Creative Team

FRANK BAUM (Author) In 1900, L. Frank Baum wrote The Wizard of Oz simply to please children. He first adapted it to the stage musical in 1902 and numerous theatrical versions have been produced over the years. Baum was born to a wealthy oil family in 1856 and endured many financial failures, including a chain of theaters, a small variety store and a newspaper. He wrote 14 tales, creating a series about the enchanted land of Oz prior to his death in 1914. Several other authors continued the magical saga, creating a 40 volume series. It is estimated that Baum’s best-loved tale of Dorothy’s journey through the world of Oz has entertained audiences totaling more than one billion people throughout the world.

HAROLD ARLEN (Composer) and E.Y. HARBURG (Lyricist) hold a very special place in the world of movie and stage musicals. Together, their talents have brought new dimensions to a remarkable roster of successful cinematic and theatrical attractions. In The Wizard of Oz, Harburg and Arlen created a score and songs which are as fresh and meaningful today as they were when this classic film fable was first introduced in 1939. From the poignant Academy Award-winning jolly bell ringer, “Ding! Dong! The Witch is Dead!,” Harburg and Arlen take the music-lover and the fairytale-fancier down the yellow brick road to adventure, enchantment, laughter and some warm whimsical comments on the human condition. It’s a story, a message, a sheer magic which delights each time it is retold.

DEAN SOBON (Director) has worked for Prather Productions for over thirteen years. Recent directing credits include the national tours of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Fiddler On The Roof. Other directing credits include: Clue, the Musical, West Side Story, Oklahoma!, Crazy For You, A Christmas Carol, How To Succeed In Business, A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, The Wizard of Oz, Big River, The Sound of Music and Guys & Dolls. Acting credits: international tours of On the Town, West Side Story and Guys & Dolls. His national tours include Man of La Mancha with Ron Holgate, West Side Story and the 50th anniversary tour of Annie Get Your Gun. He is also a writer, acting teacher and a proud father to his most rewarding work of all: his daughter, Piper.

AMY MARIE McCLEARY (Choreographer) National Tours: Memphis (Director/Choreographer), The Wedding Singer (Choreographer). Regional Direction/Choreography: Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease, Swing!, White Christmas, Footloose, Sister Act, I Love A Piano, Hairspray, 9 to 5, Cats, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Spamalot. Favorite choreography credits: Peter Pan, Cabaret, Evita, The Pajama Game, Annie, Cinderella, All Shook Up, Godspell. Current projects include a daughter who loves dressing up like Dorothy and a son who loves to roar like the Cowardly Lion. BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. amymariemccleary.com.

KATLEYN CANDIELLO (Assistant to the Choreographer) served as the Dance Captain of the national tour of The Wizard of Oz for the past two seasons. Past Prather performing credits: Seussical the Musical, Mary Poppins, Shrek, King and I and High School Musical. She is currently working on her M.S. in Speech Pathology at New York University using her passion for the arts to help others in rehabilitation. Love and thanks to her family, friends, and dogs for their never ending support.

EVAN ADAMSON (Set Coordinator) Broadway Associate Designs: The Iceman Cometh (‘18 Tony nom.), Hello, Dolly! (‘17 Tony nom.), Shuffle Along (‘16 Tony nom.), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (‘14 Tony nom.), Machinal (‘14 Tony nom.), A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (‘14 Tony nom.), Matilda (‘13 Tony winner), and Once (‘12 Tony winner), Radio City Christmas Spectacular (associate designer 2007- 2016). He is an adjunct professor at Purchase College. EvanAdamson.com

JOHN P. WHITE (Costume Coordinator/Additional Costume Designs) costumed the national tours of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Fiddler on the Roof, The Wedding Singer, Beehive, The 60s Musical, Footloose, and All Shook Up. He has served as the National Costume Designer for the past twelve years for Prather Productions receiving many AriZoni and BroadwayWorld award nominations.

BRANDON MILLER (Hair Design) styled and created wigs for the national tours of Pippin, Memphis, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. His work on The Wizard of Oz is dedicated to his Mother who inspired him every day.

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JOHN MEZZIO (Music Supervisor/ Coordinator/Additional Orchestrations) has conducted several national tours including State Fair starring John Davidson, Victor/Victoria starring Toni Tennille, Seussical The Musical, Cinderella starring Eartha Kitt and Deborah Gibson, the Royal National Theatre’s revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! and The Wedding Singer. Additionally, Mr. Mezzio was Associate Conductor for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express at the Las Vegas Hilton. John was Musical Coordinator for several national and international tours including Sweet Charity starring Molly Ringwald, Annie starring John Schuck and Mackenzie Phillips, Hairspray, The Producers, A Chorus Line, Spring Awakening, Elf the Musical, Memphis, Bullets Over Broadway, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Shrek The Musical.

JP MEYER (Music Coordination) is the Musical Director at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in Lancaster, PA, and serves as the  musical supervisor/ coordinator for APEX Touring, most recently for the national tour of Pippin, the Musical. His orchestration and musical directing credits include Mary Poppins, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, A Christmas Story, A Wonderful Life, Funny Girl, Yeston and Kopit’s Phantom, Anything Goes, Les Miserables, Oklahoma! and West Side Story.

LIZZIE WEBB (Music Director) is thrilled to return to the national tour of The Wizard of Oz with her little dog Murphy as Toto and her fiancé Scoob in the ensemble! Lizzie served as adjunct professor of Musical Theatre at The University of Montana, directing and writing shows for Zootown Cabaret and music directing mainstage shows. Select regional credits include Rocky Horror Show (MT Actors Theatre), The Drowsy Chaperone (Bigfork Summer Playhouse), Man of La Mancha (Fort Peck Summer Theatre), Carousel, Oliver, Funny Girl, Pageant (Arizona Broadway Theatre), A Christmas Carol (ABT/ Herberger Theatre Center), Little Mermaid Jr. (ArtisTree Music Theatre Festival), and Blood (NYMF – Off Broadway).

DON HANNA (Sound Designer) National Tours: Pippin (APEX Touring), Million Dollar Quartet (Prather Touring), Fame The Musical (Sound Design), world premiere of Heartbreak Hotel (Ogunquit Playhouse), Gateway Playhouse regional premieres of Rock of Ages, The Addams Family, Saturday Night Fever, and Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein (Gateway Playhouse/ Ogunquit Playhouse). Don is currently the designer in residence at North Shore Music Theatre. A special thank you to my friends, family and Bethany for their continual love and support.

MARC CIEMIEWICZ (Company Manager) For over 25 years Marc has worked as an actor, director, stage manager, company manager, and production manager from coast to coast. Tours: Yeston and Kopit’s Phantom, It’s Swingtime!, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (directed and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler) and Footloose and The Wedding Singer with Prather Touring. Marc holds a BFA and an MFA in Musical Theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory and San Diego State University respectively. Let Art Live!

BETHANY SORTMAN (Production Stage Manager) National Tour: Cabaret (Asst. SM/Head Props, APEX Touring). Select regional production SM: A Chorus Line, Vanya & Sonia…, A Christmas Story (Engeman); Holiday Spectacular: On Ice!, Legends: In Concert (Gateway); Favorite regional Asst. SM: Young Frankenstein, White Christmas, Mary Poppins, Spamalot and more. Other production stage manager credits: Celtic Fyre (Busch Gardens Williamsburg), Gateway’s Haunted Playhouse. In addition to SM’ing, Bethany has served as the Company Manager for The Argyle Theatre and Gateway Playhouse. Countless thanks to the Prather team, Russell, friends, family and DH for the endless love and support.

BRIAN ENZMAN (Artistic Producer/Casting) 32 years with the Prather company (APEX/Prather Touring/ Dutch Apple- Lancaster, PA and Broadway Palm- Ft Myers, FL). He has been involved in over 200 productions from the first show at the Dutch Apple in 1987 (A Chorus Line) to the 2018 national tour of Cabaret. As resident director, credits include Phantom, Les Miserables, The Civil War, Jekyll and Hyde, The Drowsy Chaperone, South Pacific, Hello Dolly, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Cabaret, Gypsy, Mame, The King and I, Damn Yankees, The Music Man and Annie to name a few. Graduate of Millersville University in Lancaster, PA.

LAUREN SOBON (Artistic Producer/Casting) has been with Prather Productions for over 28 years and has either produced, directed, choreographed, cast or performed in over 100 productions for the company. Recent credits include serving as the Associate Producer/Casting Director for the recent national tour of Pippin and Director/Casting for the 2016 national tour of Million Dollar Quartet. Other national tours: Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Fiddler On The Roof, Gypsy, Annie Get Your Gun. Regional: A Wonderful Life, Shrek, Honky Tonk Angels, A Christmas Carol, How To Succeed …, The Wizard of Oz and The Sound of Music.

RUSSELL A. THOMPSON (Production Manager/Lighting Designer) Designs include the national tours of Pippin, Million Dollar Quartet, Memphis, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Hair, Fiddler on the Roof, All Shook Up, Footloose, The Wedding Singer, S’Wonderful and Beehive the 60’s Musical, the world premiere of Around the World in 80 Days and the regional premiere of The Civil War. Prather Productions designs include Jesus Christ Superstar, Hairspray, Rent, 9 to 5, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jekyll & Hyde, Yeston & Kopit’s Phantom, Swing, Ragtime, Peter Pan, Buddy, Legally Blonde and Cats. His designs for West Side Story, Aida and Miss Saigon have earned him three awards. Prior to joining Prather Productions, Russell lived in New York where his credits ranged from Club MTV to Manhattan School of Music.

BROADWAY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP (Booking Agents)  is the world’s first theatrical distribution company to consolidate an international circuit and bring top quality entertainment into the markets of Europe, United Kingdom, Middle East, North America, South and Central Asia. Chief Executive Officer Liz Koops has produced shows internationally for over 20 years, and toured productions in 37 countries. Broadway Entertainment Group is currently producing Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs on its 2018/2019 international tour of South Africa, United Kingdom, Middle East and in the USA. Forthcoming international presentations include Thriller Live, Piaf! Le Spectacle, Cirque Berserk and The Illusionists. Broadway Entertainment Group has previously toured Andrew Lloyd Webbers CATS and Evita, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Kinky Boots, Dreamworks SHREK the Musical, Annie, and Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake. Previous productions produced by Liz Koops include: Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Mathew Bourne’s Swan Lake, Fosse, Chicago – The Musical, Miss Saigon, Gumboots, Slava’s Snow Show, Bounce, Lady Salsa, Circus Oz, Lano and Woodley, Mum’s the Word, Rudy Coby, Shaolin Kung Fu Warriors, Sister Act, and Jerry Seinfeld World Tour. Broadway Entertainment Group FZ LLC operates from Dubai, London and Australia. For more information about Broadway Entertainment Group FZ LLC, please visit, www.broadwayentertainmentgroup.com

PRATHER TOURING (General Management) Past national tours include Footloose, The Wedding Singer, BLAST, Fiddler on the Roof, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Memphis, Million Dollar Quartet, Pippin and most recently the Tony Award winning musical, Cabaret. William T. Prather is the Executive Producer of Prather Touring and is a second-generation theatre producer following in the footsteps of his parents, Tom and Debbie Prather who produced live theatre for over 50 years. He is a graduate of the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University and returned to the family business in 1993 after spending a couple of years in the corporate world. As Executive Producer of Prather Productions, he produces more than 32 shows each year in their regional theatres in Pennsylvania and Florida.

APEX TOURING (Producer) Highlighting their third national tour season with the second year of Wizard of Oz, the 2018 tour of Cabaret and 2017 tour of Pippin. APEX has been created to serve the ever expanding need for high quality, Broadway caliber touring productions around the world. Relying on the steady producing skills of its affiliates, APEX looks forward to many years of producing Broadway’s brightest new shows.