Des Plaines native hits yellow brick road in Paramount's 'Wizard of Oz'

Elizabeth Stenholt figures she first saw “The Wizard of Oz” before she could talk - and has watched it more than a hundred times since.

She found it “magical” and learned to sing following along with Judy Garland.

“I went as Dorothy consecutively for a few years for Halloween because I was obsessed with it,” Stenholt says of the movie. “I used to force my dog Buddy ... to be my Toto.”

Now, the Des Plaines native will don the iconic ruby slippers for a far larger audience when she stars as Dorothy in Paramount Theatre's production of “The Wizard of Oz,” which starts previews Wednesday, Nov. 14, in Aurora.

And in Buddy's place will be Nessa or Nigel, two Cairn terriers sharing the role of Dorothy's dog Toto for the show's run.

Stenholt has the highest praise for her hardworking canine co-stars.

“They are the smartest dogs I have ever met,” she says. “Seventy-five percent of the show they are in my arms.”

Stenholt says Paramount's production is similar to the 1939 movie, with the addition of a song that didn't make it into the film and a few subtle nods to L. Frank Baum's book. The hard part for Stenholt has been making the role of Dorothy her own.

“The biggest challenge is trying to remember, for me, that you can't be Judy Garland,” she says.

Stenholt, like Garland, started her stage career early. She was 8 when her mom signed her up for a community theater production of “Aladdin” at Prairie Lakes in Des Plaines. Other community theater roles followed, including playing both a flying monkey and a munchkin in “The Wizard of Oz,” before making her professional theater debut at Chicago's Eclipse Theatre while a freshman at Maine West High School.

The 2014 Maine West grad's resume includes a wide range of performances and lead roles in productions like Writers Theatre's “Arcadia” and Chicago Shakespeare Theater's “Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure,” in which she played Wendy this past summer. The latter gave her the chance to work with director Amber Mak, who is now helming Paramount's “The Wizard of Oz.”

“She is so communicative, really humble and very, very smart in her direction,” Stenholt says of Mak.

Stenholt likens an acting career to a roller coaster: You can have nothing on tap - or be juggling multiple projects at once. But she remains committed.

“All actors have this drive to perform and tell stories,” Stenholt says. “I love it. I have never done anything else.”

And she has no plans of pursuing her passion anywhere but Chicago right now.

“I don't think I'll ever leave for very long, unless something takes me away,” Stenholt says. “I'll let the fates decide.”

“The Wizard of Oz”

<b>Location:</b> Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com

<b>Showtimes:</b> Various times from Wednesday, Nov. 14, though Sunday, Jan. 6

<b>Tickets:</b> $36-$69

<b>Rating:</b> The show is suggested for ages 5 and older