"And your little dog too ...”

A Peoria dog is starring in "The Wizard of Oz" as Toto in Arizona Broadway Theatre’s production of "The Wizard of Oz," June 16-July 23.

Tally is an 11-year-old mixed breed dog with a history of performing on stage, his debut being a high school production of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night."

Now that Tally is starring in his first professional role as Dorothy’s famed sidekick, it appears his big break could be imminent.

Tally came from humble beginnings, as a stray dog that wandered onto the Apollo High School track field. Tally’s owner, Joanna Devlin, recalled that her husband who was coaching at the time was alerted there was a dog running around the track.

“He called to tell us that he was bringing home a dog,” Joanna said. “We laughed because it was April Fool's Day, only he wasn't joking. We put up a flyer in the neighborhood and tried to find his owners. Nobody claimed him, and so he became our dog. We always say that April 1 is his birthday.”

Soon after, Tally made his way to the stage in Apollo High School’s production of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night." Joanna’s daughter, Kelianne was playing a key role in the production and the director needed a live dog for the ending scene. Kelianne volunteered Tally for the role and the rest is history.

“My son Jackson hung out backstage with Tally until he was needed in his big scene. We all were interested in how he would respond,” Joanna said. “The father led him out on leash and set Tally into the son's lap. Tally snuggled in and directed his big brown eyes right at the audience. They were in love with him and awed at his cuteness. At that point, we knew we had a star on our hands.”

The casting directors for ABT’s "The Wizard of Oz" knew from the beginning they needed a live dog for the production but weren’t exactly sure how to execute the plan. Joanna responded to a Facebook post shared about casting calls jokingly claiming she had the “real Toto”. After closer inspection, the directors believed Tally would be a perfect fit for the role and went forth in casting him as Toto.

Joanna and her family are incredibly excited for Tally to have this opportunity.

“As a family, we love attending live theater and having ABT in our backyard makes it so convenient. My parents are season ticket holders and enjoy live theatre,” Joanna said. “They are excited to have their ‘grand-dog’ in the show. I am happy to be able to lend Tally to the production. I know that everyone will fall in love with him.”