By HELEN KAYE
Holon MediaTheque (HMT) artistic director Moshe Kepten believes in thinking big. This year he'll direct The Wizard, a musical extravaganza based on L. Frank Baum's beloved favorite, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It's one of nine new productions that make up the 2009/10 season and whose subject matter is geared to children from pre-school to high school. Kepten will also direct Rachel, a rock opera about an Ethiopian immigrant who falls hard for a "Sabra."
Other productions include Angel, a co-production with Bet Lessin about angel/human friendships; Double Ora, adapted by Ido Riklin from Erich Kastner's also beloved tale of 10-year-old identical twins whose chance meeting at summer camp leads them to switch identities in order to reconcile their parents. Ora joins Emil and the Detectives an ongoing Kastner classic that won HMT one of its 10 prizes at this year's Israel Children's Theater Prize awards.
Then there's The Boy from Seville, a story about the Hidden Jews of Spain in the 17th century, another musical called Cow Cow about - yep! - a cow, and Hannah's Suitcase, the story of a suitcase that reached the Holocaust Center in Tokyo in 2000.
For info surf to www.mediatheque.org.il.