Tickets for the public performances are $12 for adults and $9 for children and students, ages 3 to 25. Tickets may be charged on the phone Monday through Saturday by calling 235-7310 or purchased online 24/7 at www.eTicketHawaii.com.

This production of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is Paliku's annual presentation of a children's theater experience based on a work of literature. Previous programs included "Charlotte's Web" and "James and the Giant Peach."

This theartrical version of "Oz" show features the book's author, L. Frank Baum, as the host/narrator of the show. Baum brings an copy of his book onstage to help illustrate the production.

The show is directed by local film actor and stand-up comic Stan Egi, who is teaching drama classes at Windward Community College this year.

"We have a great cast drawn from both the college and the community," says Egi, in a statement. "We don't think the audiences will miss the familiar songs created just for the movie, as long as they understand going in that this show is based on the original book.

"There are a few other differences; for instance, there are actually two separate Good Witches, from the North and the South, and Dorothy's slippers in the book are really Silver."

The cast includes Tori Langley as Dorothy, Isaac Ligsay as Scarecrow, Travis Schnell as the Tin Woodman, Keith Merriam as the Cowardly Lion, Kathleen Thompson as the Good Witch of the North, Karen Bauder as the Wicked Witch of the West, Kelila Lichota as Toto, Jonathan Oshiro as the Guardian, Robin Nolan as the Good Witch of the South and Tom Holowach as Frank Baum.

Set and lighting design is by Lloyd "Sandy" Riford. Book adaptation is by V. Glasgow Koste.