Cast members present a preview of their upcoming production 'The Wiz" during HPA’s Parents Weekend. (Photo courtesy HPA)

MEDIA RELEASE

Ka Makani Theatre at Hawaii Preparatory Academy presents “The Wiz,” the Broadway musical retelling of Frank L. Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz.”

Performances are at 7 p.m. Nov. 12, Nov. 13, and Nov. 14 and at 4 p.m. Nov. 15 at the school’s Gates Performing Arts Center. Tickets, which only are available at the door, are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

“The Wiz” features all the characters from the original book — celebrating its 100th birthday this year — with an urban funk attitude and some modern twists.

Dorothy, played by Linnea Gregg, is blown away from Kansas by a tornado, where she travels down her own yellow brick road to find the answers she seeks.

She is accompanied by the friends she makes along the way — the Scarecrow (Gabi Geiger), the Tin Man (Kekai Clarke), and the Lion (Nick Purdy).  Helped by the Good Witch of the North, Addaperle (Becca Barrett), and the Good Witch of the South, Glinda, (Julia Varboncoeur), and hindered by the Wicked Witch of the West, Evillene  (Alex Disney), Dorothy faces the Wiz (Logan Martin), and finds her way home.

“The Wiz” originally was produced in 1975 and won multiple Tony Awards, including best musical. “The Wiz” also was made into a movie starring Michael Jackson; the show was revived this spring on Broadway. Music is by Charlie Smalls and book is by William F. Brown.

Ka Makani Theatre’s production is directed by Sheryl Goodspeed, with musical direction by Marina Tichotsky. Choreography is by Angel Prince and Elizabeth MacDonald, set and lighting design by Jared Terpak, costumes by Marina Tichotsky and Lolly Davis. Kawaiola Peck is stage manager and Makoa Johnson is lighting assistant.

The cast also features Tiare Ball, Katie Boehm, Tanya Boyer, Julia Brotman, Mindy Campbell, Rose Chute, Hunter Bushong, Landy Eng, Kara Erickson, Kai Fink, Ruby Fink, Swan Groom, Katherine Holdcroft, Lauren Holdcroft, HanaSara Ito, Elenka Jacobs, Teddy Lederer, Tati Marti, Reina Morise, Emma Pang, Tomi Peebles, Nanea Phenicie, Kepa Police, Kian Quinlan, Lauren Richards, Delaney Ross, Daniel Shams, Sierra Shumate, Angie Shumov, Leah Smith, Zoe Spears-Takakuwa, Chole Tengan, Alice Yu.

For more information, call 881-4099.