Glinda, portrayed by Mia McGrady, explains how to travel over the rainbow to, from left, Scarecrow (Jacob Scanlon), The Tin Man (Jenson Dudash), The Cowardly Lion (Isaac Hixon) and Dorothy (Haylee Hogan) in the Sing Hosanna! production of "The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition." The show continues Wednesday, June 21, and Thursday, June 22, at Succop Theater at Butler County Community College. Submitted Photo

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There are few more well-known American stories than “The Wizard of Oz.”

Dorothy and her little dog Toto follow the Yellow Brick Road through the Land of Oz, determined to reach the great and powerful Wizard who will guide them back to Kansas.

On the way, Dorothy encounters witches (both good and bad), Munchkins, talking trees and winged monkeys, and she befriends a Scarecrow with no brain, a Tin Man with no heart and a Lion with no nerve. In a brisk hour-long show, the Sing Hosanna! production of “The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition” retells this classic tale in an innovative and entertaining piece of theater.

With the plot so firmly established in the audience’s mind, the focus of the show lies directly on the songs: 17 of them in 18 scenes.

The young actors take on the challenge of these numbers with aplomb. Mia McGrady, as Glinda, brings her strong vocal talent to the scenes in Munchkinland, while Haylee Hogan’s Dorothy develops from a scared girl into a young woman who can stand up for her friends and herself. Singing a difficult classic such as “Over the Rainbow” is a daunting task, but Haylee is a game performer and captures the song’s nostalgia.

Dorothy and Aunt Em (played by Maranda Horstman) return to the song in an Act 2 reprise, and here, the actors change their tone. No longer is Dorothy wishing to be in Oz; instead, her voice is full of longing as she realizes that for her, being over the rainbow means being back in the arms of her stern but loving family.

Hanna Simon plays both Miss Gulch and the Wicked Witch with an evil over-the-top glee and proves that, in the right hands, villains can be just as much fun to play (and watch) as heroes.

Natalee Hogan as Toto resists the temptation to chew the scenery and instead provides charming comedic intervention.

Dorothy’s other companions provide a strong foil to her journey of self-discovery. Jacob Scanlon, playing Hunk and Scarecrow, has a light touch and easy repartee with the other actors as well as a double-jointed verve to his dancing.

Jenson Dudash plays Hickory and The Tin Man wistfully in his turn in “If I Only Had a Heart,” while Isaac Hixon gets to show off his voice and comedic timing as The Cowardly Lion in “If I Were King of the Forest.”

Grace Seybert as Professor Marvel moves the plot along by providing foreshadowing in a clear, assured voice, a thread that later is picked up by Miranda Vrabely as the Wizard of Oz who moves easily from imperial leader to a flimflam artist who finds herself on the wrong side of the rainbow.

Ralph Christy Jr.’s cast and crew rehearsed for weeks, and that effort is obvious in the singing and dancing in the first act’s “Jitterbug.” The Wicked Witch’s jitterbugs cause Dorothy and the others to dance frenetically in a beautifully choreographed performance until everyone collapses from exhaustion. This number was cut from the 1939 film but restored for the stage shows and is a joy to see performed.

The show is full of moments such as that one. The company’s joyous renditions of “The Merry Old Land of Oz” and “Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead” are all the more impressive for the sheer number of players on stage at once.

With 19 children as Munchkins singing and dancing in constant movement, any of these scenes could have fallen into pandemonium. Instead, under Christy’s direction, they show a practiced attention to detail and elevate the show to a level more polished than one might expect from these young performers.

The youths also bring an acrobatic comedic touch to the movie’s terrifying flying monkeys and laugh-out-loud moments as they portray the Lollipop Guild. The cast is simply too large to give everyone their due, but there isn’t a weak link among them.

Seeing these young players bring forth the truths of a story written by L. Frank Baum in 1900 makes the production’s message all the more heartwarming. The Sing Hosanna! production reminds us that self-awareness, friendship and hope are timeless values that are more important than ever in a world that, like Emerald City’s witches, can be both beautiful and terrifying.