THE WIZARD OF OZ Comes to Constellation This December

This December, Constellation will present The Wizard of Oz. A beloved tradition, each year, Constellation’s Family Holiday Musical entertains over 7,000 members of the Bloomington community and beyond. The Wizard of Oz runs December 12 through 29 at the historic Buskirk-Chumley Theater in downtown Bloomington.

Step into the magical world of The Wizard of Oz in this bewitching live stage musical adaptation of one of the most beloved family films of all time! Travel down the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy and Toto in a whimsical journey filled with iconic songs, like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “If I Only Had a Brain.” An absolute delight for audiences of all ages, The Wizard of Oz invites you to discover the magical power of home!

Constellation’s production features dozens of local elementary school students and professional actors from Bloomington and beyond. Starring as Dorothy is Betsy Scott, a New York-based actor and graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s Musical Theatre program. Joining her are IU Musical Theatre students Devin McDuffy as the Cowardly Lion and Evan Vaughan as the Scarecrow; while Devin May, previously seen in Constellation’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! and The Importance of Being Earnest, stars as the Tin Man. Sarah Hund conjures a wicked presence as both Miss Gulch and the Wicked Witch of the West, while Amanda (Biggs) Lawson charms as Aunt Em and Glinda the Good Witch. Rounding out the principal cast are Ronnie Johnstone, last seen in Holmes & Watson, as Uncle Henry, and Steve Scott, featured in Deathtrap and The Importance of Being Earnest, as the Wizard. The adult ensemble includes Nell Adkins, Jake Decker, Jocylon Evans, Lucy Ferguson, Trey Perlut, Laura Rong, Nicole “Nikki” Stawski, and Peter Valentino. 

This production also features two youth ensembles, split into teams “Ruby” and “Emerald,” composed of students throughout the Bloomington and South Central Indiana community! Team Ruby features Harvey Baggetta, Chloe Duggan, Harper Davis, Basilio Galvan, Daphne Houghton, Hailey Houghton, Earl Krothe, Noey Krothe, Lucy Pell, Piper Reynolds, Leah Rodkin, Alma Sela, Juna Sparks, & Audrey Westfall. Team Emerald features Molly Carroll, Madeleine Cartledge, Fletcher Blair, Zehra Guler, Sophia Linville, Lydia Levesque, Zoe Natana Lowe, Claire Lucas, Maris McKee, Cohen Powell, Mary Claire Shaw, Cornelia Spillman, Mirriam Spillman, and Viv Taylor. Caroline Jensen will perform in both youth ensembles. Detailed double cast performance schedules can be found on Constellation’s website!

Directing the production, as our very own “man” behind the curtain, is Kate Galvin, Constellation’s Casting Director. This is Kate’s sixth Family Holiday Musical with the company, having directed past favorites like Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast, and Matilda. Joining the creative team are Andrew Keeler (Assistant Director), DJ Gray (Choreographer), Katy Plaziak (Assistant Choreographer), Tommy Bergeron (Music Director), Kristen Martino (Scenic Designer), Corey Goulden-Naitove (Lighting Designer), Lily Howder (Assistant Lighting Designer), Dana Lee Tzvetkov (Costume Designer), Travis Wright (Sound Designer), Lori Garraghty (Stage Manager), and Chelsea Pell and Katie Ayer (Assistant Stage Managers). 

Alongside the production, Constellation is encouraging the Bloomington community to reflect on the meaning of home. The company is working with local schools on an “there’s no place like home” art project that will culminate in a large-scale rainbow installation at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Constellation has also teamed up with Downtown Bloomington Inc to release Bloomington holiday maps that showcase the many seasonal events in downtown Bloomington throughout the month of November and December. These take-home maps will be available across downtown business in early November. 

For the first time, Constellation is excited to be offering a Pay What You Will performance for the first public preview of The Wizard of Oz on Thursday, December 12 at 7:00pm. Book tickets for this performance, and you’ll get to choose your own ticket price (starting at $10, plus a $4 Venue Preservation Fee). This initiative, supported by Jessika and Bryan Hane, helps keep live performances affordable and accessible to the Bloomington community. Community Access Tickets are also available for no charge, upon request. 

Tickets for all other performances of The Wizard of Oz start at $32 for adults, $20 for students, and $17 for children (plus fees). Tickets are on sale now through Constellation’s website, over the phone at (812) 336-9300 (Mon-Fri, 12pm-5pm), or in-person at 122 S Walnut Street (open Wed-Fri, 12pm-5pm). Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Box Office, during regular box office hours.

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