The Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the...

The Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion will be there, along with Auntie Em, Dorothy and a live Toto, in four performances of “The Wiz” this week in Inglewood.

The hit Broadway musical and movie is being re-created on stage at Morningside High School by members of the city of Inglewood’s summer youth jobs program.

The cast features 50 youths ages 14 to 18. They have spent the past 10 weeks getting paid to learn to sing, dance, act and stage a production under the leadership of professional directors, choreographers and vocal coaches.

“The Wiz” is based on “The Wizard of Oz,” the L. Frank Baum children’s tale about a Kansas farm girl who gets caught in a tornado and ends up in the magical land of Oz. “The Wiz,” which opened on Broadway and toured the nation in the ‘70s, was a full-length musical written for an all-black cast.

The director of the program is Ruth Ashton Blake, a professional dancer and teacher who has her own performing arts school in Inglewood and was a dancer in the original road cast of “The Wiz.”

Blake and her staff have worked with the youngsters on everything from how to make props and scenery to how to run the lighting and sound equipment.

This is the second year that Inglewood has used its federal summer jobs money to produce a stage show that is performed free for residents. Last year, the youngsters in the program presented “A Chorus Line.”

“The Wiz,” however, is a much more elaborate production complete with wicked witches and good witches in full costume and a host of dancers and singers.

The initial performance, Tuesday at noon, is especially for the city’s children. The second performance, Thursday at noon, is dedicated to Inglewood’s senior citizens. The play will be staged at 8 p.m. Friday for any city residents and 8 p.m. Saturday for parents, family and friends of the cast, as well as members of the public. Reservations: (310) 412-5508.