By Ande Jacobson

It might feel like we’ve been pushed Through the Looking Glass lately, but rather than fretting over what might be, join Peninsula Youth Theatre at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts for a fun-filled trip to Oz. PYT’s production of The Wizard of Oz opens this Saturday and runs through 20 November in a delightfully fanciful journey with all your favorite characters. Join Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, Glinda, the Wicked Witch, the Munchkins, the Winkies, and the Wizard himself in a stage production that has everything the movie had and more.

This is a show that has enjoyed numerous incarnations all harkening back to the 1900 L. Frank Baum novel of the same name. All of the major story elements are intact, as are the familiar songs from the 1939 film. The version being performed at PYT originated with the Royal Shakespeare Company and was adapted for the stage from the movie’s screenplay. Its message of hope, thought, heart, and courage serve as a reminder to all of us of what is really important.

Director/choreographer Marcie Shapiro and vocal director Lori Beth Switzer have shaped two very large and enthusiastic casts to bring their vision to life with an energy that is contagious. These young actors strut their stuff with confidence and execute some very challenging choreography with precision and pride.

One of the best numbers in the stage version of the show, Jitterbug, never made into the final cut of the film, but it bursts forth on stage this time accompanied by gorgeous jazz music flowing up from the pit.

There will be no A Good Reed Review review of this one as I will be on the podium leading the very talented orchestra. The musicians include: woodwinds: Mark Beyer, Joel Jaffe, Sarah Azevedo, Jack Stanley, Steven Holmes, Doreen Oroshnik, Marty McHan, Rebecca Ritger; strings: Karen Kenrick, Ethan Dea, Griff Derryberry, Rob Gloster, Jonathan Erman, Dan Meyers, Cameron Meyers, Stephanie Spaid; brass: Dan Swinehart, Fi Azizi, Dave Joffe; keyboard: Del Quan; and percussion: Bob Wylie. Not all musicians will be playing every performance.

This is a lively and touching show that is appropriate for all ages, so don’t miss it. Get your tickets now!

What: The Wizard of Oz
Where: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA.
When: 12-20 November 2016, see: WoZ at PYT for more information.

Additional references:
Wizard of Oz: 75th Anniversary (DVD)
The Wizard of Oz: 1998 Cast Recording
Oz, the Complete Paperback Collection