Kidz Kabaret presents 'Wizard of Oz'

When Ally Gargano first appears on stage as Dorothy in Kidz Kabaret's production of "The Wizard of Oz," she's dressed in black and white. And the set for the first scenes is similarly starkly outfitted.

But when she and her dog Toto arrive in Oz, color blooms everywhere, like a dreamy fantasy.

The effect mirrors the way the 1939 movie evolves, when opening scenes depicting the harsh landscape of a Kansas farm under the siege of a tornado give way to Munchkinland, awash in every hue in the rainbow.

Gargano, a 14-year-old Naperville resident who will be a freshman at Neuqua Valley High School this fall, said she relishes the role of the little girl who ventures far from home.

"This is probably my biggest role yet," she said. "I love singing, that's my favorite."

Kidz Kabaret, an educational theater troupe for children, often uses multiple casts for each production as a way to give more children a chance to experience live theater performance.

For Gargano, it means she gets to play Dorothy in several performances, which begin Tuesday, while in other performances she's cast as Glinda, the good witch.

Kyle Olifirowicz, a 12-year-old from Lisle, is one of the actors cast as the Scarecrow.

"I've always wanted to act," said Olifirowicz, who said stage fright is not a factor for him. "I just go on stage and do. I'm used to it."

He said he's also accustomed to working on theater productions with kids of different ages.

Director Kandiss Hernandez said "Wizard" features sixth graders through college-age players, representing the older end of the spectrum at Kidz Kabaret.

Hernandez said the play is true to the movie, with a few exceptions.

"It's more than just the movie. One of the cut scenes from the movie was the jitterbugs," she said, adding that the play puts that scene back in. "Everybody really loves the show."

Hernandez said several of her younger actors had never seen the movie or another staged version of "The Wizard of Oz."

"It was very bizarre to me," she said, adding that she remembers being scared silly every year, especially when the witch appeared in the crystal ball, vowing to get Dorothy and her companions.

"These kids know 'Wicked," she said, referring to the popular stage show that tells the story of the witches before Dorothy arrives in Oz.

Dan Brennan, 16, of Lisle, plays the Cowardly Lion. He's seen the movie numerous times.

"I like the movie and I like the show," he said, adding that the story, about "the four characters trying to find their way, going through all that hard stuff," is relatable.

He sings two songs, "If I Only Had the Nerve," and "If I Were the King of the Forest."

And he definitely gets to do some acting.

"I have to be afraid of everything, and I'm not normally," he said.

If you go

What: "The Wizard of Oz," presented by Kidz Kabaret

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 26 and 31; noon and 4 p.m. Aug. 23, 1 and 4 p.m. Aug. 24, noon and 4 p.m. Aug. 30 and 1 and 4 p.m. Aug. 31

Where: The Comedy Shrine, 22 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville

Tickets: $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, $6 for 10 and under

Info: (630) 355-9212 or kidzkabaret.com