GATES OPEN TO OZ KIDS SEE 'WIZARD' AFTER BEING THWARTED EARLIER BY MOTORCADE.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

CANOGA PARK - A San Fernando Valley theater on Thursday brought the great wizard to a bus load of munchkins barred from Oz last month by a presidential traffic jam.

Nearly 60 kindergartners from Kenter Canyon Elementary School in Brentwood, many dressed as miniature Dorothys, streamed into the ``The Wizard of Oz Ballet'' at the Madrid Theatre with tickets courtesy of neighborhood groups. A second Kenter group will see the ballet today.

``We're off to see the wizard,'' said Julie Fahn, a Kenter mom, as the Los Angeles Youth Ballet's Dorothy and the Mayor of Munchkinland greeted 400 schoolchildren on hand for the show.

``We've had some very kind and generous people come forward for the children.

One hundred kindergartners were set to see the wizard Oct. 21, when their first-ever field trip was blocked by a motorcade for President George W. Bush.

The motorcade from West Los Angeles to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley brought traffic to a standstill and prevented the Kenter kids from seeing a ``Wizard of Oz'' play in Malibu.

To cheer up the children, numerous theaters and patrons of the arts have offered free tickets for fall performances.

The $500 in tickets for the ``Wizard of Oz Ballet,'' with a cast of 37 dancers, were furnished courtesy of the Reseda-based Los Angeles Youth Ballet; ballet moms Shari Mitchell and Joni Marine, both of Woodland Hills; and the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency.

Next month, the children will return to the Valley to see a ``A Christmas Carol,'' courtesy of the Metropolitan Education Theatre at California State University, Northridge. They will also see ``The Nutcracker'' at the Center for the Arts Guild at Pepperdine University in Malibu.

``We were hoping that somehow we could help these kids,'' said Mary Clausen, associate producer of ``A Christmas Carol'' at the MET. ``We felt badly that they missed the production.''

Madrid Manager Denise Leader Stoeber was thrilled to see the kindergartners.

``How fabulous is this?'' she said. ``People step up. These children get to have theater, deprived by no arts in the schools.''

Dana Bartholomew, [phone]

dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com

IF YOU GO

``The Wizard of Oz Ballet,'' presented by the Los Angeles Youth Ballet, will be performed at 7 p.m. today and at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday at the Madrid Theatre, 21622 Sherman Way, Canoga Park. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for children 12 years and under, and $10 each for groups of 10 or more. Call [phone].

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Dorothy, the lion, the scarecrow and other cast members of ``The Wizard of Oz Ballet'' say goodbye to youngsters from Kenter Canyon Elementary School on Thursday after a performance at the Madrid Theatre in Canoga Park.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

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IF YOU GO (see text)