John O'Hurley, Tamyra Gray and Aubrey Anderson-Emmons to Star in THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ
THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ will run from December 12 through December 28, 2025 at the Scherr Forum Theatre.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Oct. 23, 2025
Lythgoe Family Panto will return for the holidays, featuring THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ. The production will star Panto veteran John O’Hurley (NBC’s Seinfeld, Lythgoe Family Panto’s Peter Pan and Tinker Bell, Broadway’s Chicago) as The Wizard, Tamyra Gray (American Idol, Broadway’s Bombay Dreams and Once on This Island) as Glinda, and Aubrey Anderson-Emmons (ABC’s Modern Family – SAG Award) as Dorothy. THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ is presented by 5-Star Theatricals, TOArts and Lythgoe Family Productions.
Becky Lythgoe (Lythgoe Family Panto’s Rapunzel and Her Holiday Wish) is set to direct this production for ages 2 to 102! THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ will run from December 12 through December 28, 2025, with opening night on Saturday, December 13, at the Scherr Forum Theatre at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center.
THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ, written by Kris Lythgoe, is a holiday version of America's favorite modern fairy tale, in the style of a traditional British family panto. On Christmas Eve, Dorothy gets swept away by a “freak” Kansas blizzard and lands in a world of munchkins and witches. With songs from Lady Gaga to Earth, Wind & Fire, THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ is the perfect family experience at the holiday time. No rainbows will be hurt in this production.
In addition to O’Hurley, Anderson-Emmons, and Gray, the cast of THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ features Mark Gagliardi (Laguna Playhouse’s A Cinderella Christmas, Comedy Central’s Drunk History) as Lion, Kevin Ivins (dance performances by Dwight Rhoden, Dana Wilson, and others) as Ensemble, Sydney Kinney (Peacock’s Based On A True Story, Netflix’s The Merry Gentlemen) as Ensemble, Douglas Ladnier (Broadway’s Jekyll & Hyde, 5-Star Theatricals’ Rapunzel and Her Holiday Wish) as Tin Man, Jocelyn Mastro (67th Grammy Awards performance with The Weeknd, Cirque du Soleil) as Ensemble, Brandon Maxwell (dance performances for Imagine Dragons, Jordan Fisher) as Ensemble, Jules McKelvey (Howard High – The Movie, The Disappointments) as Ensemble, and John Shar Tzer (National Tour of Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular, Saenger Theatre’s Clue) as Scarecrow. Dancers are Faith Graham (Emerald Team), Maddison North (Emerald Team), and Caitlyn Renshaw (Yellow Team).
In addition to director Becky Lythgoe, the creative team features choreography by Becca Sweitzer, musical direction by Jesse Vargas, media design by Aaron Rhyne, lighting design by Crystal Shomph, sound design by Ian Scot Williams, production design by EK Dagenfield, and stage management by Sam Millette. The Wonderful Winter of Oz is presented by 5-Star Theatricals, TOArts and Lythgoe Family Productions.
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