THE WIZARD OF OZ Plays 4/25, 4/26 At Van Wezel, 12 Students Join The Cast

One of the greatest family musicals of all time, The Wizard Of Oz, is touching down at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall for three performances: Saturday, Apr. 25 (2 p.m. and 8 p.m.) and Sunday, Apr. 26 (2 p.m.). Tickets are $45-$70.

Twelve students provided by Julie Rohr Academy will perform as "munchkins" at the Sarasota engagement of the beloved classic. The children were selected winners from the youths who auditioned for the show with Leigh Constantine, choreographer from the national touring company NETworks Presentations, LLC.

Mary Bensel, Director of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, said the opportunity to cast local children in the show was "a perfect opportunity" for the community's many talented students to enrich their education and involvement in the performing arts. "Sarasota is known as a cultural hotbed for those who live and visit here - an ideal that is nurtured in our schools," she said. "Students learn to appreciate - and become involved in - the arts at a young age."