FIRST OFF . . .

“The show will go on” was the word from an official at the Forum, which on Wednesday almost canceled the scheduled run of the touring musical “The Wizard of Oz” because expenses had not been paid. The sponsors--Ralston-Purina and Procter & Gamble--came through at the last minute to save the musical, said Mark J. Tischler, marketing and special events manager for the Forum. The payment narrowly averted the cancellation of the musical, which opens Wednesday and runs through July 16. “It was touch and go, but we’re glad to see that it is going to be on,” Tischler said. He said the Forum had been asking the sponsors for money for the last three weeks to cover costs which include advertising, set construction and clean-up. Although he would not name an exact figure, Tischler said the amount needed to cover expenses was between $100,000 and $500,000. “The Wizard of Oz” is described in publicity brochures as “featuring the spectacular scale of a circus and the intimacy of a book-based Broadway musical.” The show, being presented in major indoor arenas across the country, features a cast of 42 performers, state-of-the-art special effects, robotics and has a 112-foot long, 56-foot wide traveling set.