The Yellow Brick Road extends to Adelaide and Melbourne

The Wizard of Oz Eli Cooper, Alex Rathgeber, John XintavelonisProducers John Frost and Suzanne Jones have announced additional cast members for the upcoming Australian tour of The London Palladium production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz, while announcing the musical will tour to Adelaide and Melbourne following its Brisbane and Sydney seasons.

Eli Cooper (Grease, Matilda) will play the role of the Scarecrow, Alex Rathgeber (Anything Goes, The Phantom of the Opera) will play the Tin Man, and John Xintavelonis (The Lion King, Billy Elliot) will play the Lion.

The ensemble cast includes Paul Hanlon as Uncle Henry and Sophie Weiss as Auntie Em, alongside Justin Anderson, Sheridan Anderson, Lewis Beer, Shay Debney, Sage Douglas, Mikey Halcrow, Zoe Ioannou, Bree Langridge, Rubin Matters, Scott Morris, Justine Puy, Michael Roache, Mitchell Roberts, Emma Russell, Dean Schulz, Darren Tyler, Caleb Vines, Stephanie Wall and Rachael Ward.

The principal cast members already announced include Anthony Warlow as The Wizard and Professor Marvel, Lucy Durack as Glinda the Good Witch and Jemma Rix as The Wicked Witch of the West. Rising star Samantha Dodemaide will play the coveted role of Dorothy, her first leading role in a major musical.

“We’re thrilled with our superb cast led by Anthony, Lucy and Jemma, and the wonderful Samantha Dodemaide will make a perfect Dorothy,” said John Frost. “I’m sure audiences can’t wait to travel the yellow brick road and return to Oz, and the classic story that’s universally loved. This beautiful, sumptuous production was a huge hit in London and the US, and audiences adored the new songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.”

The producers announced that The Wizard of Oz will tour to Adelaide from 3 April 2018, playing at the Festival Theatre, and to Melbourne from 15 May at the Regent Theatre. Fans in these cities can waitlist now to be the first in line to purchase tickets.

“The demand for tickets in Brisbane and Sydney has been huge, and we’re very happy to add Adelaide and Melbourne to the tour,” said Suzanne Jones. “I’m looking forward to taking this wonderful new version of The Wizard of Oz nationwide.”

The Wizard of Oz will have its Australian Premiere in Brisbane at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC from 4 November; before travelling to the Capitol Theatre, Sydney from 30 December 2017; the Festival Theatre, Adelaide from 3 April; and the Regent Theatre, Melbourne, from 15 May 2018. For more information, visit: www.wizardofozthemusical.com for details.

Image: Eli Cooper, Alex Rathgeber and John Xintavelonis will feature in The Wizard of Oz (supplied)