Civic Ballet To Present 'Oz'

Lynn Brennan (Scarecrow), Belen Guzman (Dorothy) And Lee King (Lion)

Civic Ballet To Present 'Oz'

The magical characters of Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Dorothy and all the creatures of Oz will come to life at Pioneer High School on Dec. 5 in the Ann Arbor Civic Ballet’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” for Mrs. Santa’s Christmas Party.

The ballet will follow the

original story line with choreography and costumes specially created for this presentation by Pamela Rutledge. There is a cast of 44 performers, including 18 dancers, 10 and 11 years old, who were specially auditioned for the parts of Munchkins.

Other characters include The Wizard, The People of Oz, Glinda, The Wicked Witch of

the West, The Flying Monkeys, The King and Queen of the Munchkins, The Poppies, and the King and Queen of the Poppies.

Parts of the story will be narrated by Mrs. Santa, portrayed by Mrs. Thomas Gilson. After the performance, Mrs. Santa will present a stuffed lion to a child in the audience. Children

then will be invited on stage to meet the characters from Oz and receive Christmas candy canes.

The performance will be given at 3 p.m. in Pioneer High Auditorium. Tickets are 75 cents for children and $1.25 for adults. Special group rates are available.