Roy Berko
There is no doubt that you should ease your way down the road to the Connor Palace to escape from our world of war, angst and government chaos, and thoroughly enjoy the reimagined Wizard of Oz!
To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.
Howard Gollop
One critic said it all upon the 1975 debut of this ingenious all-black take on "The Wizard of Oz": "The 'Wiz' is a Wow!" The only thing to add to this eventual marquee mantra in describing this show's official pre-Broadway revival, continuing at the Connor Palace Theater on Playhouse Square, is, "The Wiz" is more "wow" than ever.
To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review here.
Sheri Gross
In spite of some bumps on the road to Emerald City, this production of “the Wiz” reminds us to have faith in ourselves and each other, and that “hope” is a powerful thing. Now more than ever, we all deserve to receive a message like that. To quote Stephen Sondheim as to why he says “The Wiz” is his favorite musical: “It's the one show which makes you feel better when you come out of it than you did when you walked in.”
To see a full review of this show, read Sheri Gross' review here.
Mark Horning
This show encapsulates all that is great about African-American influenced theater. On opening night each and every song elicited applause from the audience and had people dancing in their seats. The show is exciting and fast moving and quite suited for older children (teens). Groove on down the road and see this masterpiece!
To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.
Chris Howey
This revival of The Wiz is a feast of voices that will ring in your ears for a long time. And once the rest of the production rises to that level, this can be a Wiz for the ages.
To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.
Laura Kennelly
Time to ease on down a brand-new yellow brick road? Absolutely.
Dorothy and her friends get a gorgeous re-imagining in The Wiz at Playhouse Square. The show’s revival, now on pre-Broadway tour, mixes old and new, with book by William F. Brown, music by Charlie Smalls, and additions by Amber Ruffin. The all-Black cast flaunts a fabulous look that doesn’t rely on big names. (And that’s not to say we’re not looking at future stars.)
To see a full review of this show go here or read Laura's posts at Cool Cleveland.
Kate Klotzbach
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Kate's posts here.
Joey Morona
The highly anticipated revival of the classic musical arrived at the Connor Palace this week for the start of its pre-Broadway run ready to impress and eager to inspire. Turns out, the show, which kicks off Playhouse Square 2023-24 KeyBank Broadway Series, is indeed the “feast for the eyes and soul.”
To see a full review of this show, read Joey's posts here.
