Centenary Stage Company's THE WIZARD OF OZ Opens This Weekend

Centenary Stage Company will present The Wizard of Oz for their Holiday Musical Spectacular. Opening this Friday the 23^rd at 8 p.m., shows are already filling up fast. Audiences can begin the holiday season with a family classic brought to life at the Sitnik Theatre in the David and Carol Lackland Center. Featuring a cast of 50 actors on the stage, The Wizard of Oz is a musical tradition following the story of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion and Toto, too. These beloved characters visit Hackettstown on their way to the Emerald City, as CSC presents the Royal Shakespeare Company'S (RSC) adaptation by Frank Gabrielson and John Kane, with Music and Lyrics from the MGM motion picture score by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. The RSC said this adaptation came about when the Artistic Director of the company asked for a show that could be performed annually over the Christmas season, so this show is especially made for families to celebrate the holiday season.

This production includes lively dance routines and familiar songs such as Academy Award-winning song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" as well as an added show-stopping dance number, "The Jitterbug," which was edited out from the original movie. Artistic Director Carl Wallnau stated, "You only have to say it to people, and a smile comes on their face." Directed and choreographed by Broadway, film, and television veteran Michael Blevins, The Wizard of Oz features a cast of talented actors, dancers and musicians from all over New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Flying By Foy, one of the most prolific and widely-respected theatrical flying services in the world, headquartered in Las Vegas, has come to execute the flying of the Witches, the Wizard, the monkeys, and more, creating a spectacle not to be missed and a first for Centenary Stage Company.

The Friday, November 30^th performance of The Wizard of Oz will coincide with Hackettstown's Hometown Holiday Celebration, which will include the arrival of Santa in a horse-drawn sleigh, horse-drawn carriage rides between Centenary and the Holiday Gazebo, a parade featuring the Colonial Musketeers, performances by local choirs and a holiday bazaar. For more information on the celebration, visit the Hackettstown Business Improvement District website at hackettstownbid.com.

The dining hall at the Lackland Center will also host a special Yule Fest dinner ($12.50) before the show dates on Saturday, November 1^st and 8^th and a brunch ($10.00) on Sunday, November 2^nd and 9^th. There will be different vendors from the community also set up selling special holiday gifts so that audiences can get an opportunity to catch up on their holiday shopping.

The Wizard of Oz opens Friday, November 23^rd and will run until December 9^th. Tickets range from $20-$29.50 with discounts for students and seniors. Every Thursday night is "Family Night," which offers a 2-for-1 rush ticket price when purchased at the door. Performance times are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. There are also 2 p.m. matinees on Friday, November 23^rd (preview) and Wednesday, November 28^th and 10 a.m. school matinees on Tuesday, December 4^th and Wednesday, December 5^th. To purchase tickets or to find more information on other performances in the 2012-2013 season, visit www.centenarystageco.org or call (908) 979-0900. Patrons are encouraged to check the age recommendations for individual shows.

The Wizard of Oz is sponsored in part by Restaurant Village in Long Valley and Hackettstown Regional Medical Center. The Centenary Stage Company is a not-for-profit professional equity theatre, in residence at Centenary College, dedicated to serving as a cultural resource for audiences of the Skylands Region with professional music, theatre and dance events and arts education programs throughout the year. Performances at the Centenary Stage Company are made possible through the visionary support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, and CSC members, friends and sponsors, including Premier Sponsor Heath Village, Silver Sponsors Hackettstown Regional Medical Center and The Holiday Inn, and Series sponsors, Fulton Bank, Mamas and Café Baci.