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<p class="Body" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:windowtext;background:lime;mso-highlight:lime">Tickets still available for 75<sup>th</sup> Anniv Celebration and fun family-friendly
fundraiser <i>There’s No Place Like Beck Center</i> on Wed, May 15 at 6 pm featuring talent of Pat Miller, Tina Stump, Tony Heffner, and Kayla Wiita</span></b><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:windowtext">
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<p class="Body" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:windowtext;background:lime;mso-highlight:lime">Fundraiser tickets at
<a href="https://beckcenter.na.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/16867">https://beckcenter.na.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/16867</a></span></b><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:windowtext">
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<p class="Body" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:windowtext">And…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="Body" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Beck Center For The Arts </span></b><b><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Announces 75<sup>th</sup>
Anniversary of Youth Theater and Sixth Historical Production of <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="Body" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:windowtext">The Wizard of Oz
</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><a href="https://www.lakewoodoh.gov/"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Lakewood, OH</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">-</span></a><a href="https://www.beckcenter.org/youth-theater"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Beck
Center for the Arts</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">, one of the oldest continuously running Youth Theater programs in the nation is proud to announce the sixth production of
<b><i>The Wizard of Oz</i></b><i>, </i>this time during the exciting 75<sup>th</sup> Youth Theater Season.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.beckcenter.org/youth-shows/wizard"><b><i><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The Wizard of Oz</span></i></b></a><b><i><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">,
</span></i></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.1pt">By L. Frank Baum, Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg is adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Direction by <span style="letter-spacing:.1pt">
Carolyn Demanelis, and </span>Music Direction by Heidi Herczeg round out this impressive creative team. The
<span style="letter-spacing:.1pt">75<sup>th</sup> Diamond Youth Theater Season will conclude as we follow Dorothy down the Yellow Brick Road. This charming musical features students ages 6-19, with Little Dorothy Gale of Kansas who dreams of what lies beyond
the rainbow. One day a twister hits her farm and carries her away over that rainbow to the land of Oz where she and her pup Toto meet the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion. Together they learn about friendship, bravery, and ultimately, that There’s
No Place Like Home</span></span> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Carolyn Demanelis, director of this production of
<b><i>The Wizard of Oz</i></b> states, "It is a joy to work with a cast of this size, filled with young artists, exploring a story that feels part of American mythology. It is one of our most famous ‘hero’s journeys’ that centers the action around a young girl,
Dorothy, and reminds each of us of the desire to return to our home. I think each of the characters in this story has had a disruption or loss to how they see themselves, and are trying to reclaim their identity and part of themself that feels missing. It
is when the characters lean on one another and journey together into the unknown, that they are able to awaken the part of themselves that felt lost.”</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Previous youth theater productions of
<b><i>The Wizard of Oz</i></b><i> </i>took place in the seasons of 1977-1978, 1985-1986, 1997-1998, 2007-2008, and 2013-2014, making this the perfect production to wrap up the historic 75<sup>th</sup> anniversary of Beck Center’s Youth Theater.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Beck Center for the Arts’ Youth Theater alumni include Michael Chernus (<i>Orange Is the New Black</i>;
<i>Manhattan; Severance</i>); Dee Hoty (three-time Tony Nominee); Isabela Merced (<i>Dora and the Lost City of Gold;</i>
<i>Transformers: The Last Night</i>); Rory O’Malley (<i>Hamilton</i>; Tony Nominee,
<i>Book of Mormon</i>); and Daniel Reichard (Drama Desk Nominee, <i>Jersey Boys</i>).
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<p class="Body" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Ticket prices are $15 Adult/Senior, and $13 Children/Student (ages 18 & under). Please reserve tickets at
</span><a href="https://www.beckcenter.org/youth-theater"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:windowtext">beckcenter.org</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:windowtext">, call 216.521.</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">2540
or simply stop by Beck Center Customer Service in person.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="Body" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:windowtext;letter-spacing:.1pt">This youth theater production runs May 10-19, 2024 in the
</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Senney Theater with a
</span><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;letter-spacing:.8pt;background:white">Student Matinee on Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. and
</span></strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Friday and Saturday performances at 7:30 p.m., and
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><br>
</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Sunday performances at 3:00 p.m., and an added Thursday, May 16, 2024 performance at 7:30 p.m. in lieu of a Saturday evening performance on May 18, 2024.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Beck Center for the Arts
<span style="color:black">thanks marquee sponsor </span>First Federal Lakewood for their generous support.
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<p class="Body" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Programming at Beck Center for the Arts is made possible through the generous support of the Ohio Arts Council. Beck Center gratefully acknowledges the generous funding
provided by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. For more information on Beck Center programming please visit </span><a href="http://www.beckcenter.org/"><span class="Hyperlink1"><span style="mso-effects-shadow-color:black;mso-effects-shadow-alpha:100.0%;mso-effects-shadow-dpiradius:0pt;mso-effects-shadow-dpidistance:0pt;mso-effects-shadow-angledirection:0;mso-effects-shadow-align:none;mso-effects-shadow-pctsx:0%;mso-effects-shadow-pctsy:0%;mso-effects-shadow-anglekx:0;mso-effects-shadow-angleky:0"><span style="mso-effects-shadow-color:black;mso-effects-shadow-alpha:100.0%;mso-effects-shadow-dpiradius:0pt;mso-effects-shadow-dpidistance:0pt;mso-effects-shadow-angledirection:0;mso-effects-shadow-align:none;mso-effects-shadow-pctsx:0%;mso-effects-shadow-pctsy:0%;mso-effects-shadow-anglekx:0;mso-effects-shadow-angleky:0">beckcenter.org</span></span></span></a><span class="None">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="Body"><span class="None"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Beck Center for the Arts also offers arts education for all ages, all skill levels, and all abilities with classes and lessons in music, dance, visual arts, and theater, as well
as creative arts therapies. Financial assistance is available for qualified applicants so that these programs can be enjoyed by all.
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