Choreography: Septime Webre
Music: Matthew Pierce
Scenic Design: Michael Raiford
Costume Design: Liz Vandal
Lighting Design: Trad A. Burns
Projection Design: Aaron Rhyne
Puppetry Design: Nicholas Mahon
Repetiteurs: Kristi Capps, Erina Noda
Live Orchestra: Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Julian Pellicano

Storylines and visual elements from the MGM Motion Picture The Wizard of Oz are provided by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.

The Wizard of Oz was commissioned and created in partnership among Kansas City Ballet, Colorado Ballet, and Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

This project is funded under the Arts Technology Funding Pilot Scheme by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

KANSAS

It is morning on Uncle Henry and Aunt Em’s farm in Kansas and the farmhands goof off between chores, ignoring Dorothy, who feels unappreciated and dreams of a place far away. Their unpleasant neighbour Miss Gulch arrives to complain about Dorothy’s little dog, Toto, and threatens to take him away. Toto escapes, and Dorothy runs away with him. On the road, Dorothy meets a showman, Professor Marvel, who urges her to return to the farm as a twister approaches.

THE TWISTER & MUNCHKINLAND

Dorothy is lifted into the sky by the twister and travels for what seems like an eternity. Suddenly she plops to the ground with a thud. The twister has taken her to the Land of Oz, where she meets the Munchkins and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. Dorothy’s bed has fallen upon the Witch of the East, killing her and freeing the Munchkins from her power. As the Munchkins celebrate, the Wicked Witch of the West arrives to claim her sister’s magical ruby slippers and avenge her sister’s death. But in a flash, the ruby slippers appear on Dorothy’s feet, thwarting the Witch…for the moment. Dorothy wants to go home to Kansas. The Munchkins tell Dorothy that surely the Wizard of Oz will help her, and she sets off down the Yellow Brick Road towards the Emerald City to find him.

ALONG THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

Along the way, Dorothy and Toto meet three new friends who need help: a Scarecrow whose head is full of straw and wants a brain; a Tin Man with an empty chest and pines for a heart and a Lion who is afraid of his own tail, and is desperate for courage. Dorothy invites them to join her to see if the Wizard can help them too. When the Wicked Witch fails to intimidate Dorothy and her friends, she creates a beautiful field of poppies whose scent is poisonous. Glinda causes it to snow, and the poppies melt away, revealing the gates of Emerald City. Dorothy and her friends boldly knock on the gates, but the Guard with the Green Whiskers and his Assistant send them away.

THE EMERALD CITY

The Guard sees that Dorothy is wearing the ruby slippers and assumes she must be a person of great importance. He welcomes the friends into Emerald City. As they are preparing to meet the Wizard, the Witch flies by with another warning to Dorothy: give her those slippers! Unsettled, the group is led into the Wizard’s throne room where they ask for his help. He tells them that to prove themselves worthy of his assistance they must bring him the Wicked Witch of the West’s broomstick.

WINGED MONKEYS AND THE WITCH’S CASTLE

Dorothy and her friends depart hastily, and as they make their way to the Witch’s Castle, they are set upon by the Witch’s Winged Monkeys, who capture Dorothy. The Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion sneak into the castle to try to free Dorothy and Toto, who have been imprisoned by the Witch and the Winkies, her slaves. Amid the chaos, the Witch makes a grab for the ruby slippers, and Dorothy defends herself by throwing a bucket of water on the Witch, who melts into nothingness. The friends take her broomstick and return to Emerald City.

THE HUMBUG AND DOROTHY’S RETURN HOME

In the Throne Room, the Wizard is reluctant to help Dorothy and her friends when Toto discovers a befuddled man behind an emerald wall: it turns out that the Wizard is a humbug. He’s not a wizard at all but an ordinary man from Kansas who found himself in Oz after he lost control of his hot air balloon. The Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion impatiently remind him that he promised to help them, but the Wizard points out that they don’t need his help—they have already shown brains, heart and courage beyond measure. As for Dorothy, he tells her that he will take Toto and her to Kansas himself in his hot air balloon. As they prepare to depart, Toto runs off, and Dorothy chases him, but it’s too late—the wind has already taken the Wizard away in the balloon, leaving Dorothy and Toto behind.

Glinda appears, telling Dorothy that her ruby slippers will take her home. Dorothy says farewell to her friends and with the aid of the slippers wills herself home.

Dorothy awakens to find herself at home in Kansas with Toto asleep at her feet.