The Wizard of Oz
Developed from the MGM screenplay, the London Palladium production of The Wizard of Oz contains beloved songs from the Oscar®-winning movie score, all the favorite characters and iconic moments, plus a few surprises along the way, including new songs by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
When: From 15 May to 29 July 2018 (Tues 7pm, Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Matinees Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm & 6pm)
Where: Regent Theatre
Cost: From $59.90, book at ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100
It’s no mean feat to step into the red shoes made famous by Judy Garland – but Samantha Dodemaide is beautifully cast; added to that this really is a team effort where we fall in love with Scarecrow, Tin Man, the Lion, Glinda the Good Witch (Lucy Durack) and The Wizard (Anthony Warlow) even more. Not to mention the rather fabulous Wicked Witch of the West (Jemma Rix) and adorable Toto!
Immi (12) was captivated by Toto and she enjoyed the Good and Wicked Witches. Charlie (10) loved everything – but especially Scarecrow. And me, well I was in the grade 6 production of the Wizard of Oz at school so this score (and story) has special memories for me and I loved hearing the music along with the orchestral accompaniment.
It’s a big story to bring to stage, and the two hours of show are jam-packed with action, singing and dancing. The set design was really effective and clever – with use of projected animation to recreate the cyclone, The Great Oz and flying monkeys.
There were some loud moments, as well as strobe lighting and smoke machine effects – and perhaps the flying monkeys could be a little spooky for younger audience members. However, if you’ve enjoyed feature films before and are unlikely to be worried about a creepy monkey costume this is a fabulous production to take the whole family.
A couple of other things to note:
- ask for a seat booster if you’ve got children aged 8 and under in your group
- be sure to go and watch the orchestra in the orchestra pit at the end of the show – it’s amazing that such a small group of musicians can make such fabulous music!
- the candy bar is pretty pricy – you might want to slip in a snack from home
- if you think you might need to go, bust a move to the bathrooms as soon as the interval commences – the queue for the women’s toilets is always a bit crazy at the Regent
