High school to present 'The Wiz'

Vernon Hills High School will present "The Wiz" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday in the school auditorium.

Based on "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum, "The Wiz" is an adaptation of the familiar story of Dorothy and her dog, Toto, swept up by a tornado to crash back down in Munchkinland.

The original staging of "The Wiz" told the story in an urban setting, but the VHHS cast and crew are creating their own unique vision of Oz and the characters that inhabit it, with Ferris wheels, circus clowns, the Wizard as ringmaster and Dorothy on the midway.

For a peek at the production before the curtain rises, check out the VHHS Theater blog "So You Want to Meet the Wizard," a running commentary of all aspects of the production written by the directors and students, at www.district128.org/blog/index.php?blog=5.

Tickets are available from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m., and during lunch hours, at the VHHS Fine Arts Office. Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for students. Vernon Hills High School is at 145 Lakeview Parkway in the Continental Executive Park.