Septime Webre's THE WIZARD OF OZ to be Presented at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's The Wizard of Oz with the PBT Orchestra will open next Friday, May 9. The family-friendly production is a Pittsburgh premiere by Septime Webre, choreographer and artistic director of Hong Kong Ballet. PBT will perform the colorful, family-friendly ballet May 9-18 at the Benedum Center as the closing production of its 2024-25 Emerald Season.

This version of The Wizard of Oz stays true to the beloved classic movie and book and includes all of L. Frank Baum's signature characters, and brings the Emerald City to dazzling life with incredible flying sequences, extravagant costumes, beautiful sets, special effects, dynamic choreography and original music from Matthew Pierce played live by the PBT Orchestra.

PBT invites audiences to follow Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion during this extraordinary adventure as they travel into the Land of Oz to find the Wizard and battle the Wicked Witch. This breathtaking Pittsburgh premiere of The Wizard of Oz includes the familiar faces of many PBT artists, including:

Tommie Lin Kesten and Grace Rookstool both portray Dorothy, while Corey Bourbonniere and Emry Amoky take on the role of the Scarecrow. Colin McCaslin and Josiah Kauffman appear as the Tin Man, and Matthew Griffin and Rylan Doty portray the Lion. Madeline Gradle and Madison Russo play the Wicked Witch, and Lucius Kirst and David O'Matz share the role of the Wizard of Oz.

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Webre's The Wizard of Oz was jointly commissioned by Kansas City Ballet, Colorado Ballet and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and premiered at Kansas City Ballet in 2019. The production includes:

• 85 roles for PBT artists and student dancers

• 44 flying cues, including ones for Dorothy, the Wicked Witch, Glinda, the Wizard, flying monkeys and more

• 617 gorgeous costume pieces designed by Liz Vandal

• 100 costume changes

• 96 pairs of dyed shoes (21 different colors per show)

• 42 puppets designed by Nicholas Mahon, including Toto

• Multiple projections by Aaron Rhyne

• Colorful and imaginative scenic design by Michael Raiford

• An original score by Matthew Pierce

Choreographer Septime Webre is an internationally recognized ballet director, choreographer and educator. He is currently the Artistic Director of Hong Kong Ballet and previously served as artistic director of The Washington Ballet and American Repertory Ballet. He has choreographed numerous ballets, often adapting them from literary classics, including The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises, Alice (in Wonderland), Peter Pan and Cinderella.

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