Ridgefield Playhouse to Present THE WIZARD OF OZ, DOKTOR KABOOM in May

On the heels of the 75th Anniversary tribute to The Wizard of Oz at the Academy Awards, The Ridgefield Playhouse will follow suit by presenting the famed story for children of all ages on Saturday, May 3, at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. In a musical adaptation of the classic "The Wizard of Oz", the story will come to life for the young-at-heart. The songs featured in this beloved tale include "Soup's On", "Somewhere", "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" and "It's So Easy to be a Witch". Doktor Kaboom will prove that science can be fun when the stage production Doktor Kaboom!, which cleverly blends the wonders of science with theatre, comes to The Ridgefield Playhouse on Wednesday, May 7, at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. This event is ideal for grades 2 - 8.

Children can follow the yellow brick road right along with the actors who tell the timeless tale about the little girl from Kansas and her unlikely companions. This Pepsi Children's Series event is presented by American Family Theater and underwritten by Wooster School of Danbury, and is sponsored by Books on the Common with support from The Ridgefield Library. Media sponsor is 98Q. The Union Savings Bank Arts for Everyone recipient is SPHERE.

The Wizard of Oz teaches kids about strength, brains, bravery, compassion and courage. The characters in The Wizard of Oz are -like humans- complex with contradictory natures. The Scarecrow, The Tinman and the Lion all lack self-confidence. By the end of the play, the characters attain self-fulfillment.

Doktor Kaboom! offers a unique way to help students see science in a whole new light. It's an interactive one-man science variety show. The creation of Actor/Comedian David Epley, Doktor Kaboom! cleverly blends theatre arts with the wonders of scientific exploration. He will take children on a sidesplitting journey of increasingly spectacular, and often successful, experiments and demonstrations. Doktor Kaboom! keeps his crowds riveted with interest and rolling with laughter. It's an amazing educational tour of the modern scientific method, using humor and comedy while demonstrating spectacular applications of the physical sciences. This event is underwritten by Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation with support from The Box of Rain Foundation, First Student Buses, The Leir Retreat Center, The Philip H. and Christine Lodewick Foundation, Newman's Own Foundation and Union Savings Bank.

For tickets for Wizard ($15) and Doktor Kaboom! ($10), call the box office at 203-438-5795, or order online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a not-for-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.