Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Cincinnati’s New Crown Jewel
CINCINNATI – The curtain is finally rising on a new era. After decades of anticipation, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) is bringing audiences “home” to the historic Emery Theater—fully restored and reimagined as the most technologically advanced proscenium-style theater in the nation. To celebrate this landmark moment, TCT will launch its 2025–2026 MainStage Season with the one-hour “youth edition” of L. Frank Baum’s timeless classic, The Wizard of Oz. Tickets are on sale now at www.thechildrenstheatre.com.
This triumphant homecoming production will transport families over the rainbow as Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion follow the Yellow Brick Road in a dazzling theatrical event that blends tradition with innovation. Audiences will be the very first to experience the rebirth of The Emery—where 100 years of history meets the future of live theatre.
Kim Kern, President & CEO of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, said:
“The Emery Theater is more than a stage—it’s a symbol of Cincinnati’s cultural heartbeat. To open these doors again with The Wizard of Oz, a story about finding your way home, is both poetic and powerful. We are thrilled to welcome families back to this extraordinary theater and begin a new chapter of wonder, imagination, and community.”
Directed by TCT’s Artistic Director Roderick Justice and choreographed by TCT’s Associate Artistic Director, Maddie Jones, The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition promises a wickedly colorful adventure audiences will never forget.
Ideal for ages 4+. This production runs approximately one hour without intermission.
Public Showtimes include:
- Friday, October 10, 2025: 7 PM – OPENING NIGHT
- Saturday, October 11, 2025: 2 PM and 5 PM
- Sunday, October 12, 2025: 2 PM
- Saturday, October 18, 2025: 11 AM and 2 PM
- Sunday, October 19, 2025: 2 PM
- Saturday, October 25, 2025: 2 PM and 5 PM
- Sunday, October 26, 2025: 2 PM
ASL and Audio Described Performance:
- Saturday, October 11, 2025: 2 PM
Additionally, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati presents additional performances of The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition for school students, including an exclusive homeschool performance. Tickets are $10 per student, with one free adult admission for every 15 students. Email pam.young@tctcincinnat.com for details. Free proficiency test-focused Study Guides are available online at https://thechildrenstheatre.com/study-guides/
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg. Background Music by Herbert Stothart. Dance and Vocal Arrangements by Peter Howard. Orchestration by Larry Wilcox. Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Based upon the Classic Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros. Adaptation and support materials developed by iTheatrics under the supervision of Timothy Allen McDonald.
Stage Direction by TCT’s Artistic Director, Roderick Justice. Choreographer Maddie Jones. Music Direction Jason Alexander Holmes. Scenic Design Tyler Gabbard. Lighting Design Benjamin Gantose. Costume Design Noelle Wedig-Johnston. Video Design Lightborne Communications.
The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition is made possible by Dress Run Sponsor TriHealth, and Season Sponsor The Charles H. Dater Foundation. PNC Foundation provides additional funding for MainStage Ticket Subsidies. Additional Sponsors include The Sutphin Family Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and The Shubert Foundation INC.
This production is made possible in part by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.
The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati is supported by the tens of thousands who generously give to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding.
The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition will be performed in the newly reimagined Emery Theater, 1112 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Tickets start at $12. Visit thechildrenstheatre.com or call the TCT Box Office at 513.569.8080 x10, Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM to purchase tickets.
CAST:
*LUCY ARGUETA ………………… Ensemble
CHRISTIAN ARIAS ………………. Ensemble
KATIE BAUER……………………… Ensemble
*LEVI BAUM ………………………. Ensemble
AMY BAUMANN……. Aunt Em/Ensemble
MAIYA CALDWELL ……………… Ensemble
ANTHONY J. CONTRERAS …..Scarecrow
KATE CRISP………………………… Ensemble
FINN DANIELEY …………………. Ensemble
EDRICO EVANS-PRITCHETT … Ensemble
DOUGLAS FRIES………. Professor Marvel/ Wizard of Oz
BOB HERZOG …………………………….. Lion
EMILY HILBRECHT………………. Ensemble
*CLAIRE HUNKLER……………… Ensemble
BLAKE KENNEDY……………….. Ensemble
JONATHAN SMITHE KENNEDY ………… Ensemble
BETHANY XAN KERR……….. Miss Gulch/ Wicked Witch
JOHN H. LLEWELLYN………….. Ensemble
ANIMAESH MANGLIK…………….Tin Man
*ELLIOT MARTIN…………………….. Dorothy
HAYLEY MARTIN …………………….. Glinda
AUSTIN MILLS ……………………. Ensemble
GABRIEL KANAI NAKATA …… Ensemble
*PARKER PATTON ………………. Ensemble
RODGER PILLE ………………. Uncle Henry/ Oz Guard Doorman/Winkie
*MIKAYLA RAE…………………… Ensemble
*DECLAN SATTERWHITE …….. Ensemble
COLTON SLADE………………….. Ensemble
KARI KEELER STEWART ……… Ensemble
*LISA TAKAHASHI ………………. Ensemble
TRE TAYLOR……………………….. Ensemble
NYLA THOMAS…………………… Ensemble
*KEVIN TIGHE ……………………. Ensemble
*MORGAN TIGHE……………….. Ensemble
*KEYA VADIVELU……………….. Ensemble
*Denotes TCT’s Young Artists Company
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