The Bushnell, Hartford, CT
through April 8, 2018
by Susan Choquette
On occasion, the Bushnell offers short-run musicals,
separate from its annual Broadway Series. This was the case with the iconic
“The Wizard of Oz.” In the Spotlight sent a mother and young daughter team to
“Oz”on opening night.
My daughter and I joined the audience of “The Wizard of Oz”
during the company’s three night tour stop at the Bushnell in Hartford. The
musical was a definite fun family-friendly show that young children obviously
enjoyed. However, seasoned theatre-goers might have found “Oz” a bit lacking.
While the overall stage craft was extremely impressive - the set, projections,
and special effects - the acting was not at the same level seen in other
national tours at the Bushnell.
A highlight of “Oz” was its choreography with strong dancing
of the ensemble in colorful and creative costumes. In addition, the visual
transformation of the mundane trio of Kansas farmers into the Scarecrow, Tin
Man and Lion deserves kudos. Several strong vocal performances made up for some
lackluster jokes that were added to this production.
While young kids may find the show appealing, die-hard fans
of the original book or movie may be disappointed. As an introduction to
children to theatre, “Oz” was very cute.
