'The Wizard of Oz' opens July 5

photo The premiere of the Signal Mountain Playhouse production of "The Wizard of Oz" is this weekend. Clockwise from left are Marj Oglesby as Cowardly Lion, Austin Harnsberger as the Scarecrow, Rob Inman as the Tinman, Colette Smith as Toto and Mary Beth Booker as Dorothy.

Lions, tigers and bears! Oh my!

"The Wizard of Oz" is showing at the Signal Mountain Playhouse throughout the month of July. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays, July 5-6, 12-13, 19-20, and 26-27 beginning at 8 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m.

The Playhouse has done the play three times in the past, but it has been 12 years since it was last performed.

"A lot of new people have come to the mountain, and we decided to give a new generation a chance to do the 'Wizard,'" said Anne Rittenberry, spokesperson for the Signal Mountain Playhouse. "It fulfills the Playhouse mission of getting children and teenagers involved."

Everyone will enjoy the play, especially children, she said.

"Everyone knows these songs and can sing along," said Rittenberry. "People will be singing these songs for weeks after they leave."

The play is fun, she said, but it also teaches an important lesson.

"The traits that we wish we had are actually there if we look for them," explained Rittenberry.

The cast features around 100 people, including Mary Beth Booker as Dorothy, Collette Smith as Toto, Mark Oglesby as the Cowardly Lion, Rob Inman as the Tin Man, Austin Harnesburger as the Scarecrow, Megan Clark as the Wicked Witch and Leslie Bell as Glinda.

Tickets are $5 for children and $15 for adults and can be purchased at the door the day of the show.

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