The Straw Hat Theatre season opened on Friday, June 8 with the family musical “The Wizard of Oz.” Following that most famous of all Kansas cyclones, Dorothy finds herself in the land of the Munchkins, and must journey to see the wonderful wizard. Dorothy has some fantastic adventures and meets Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion along the way! But will Dorothy find her way to the wizard and over the rainbow to far-off Kansas? Not if the wicked witch has her way! “The Wizard of Oz” from the story of L. Frank Baum, can be seen June 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22 and 23.

By L. Frank Baum. With Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Background Music by Herbert Stothart. Dance and Vocal Arrangements by Peter Howard. Orchestration by Larry Wilcox. Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Based upon the Classical Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros.

Next up will be the longest running musical of all time—“The Fantasticks.” A mix of humor and drama has made this favorite show by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt a time-proven audience-pleaser. “The Fantasticks” is a moving romantic tale punctuated by a bountiful series of catchy, memorable songs, many of which have become standards. This two week show can be seen June 29, 30 July 1, 5, 6, and 7.

Presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are alsosupplied by MTI, 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019

Set amidst the world of the freak show and the splendor of the great vaudeville era, “Sideshow” by Bill Russell and Henry Krieger will play on July 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, and 28. Based on the true story of Violet and Daisy Hilton, “Sideshow” tells the story of these Siamese twins whose situation brought them attention, fame, and an unexpected encounter with love.

Original Broadway Production Directed and Choreographed by Robert LongbottomVocal and Dance Arrangements by David Chase Orchestrations by Harold WheelerOriginal Broadway Production Produced by Emanuel Azenberg, Joseph Nederlander, Herschel Waxman, Janice McKenna, Scott Nederlander.

The summer season will conclude with a whale of a tale by Hereward Kaye, Robert Longden and Martin Koch—“Moby Dick! The Musical” on August 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, and 18. St. Godley’s School is in trouble when the money runs out. But leave it to the resourceful students and their unflappable headmistress (played by a man in drag!) to come up with a plan. They mount a musical version of Moby Dick, featuring their headmistress in the coveted role of Captain Ahab! What “The Rocky Horror Show” does to late night horror movies, “Moby Dick! The Musical” does to Herman Melville!

Presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019

All Straw Hat shows begin at 8:00 p.m.