Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s (PBT) The Wizard of Oz with the PBT Orchestra will open at the Benedum Center next Friday, May 9th. The family-friendly production is a Pittsburgh premiere by Septime Webre, choreographer and artistic director of Hong Kong Ballet. PBT will perform the colorful, family-friendly ballet as the closing production of its 2024-25 Emerald Season. 

This version of The Wizard of Oz stays true to the beloved classic movie and book and includes all of L. Frank Baum’s signature characters bring the Emerald City to dazzling life with incredible flying sequences, extravagant costumes, beautiful sets, special effects, dynamic choreography, and original music from Matthew Pierce played live by the PBT Orchestra.

The Pittsburgh premiere of The Wizard of Oz includes the familiar faces of many PBT artists, including:

• Tommie Lin Kesten and Grace Rookstool, who both portray Dorothy
• Corey Bourbonniere and Emry Amoky as the Scarecrow
• Colin McCaslin and Josiah Kauffman as the Tin Man
• Matthew Griffin and Rylan Doty as the Lion
• Madeline Gradle and Madison Russo as the Wicked Witch
• Lucius Kirst and David O’Matz as the Wizard of Oz 

The complete casting list is available here.

“We are thrilled to invite audiences to follow us down the yellow brick road with Septime Webre’s imaginative and entertaining The Wizard of Oz,” said Adam W. McKinney, artistic director at PBT. “I am so excited to share this amazing ballet with Pittsburghers as the closing work for our amazing 55th Anniversary season.”

Webre’s The Wizard of Oz was jointly commissioned by Kansas City Ballet, Colorado Ballet, and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and premiered at Kansas City Ballet in 2019. The production includes:

• 85 roles for PBT artists and student dancers
• 44 flying cues, including ones for Dorothy, the Wicked Witch, Glinda, the Wizard, flying monkeys, and more
• 617 gorgeous costume pieces designed by Liz Vandal
• 100 costume changes
• 96 pairs of dyed shoes (21 different colors per show)
• 42 puppets designed by Nicholas Mahon, including Toto
• Multiple projections by Aaron Rhyne
• Colorful and imaginative scenic design by Michael Raiford
• An original score by Matthew Pierce

Choreographer Septime Webre is an internationally recognized ballet director, choreographer, and educator. He is currently the Artistic Director of Hong Kong Ballet and previously served as artistic director of The Washington Ballet and American Repertory Ballet. He has choreographed numerous ballets, often adapting them from literary classics, including The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises, Alice (in Wonderland), Peter Pan, and Cinderella.

TICKETS AND DETAILS

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s production of The Wizard of Oz has performances from May 9th to 18, 2025 at the Benedum Center. For more information, pre and post-show activities, and tickets, visit: https://pbt.org/performances/the-wizard-of-oz-with-the-pbt-orchestra/

Categories: Arts and Ideas, Show Previews

Tags: Adam W. McKinney, Benedum Center, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Septime Webre, The Wizard of Oz