Dori Rhodes's least favorite story is The Wizard of Oz, thanks to growing up with a mother obsessed with the book series. So she can't believe her bad luck when Ozark University's theatre department chooses it as their spring musical her senior year.

Stuck helping to design, build, and paint sets for a show she hates, she keeps reminding herself that she's only Assistant Technical Director, so as soon the first technical rehearsal is finished, she is done with her obligation to the show.

But when the senior assistant stage manager gets into a car wreck the night before tech week, Dori is given the job, and as she stays late in the theatre to get the electronic wizard head to function properly, she suddenly finds herself more entrapped in Oz than ever, and it will take three companions and a few good witches to get her home again.