The stories of Oz are everywhere! "The Wizard Oz At Sphere" in Las Vegas has sold over a million tickets. "Wicked" is selling out movie theaters and playhouses worldwide – and "Wicked 2," set for release on Nov. 25 – is projected to be an even bigger hit.
This weekend, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra will get in on the fantastical trend by performing the "Wizard of Oz" score live in front of the beloved film that reminds us there is, truly, no place like home.
"The Wizard of Oz In Concert" takes place Friday, Nov. 7, and Saturday. Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m. There will also be a special matinee on Sunday. Nov. 9, at 2:30 p.m. The performances are inside the stunning Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave.
"Sound Bites" dinner options will be available before the two evening shows, and snacks and beverages will be for sale at all three performances.
Guests will witness the 1940 Oscar-winning score by Herbert Stothart - who was born Milwaukee! - in a way never heard before. Plus, guests can sing-along with "We're Off To See The Wizard" and feel all the feels during "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."
Ilana Setapen, the First Associate Concertmaster of the Orchestra, says the best part of the live score is the smaller pieces, like the immediately recognizable "Wicked Witch's Theme" that's repeated throughout the film. Setapen shares more of her thoughts on playing violin for "The Wizard of Oz In Concert" here:
"The Wizard of Oz" is a story about friendship, inner strength, self-acceptance and loyalty. It's also a story about gratitude – Dorothy is appreciative of her home and family after her dream – and the timing, being that this is the month of gratitude, is yellow-brick perfect.
For tickets to "Wizard of Oz in Concert," go here.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
