away from the farm. Theymeet up with kind Professor Marvel, who convinces her to go back home. A cyclonehits the area, and Dorothy and Toto are locked out of the family's storm cellar.They go into her room in the house, where Dorothy is accidently hit on the head.This begins their journey to the Land of Oz.
     When she wakes up in Oz, Dorothy is greeted byGlinda, the Witch of the North (who has an uncanny resemblance to Aunt Em.) Uponlanding, Dorothy's house inadvertently lands on and fatally strikes the WickedWitch of the East. This frees the Munchkins from the Wicked Witch of the East'spower, so they now consider Dorothy their heroine -Ding Dong! The Witch IsDead & Munchkin Musical Sequence. The Wicked Witch of the West(Miss Gulch) comes to avenge her sister's death and to claim her sister's magicruby slippers, only to find that Glinda has already put them on Dorothy's feet.The Wicked Witch of the West has a new challenge - to get those slippers forherself. Dorothy wants to go back home to Kansas, but the Munchkins tell her theonly one who may help her get back home is the Wizard of Oz. So Dorothy is offto see the Wizard -Yellow Brick Road.
     Along the way she meets three new friends andtravel companions. The Scarecrow (Hunk, the first of Uncle Henry's farmhands)explains why he needs to see the Wizard in If I Only Had A Brain. TheTinman (Hickory) joins them because his life would be better If I Only Had AHeart and the Lion (Zeke) comes along -If I Only Had The Nerve. Allfour sing We're Off To See The Wizard.
     The Wicked Witch of the West makes her secondunsuccessful attempt to get Dorothy's ruby slippers when Dorothy is with theScarecrow and the Tinman. But she fails to scare them. Her next plan includesthe Lion, and involves a beautiful field of poppies with a poisonous scent.Glinda rescues the travelers by turning the poppies into snowflakes -Poppies.
     Our travelers arrive at the Emerald City to bediscouraged from entering by the Gatekeeper (Uncle Henry). He finally lets themin -Merry Old Land Of Oz. Before they are allowed to meet the Wizard, thetravelers must be cleaned up by the Osians. Even after they prepare for themeeting, the Wizard refuses to meet them. The Wicked Witch appears again. Thelion fantasizes in King Of The Forest. The guard finally brings them tothe Wizard, but the four friends must prove themselves worthy of the Wizard'shelp by bringing him the Wicked Witch of the West's broomstick. The only way toget her broomstick would be to kill her. So off the foursome goes, to the landof the Winkies (the Wicked Witch's slaves) and the Wicked Witch's castle.
     The group is in the haunted forest filled withjitterbugs that spook them. The jitterbugs make them dance until they allcollapse from exhaustion - Jitterbug and then the Wicked Witch's flyingmonkeys swoop down and capture Dorothy and Toto. At the castle the Wicked Witchagain fails to take the ruby slippers off Dorothy's feet, so threatens Dorothywith her life. Toto manages to escape. The Lion, Scarecrow and Tinman recoverfrom the poppies' scent, and make it to the castle to rescue Dorothy. Toto meetsthem at the entrance, and they sneak in, wearing Winkie uniforms, as part of theWinkie army. The foursome and Toto are reunited, but the Wicked Witch preventstheir escape. The Wicked Witch becomes even meaner and threatens the Scarecrowwith fire on her broomstick. Dorothy throws a bucket of water at the fire andends up dousing the Wicked Witch. The Wicked Witch screams, smoulders andshrinks. She melts into nothing. -Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead (reprise).The foursome take the broom back to the Wizard.
     The Wizard is again reluctant to see thetravelers, but Toto playfully pulls aside the curtain that separates the Wizardfrom them. An ordinary man (Professor Marvel) speaking into a microphone isrevealed. As the Wizard he performs graduation exercises, giving the Scarecrow aDr. of Thinkology, making the Lion a member of the Legion of Courage and givingthe Tinman a heart-shaped watch. He offers to take Dorothy back to Kansas in hishot-air balloon. The balloon accidently takes off without Dorothy and Toto, butGlinda saves the day. She explains to Dorothy that all this time, Dorothy hashad the power herself to go home. All she has to do is close her eyes, tap herheels together three times and repeat to herself "there's no place likehome."
     Back in Kansas the storm is over. Dorothy wakes upconfused, with a bump on her head. She and Toto were not the only ones who hadan adventure during the storm. Miss Gulch was hit by a telegraph pole and brokeher leg. At least Miss Gulch won't be bothering Toto for a while. Dorothyappreciates her family and friends even more than ever.