“There’s No Place Like Home” for one Wisconsin native (and 12 munchkins from Waukesha)

Do you remember the first time you were serenaded by Judy Garland’s version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” or hoped little Toto would find his way home?

This weekend, trip down a yellow-brick memory lane, live at the Milwaukee Theatre. A revamped, high-tech version based on the 1939 MGM classic The Wizard of Oz flies into town on its first national tour in more than a decade.

The whirlwind production from NETworks Presentations touches down in 50 cities across the United States, but Milwaukee has a special meaning for one member of the group. WoZ’s touring manager Joel Herbst is a Watertown native and Carroll College graduate.

“I get to show off what I do, and that’s a really nice feeling. I could explain it to my grandparents, or to my aunts and uncles, but they don’t get to actually see it till it’s on the stage,” he says.

Herbst, 35, started his theater career on the stage, doing everything from national tours to cruise lines and dinner theater. But, like Dorothy, he desired something that felt a little more like home.

“I found that I was enjoying myself a little more in the front office than I was on the stage,” he admits.

Unlike an actor who constantly must take direction, Herbst now gets to call the shots. He explains, “A company manager is responsible for every aspect of the tour, both financially and with regard to personnel management. I am directly responsible for all traveling personnel and the well-being of the tour.”

Overseeing this tour is no easy task. The sets are lavish, including an art deco Land of Oz and an actual ‘stage’ tornado! “It’s the one thing, when people see it they think ‘Oh, how are they going to do the twister?’ The way that we do it, I think, is phenomenal and people will…it’s going to get some applause just because of all the bells and whistles,” Herbst declares.

Despite the flashy sets, Herbst says the show stays true to its roots. “We have enough tricks and flash to keep adults interested in a story they’ve seen repeatedly… You have to change the show enough to keep it interesting to people who know the Wizard of Oz, but you also have to keep it true to that original story.”

The other way the production stays grounded is by connecting to the community in which it plays. While most of the cast remains the same throughout the duration of the tour, the Munchkins are always played by local dancers.

“It’s such great energy to have the kids in the show,” says Herbst. “They are so enthusiastic and so excited; it really reminds the company what it’s like to do their first show. It always keeps it fresh.”

For the Milwaukee production, the yellow brick road leads to Waukesha, where 12 students from the Accent on Dance Studio were chosen for this honor. The dancers range in age from 8 to 12, and most have been dancing the majority of their lives. Studio owner and teacher Kellie Plath is excited to give the girls this experience at such a young age.

“When it’s a pipe dream and far away, it doesn’t seem as possible as when you’re standing next to an actor or actress who’s living that life,” explains Plath. “All of a sudden it becomes possible, and I guess that’s what I want them to see. It seems far off, but it doesn’t have to be.”

Like most of us, 11-year-old Elise Bruk grew up watching the movie. She’s in awe of this opportunity. “It’s really exciting. I bet it’s going to be a bit of a rush just because it’s crazy, and it’s our first time being in this big show, and it’s going to be really fun.”

In addition to grand-scale theater experience, the show also gives the dancers a chance to show off their singing and acting skills. The Munchkins have to sing along to songs like Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead, which can be quite a challenge while trying to keep the beat. Bruk admits, “Because you run out of breath sometimes, it’s hard to sing and dance at the same time.”

Plath emphasizes that it’s important for dancers to learn how to sing, act and dance at the same time. “I think in this day and age, if you’re not training the triple threat, you’re missing out on giving these kids the opportunity to have a career in that.”

For 8-year-old Ava Gardetto, it’s all about fun. She’s excited “because I love dancing, and I know that there’s going to be something fun that’s going to happen.”

Just like Dorothy and her friends the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, the players in this show have found something they didn’t have before—from a Wisconsin kid like Herbst who finally made it big in the theater world to kids like Elise and Ava, who are just beginning their life’s journey. A production like this one proves dreams really do come true.

NETworks’ production of The Wizard of Oz opens this Friday night at the Milwaukee Theatre, and runs through Sunday. Buy tickets online through the Milwaukee Theatre’s website.