South Bend Civic Theatre to Present THE WIZ, 3/28-4/13

South Bend Civic Theatre commemorates the 75th anniversary of the classic movie "The Wizard of Oz" by presenting The Wiz, with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. Winner of 7 Tony Awards, this original take of the journey of Dorothy through the Land of Oz will entertain and delight audience members of all ages.

The Wiz performs in the Wilson Theatre at South Bend Civic Theatre, 403 N. Main Street, March 28 to April 13, 2014. Performance times are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $21 Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and $18 Wednesdays and Thursdays. To purchase tickets call the SBCT Box Office 574-234-1112 or go to sbct.org.

Guest artist Chris Carter directs and choreographs a talented ensemble: Kate Telesca Banks, Pierre Cooks, Jordain Cooper, Andrea C. DeLonis, Jasmine Dennie, Randle Green, Richard Green III, Makeda Grier, Brielle Hall, Brandon Harper, Jason Johnson, Jevon Johnson, Brittney Lacy, Laurisa LeSure, Sheila LeSure, Quinton McMutuary, Banitha Vinscon, and Justin Williams. Geoffrey Carter serves as Music Director.

Chris Carter explains his passion for the musical, saying "I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to share my vision of the great urban musical classic The Wiz with the South Bend community. I'm excited to bring this magical journey of friendship, love and jubilation to the stage, creating a fun but emotional experience for the cast and the audience. I want to give everyone the opportunity to fall in love with the story that brings us important life lessons. This is a production for everybody not just one audience. For the actors, I want to teach them how to connect to this musical and how these stories connect to everyday life. This was the musical that turned me on to musical theatre, the first musical I choreographed; the first one had a role in."

Sponsors for The Wiz are Villing and Company and the African-American Fund of the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County.

Chris Carter is a graduate of Grand Valley State University with a Liberal Arts Degree in Dance and Criminal Justice. Some of his credits include: Queenie Pie at Chicago Opera Theater, Hairspray at Drury Lane Oakbrook, Showboat and Oklahoma! at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Showboat at The Houston Grand Opera, 42nd Street and Guys and Dolls at Theatre At The Center; Carousel and Brigadoon at Light Opera Works. Choreographer of Changing Minds and the World Premiere production of 12 Dancing Princesses at Grand Rapids Community Theatre. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Co-Choreographer/ Brother) at the Paramount Theater. The Wiz (Co-Choreographer) at Theatre At The Center. Oliver (Choreographer) at Light Opera Works. Chris is also a former company member of Thodos Dance Chicago. Other credits include: VeggieTales Live National Tour, Coalhouse in Ragtime (GVSU), Mr. Black in Wild Party (Actors), Ken in Smokey Joe's Café, The Who's Tommy (Circle Theater) Chris was recognized for his talents in 2008 when he was awarded a Grand Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical for portraying James Thunder Early in the stage production of Dreamgirls (GRCT). In 2005 he took advantage of the opportunity to study under Debbie Allen and became a scholarship student at The Debbie Allen Dance Academy. Mr. Carter's participation at South Bend Civic Theatre is made possible, in part, with support from the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County's African-American Community Fund.

South Bend Civic Theatre, an award-winning and nationally ranked theatre, is the oldest continuously operating community theatre company in the South Bend/Mishawaka area. Founded in 1957, it staged most of its productions since 1968 at The Firehouse, a local historic landmark located at 701 Portage Ave., in the city's historic Park Avenue neighborhood. Since the beginning of 2007, SBCT's 50th Anniversary year, SBCT's productions have been held in their newly renovated, state-of-the-art, theatre located at 403 N. Main St. SBCT features the 209 seat Wilson Main Stage Auditorium and 90 seat versatile "black-box" Warner Studio Theatre. SBCT also performs in many other venues in the region including the Bendix Theatre at Century Center and the Battell Center in Mishawaka.

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