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Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Presents the Pittsburgh Premiere of the Whimsical The Wizard of Oz with the PBT Orchestra

 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Presents the Pittsburgh Premiere of Septime Webre’s Whimsical The Wizard of Oz with the PBT Orchestra

The Ballet Will be Performed May 9-18 at the Benedum Center for the Company’s 2024-25  Emerald Season Finale 

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Principal Artist Hannah Carter; Photo by Gregory Neiser


PITTSBURGH, PA (April 7, 2025) – Follow the yellow brick road with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) for an extraordinary adventure that follows Dorothy and Toto into the land of Oz with the breathtaking Pittsburgh premiere of Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz. PBT will perform the colorful, family-friendly ballet May 9-18 at the Benedum Center as the closing production of its 2024-25 Emerald Season. 


In this spectacular ballet, Dorothy and Toto are joined by the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion as they travel to find the Wizard and battle the Wicked Witch. Based on the beloved book and film, this incredible performance includes all of L. Frank Baum’s signature characters, and brings the Emerald City to dazzling life with incredible flying sequences, extravagant costumes, beautiful sets, special effects, dynamic choreography and original music played live by the PBT Orchestra!


“I am excited to bring Septime Webre’s delightful production of The Wizard of Oz to Pittsburgh audiences for the first time,” said Adam W. McKinney, artistic director at PBT. “We’re thrilled to complete our 55th Anniversary Season with this premiere that will undoubtedly charm audiences of all ages as they set off to see the wizard!”


Webre’s The Wizard of Oz was jointly commissioned by Kansas City Ballet, Colorado Ballet and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and premiered at Kansas City Ballet in 2018. The production includes:

  • 85 roles for PBT artists and student dancers

  • 44 flying cues, including ones for Dorothy, the Wicked Witch, Glinda, the Wizard, flying monkeys and more

  • 617 gorgeous costume pieces designed by Liz Vandal

  • 100 costume changes

  • 96 pairs of dyed shoes (21 different colors per show)

  • 42 puppets designed by Nicholas Mahon, including Toto

  • Multiple projections by Aaron Rhyne

  • Colorful and imaginative scenic design by Michael Raiford

  • An original score by Matthew Pierce

Choreographer Septime Webre is an internationally recognized ballet director, choreographer and educator. He is currently the Artistic Director of Hong Kong Ballet and previously served as artistic director of The Washington Ballet and American Repertory Ballet. He has choreographed numerous ballets, often adapting them from literary classics, including The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises, Alice (in Wonderland), Peter Pan and Cinderella.


The Wizard of Oz is generously sponsored by PNC


Schedule

PBT will perform The Wizard of Oz on the following dates and times: 

  • Friday, May 9, 2025 – 7:30 PM

  • Saturday, May 10, 2025 – 2:00 PM

  • Saturday, May 10, 2025 – 7:30 PM

  • Sunday, May 11, 2025 – 2:00 PM

  • Friday, May 16, 2025 – 7:30 PM

  • Saturday, May 17, 2025 – 2:00 PM

  • Saturday, May 17, 2025 – 7:30 PM

  • Sunday, May 18, 2025 – 2:00 PM


Ticket Information

Single tickets start at $29 and can be purchased at pbt.org or by calling 412-456-6666. Subscription packages are also available. For more information, visit pbt.org or call. It is available at pbt.org or by calling 412-454-9107.


Groups purchasing eight or more tickets save up to 50%. More information is available at pbt.org/groups.


PBT’s 2025-2026 Season

Watch the 2025-2026 Season Video

  • Dracula, October 31-November 2, 2025, Benedum Center

  • The Nutcracker,  December 5-28, 2025, Benedum Center

  • America 250 with the PBT Orchestra, February 20-22, 2026, Benedum Center

  • Spring Mix: Premieres,  April 10-12, 2026, August Wilson African American Cultural Center

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the PBT Orchestra, May 15-17, 2026, Benedum Center

Season subscriptions are now available. For more information, visit pbt.org/subscribe or call 412-454-9107. Single tickets for the 2025-2026 season will be available this summer.


About Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has been Pittsburgh’s premier professional ballet company since 1969. Today, PBT is a nationally recognized ballet company of 31 professional dancers, a training institution for over 1,200 students of all ages, and an incubator for education and accessibility programs in classrooms, libraries and community centers throughout the region. The company, under the leadership of artistic director Adam W. McKinney and executive director Nicholas Dragga, performs a wide-ranging repertoire of classical ballets, contemporary masterworks and new commissions in nearly 50 performances annually. 


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