Nicole Parker Joins THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ in Thousand Oaks

Nicole Parker (Broadway’s Wicked, Pasadena Playhouse’s La Cage Aux Folles, Off-Broadway’s Titanique) will play the Wicked Witch of the West, and join the cast for the Lythgoe Family Panto’s magical holiday production of THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ. The limited engagement stars the previously announced 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, directed by Becky Lythgoe (Lythgoe Family Panto’s Rapunzel and Her Holiday Wish). THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ will run from December 12 through December 28, 2025, with the opening night on Friday, December 12, at the Scherr Forum Theatre at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center (2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd). Tickets are available online at TOpanto.com.

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 and Fire, THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ is the perfect family experience at the holiday time. No rainbows will be hurt in this production.

“We’re beyond thrilled to add the multi-hyphenate Nicole Parker to the cast,” shared Director Becky Lythgoe. “In Titanique, New York audiences were blown away by her comedy and improv chops, and as Elphaba in Wicked, her vocal skills soared. Audiences should be prepared for an exhilarating and hilarious ride with Nicole!”

“TOArts and 5-Star Theatricals are thrilled to once again partner with the Lythgoe family for their production of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” exclaimed 5-Star Theatricals Executive Director Cindy Murray. “Their shows fill the stage with joy, energy, and heart. It’s especially wonderful to see families and first-time theatergoers sharing in that magic together—bringing our community together through the joy of live theatre is exactly what we strive for.”

“It’s an honor to return to Thousand Oaks and work with such supportive partners who share our passion for introducing the next generation to theatre,” said Lythgoe Family Productions Producer Kris Lythgoe. “We’re thrilled to welcome back Seinfeld’s John O’Hurley, joined by Tamyra Gray and Modern Family star Aubrey Anderson-Emmons. The Wonderful Winter of Oz promises to be a fun, festive experience for the whole family to enjoy together this holiday season.”

Nicole Parker, who will be playing the role of Wicked Witch of the West, made her debut alongside Martin Short in Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me. Her other Broadway credits include Wicked as Elphaba and The People in the Picture with Donna Murphy. She won an Ovation Award for Best Actress for playing Fanny Brice in 3-D Theatricals’ Funny Girl. Recent stage roles include Celine Dion in the Off-Broadway hit Titanique, Ursula in MUNY’s The Little Mermaid, Mae in Reefer Madness, and Joan Rivers in Cape Cod Playhouse’s Joan. She also starred in Pasadena Playhouse’s La Cage Aux Folles alongside Cheyenne Jackson and Kevin Cahoon. On screen, Nicole was a series regular and contributing writer on “MadTV” for six seasons and has appeared in “Hot in Cleveland,” “Bajillion Dollar Propertie$,” “Key & Peele,” “Us,” and “Funny People.” She also voiced multiple characters in the Warner Bros. reboot of “Wacky Races” and will appear next year in Chris Rock’s “Misty Green.” Nicole co-hosts the improvised comedy podcast “The Neighborhood Listen” with Paul F. Tompkins and regularly performs as a guest vocalist with symphonies across the country, including the National Symphony, Philly Pops, and Cincinnati Pops.

As previously announced, THE WONDERFUL WINTER OF OZ will star John O’Hurley, Tamyra Gray, and Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, as well as Mark Gagliardi (Laguna Playhouse’s A Cinderella Christmas, Comedy Centra’s Drunk History) as Lion, Douglas Ladnier (Broadway’s Jekyll & Hyde, 5-Star Theatricals’ Rapunzel and Her Holiday Wish) as Tin Man, John Shartzer(National Tour of Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular, Saenger Theatre’s Clue) as Scarecrow, Kevin Ivins (Dace 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, Jocelyn Mastro (67th Grammy Awards performance with The Weekend, Cirque du Soleil) as Ensemble, and Jules Mckelvey (Howard High – The Movie, The Disappointments) as Ensemble.

The Junior Ensemble includes Madison North (Yellow Team) and Caitlyn Renshaw (Emerald Team).

The dancers include Faith Graham (Emerald Team), Samira Bekoff (Yellow Team), Demile Victoria Bleau (Emerald Team), Colette Feldman (Emerald Team), Talia Grossman (Emerald Team), Malia Johnson (Yellow Team), Alice Killorian (Yellow Team), Poppi McDaniels (Emerald Team), Abigail Rutstein (Yellow Team), Harlow Shafer (Yellow Team), and Lachlan Toussaint (Yellow Team).

In addition to director Becky Lythgoe, the creative team features choreography by Becca Sweitzer, musical director Jesse Vargas, assistant choreographer Camal Pugh, media design by Aaron Rhyne, lighting design by Crystal Shomph, sound design by Ian Scot Williams, production and technical director E.K. Dagenfield, additional production designs and wardrobe supervisor Haven Hansen, and stage manager Sam Millette.