THE WIZARD OF OZ By The Royal Winnipeg Ballet Comes to the Wharton Center

L. Frank Baum's classic story, The Wizard of Oz, comes to life in this dazzling retelling by the prestigious Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Join Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion as they journey down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City at Wharton Center on Wednesday, March 25th at 7:30PM. Tickets are now available at the official source to purchase Wharton Center tickets online, whartoncenter.com; at the Auto-Owners Insurance Ticket Office; or by calling 1-800-WHARTON.

This ballet incorporates the nostalgic storyline and visual elements (Dorothy's ruby red slippers and more) from the MGM motion picture, The Wizard of Oz. To pull off this visually stunning production, the creative team spent over 7,000 hours building 250 costumes, 112 hats and 115 pairs of point shoes. Dorothy's trusty sidekick, Toto, is here, too; he is an impressive mechanical puppet, just one of the 20 puppets featured in the production. Magical projection technology and flying effects will create a mesmerizing experience.

The full-length story ballet was commissioned by Colorado Ballet, Kanas City Ballet and Royal Winnipeg Ballet to produce a bigger-than-life production that ties together the classic book and movie.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet was formed in 1939 and holds the double distinction of being Canada's premiere ballet company and the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America. In 1953, the company received its royal title, the first granted under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The mission of the company is to enrich the human experience by teaching, creating and performing outstanding dance.

Story lines and visual elements from the classic motion picture The Wizard of Oz provided by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.