THE WIZ Extends Due to Community Support

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) and Penumbra Theatre announced today they will extend their critically-acclaimed production of The Wiz by an additional week due to the tremendous response from the community. The show has received glowing reviews from arts critics around the Twin Cities and an estimated 52,000 people have seen the production to date. The additional week will add over 5,000 more available seats for audiences to enjoy this production.

"We're thrilled that our coproduction of The Wiz has been so well received," states Penumbra Theatre's Artistic Director Sarah Bellamy. "This beloved story told from the perspective of an African American girl whose search for home transforms everyone around her strikes such a heartfelt chord right now and is such a powerful metaphor for the world today. When we make space for the most vulnerable, we all prosper. The extension of this show speaks to the tremendous talent of our cast, the visionary creative leadership at the helm, and the power of a partnership that delivers cultural authenticity and genuine inclusion."

"We are thrilled that our first partnership project with Penumbra Theatre has been such a success," states CTC Artistic Director Peter Brosius. "The cast has been dazzling, the creative team has put together a terrific production and audiences across the Midwest have been embracing this production. We couldn't be more excited to add another week of this production and have more people see this incredible musical."

Ease on down the road with Dorothy and her friends with a dazzling mixture of rock, gospel and soul music. Embark on this Oz-some adventure through a magic land where you will meet funky monkeys, winkies, Addaperle and Evillene. You don't need a wizard-just believe in yourself to find home and feel that brand-new day.

The Wiz, produced by Children's Theatre Company and Penumbra Theatre is playing now through March 25, 2018 on the UnitedHealth Group Stage and is recommended for all ages. Individual show tickets and subscriptions can be purchased at childrenstheatre.org or by calling the ticket office at 612.874.0400. This production is proudly sponsored by Deluxe and Thomson Reuters.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is the nation's largest and most acclaimed theatre for multigenerational audiences. It creates theatre experiences that educate, challenge, and inspire nearly 275,000 people annually. CTC is the only theatre focused on young audiences to win the coveted Tony Award® for Outstanding Regional Theatre and is the only theatre in Minnesota to receive three Tony® nominations (for its production of A Year with Frog and Toad). CTC is committed to producing world class productions at the highest level and to developing new works, more than 200 to date, dramatically changing the canon of work for young audiences.

Penumbra Theatre is the largest and among the oldest African American theatre companies in the country. Penumbra produces artistically excellent, thought-provoking, and socially responsible drama that illuminates the depth and breadth of the black experience. Penumbra has achieved national recognition for its quality productions and for launching the careers of many respected artists, including two-time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright August Wilson. Penumbra's educational programming sits at the intersection of art and social change, focusing on building equity, eliminating racism, and unleashing the power of the creative performing arts to create more inclusive, compassionate communities.