The classic musical The Wizard of Oz is announced as Storyhouse’s 2018 Christmas show.
The Wizard of Oz will be performed at Chester’s theatre between 7 December 2018 and ^ 6 January 2019. The production will be based on the 1939 film starring Judy Garland.
Storyhouse is staging the RSC’s version of L. Frank Baum’s books featuring the well known songs Somewhere Over the Rainbow and We’re Off to see the Wizard. With music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and EY Harburg and orchestration by Larry Wilcox, James Perkins (Sweet Chariot, The Royal Exchange, The Secret Seven, Storyhouse) will design.
The show was announced via a plane that flew over Chester city centre with the banner “SURRENDER DOROTHY” attached, in homage to the scene from the movie during which the Wicked Witch of the West writes in smoke the same message, with her broomstick.
Alex Clifton, Storyhouse’s artistic director (A Little Night Music, The Secret Seven, The Beggar’s Opera, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) will direct the Christmas show. He said that : ‘The Wizard of Oz is a wonderful, vibrant, fun and brilliantly familiar story to tell. Our version will feature all the favourite characters, songs and scenes from the movie but with lots of new things to discover as well. Building on the incredible success of The Secret Seven and the fantastic response it received from theatregoers we are confident The Wizard of Oz will be another gorgeous Christmas treat in Chester.’
Tickets on sale at storyhouse.com
The Chester blog 