Los Angeles Times - Recommended
"...The new musical adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams (who also directs), now at the Pantages Theatre, made me feel, rewardingly, that somebody not only shared my childhood worries about the MGM classic but also went to the trouble of mounting a costly, stylish (if bombastic and intermittently blinding) stage show to redress every scripting oversight and editorial lapse in the famously tumultuous filmmaking process of 1938-39."
LA Weekly - Not Recommended
"...Webber and partner Tim Rice's adequate score blends new compositions with embellished versions of the originals. But there's no magic, so it all feels a bit empty and grim beneath the grins and glamour."
Broadway World - Recommended
"...It is always enjoyable to revisit The Wizard of Oz for a bevy of visual splendor…and to listen to Harold Arlen's beautiful tunes. In spite of the fact that Andrew Lloyd Webber's contributions to this add up to zilch, it's pleasant entertainment, so bring the kids of every age."
Stage and Cinema - Not Recommended
"...Just short of insulting, a Broadway Machine-styled version of the iconic film, The Wizard of Oz, opened at the Pantages this week. Instead of writing additional new material that matched the screenplay by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf (uncredited in the program), bookwriters Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams (who also directed) constantly undercut themselves, removing any real emotion and danger that made the story so credible. At every turn, they managed to lose their way as they dumbed down the Yellow Brick Road, adding unnecessarily offensive humor and forgettable songs (music by Webber, lyrics by Tim Rice) that do not even attempt to match the essence of Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg's original tunes."
StageHappenings.com - Recommended
"...Everyone in the touring production from Toronto, under the sharp direction of Jeremy Sams, brings The Wizard of Oz to life."
Examiner - Recommended
"...The current rendition of the classic story, The Wizard of Oz is pure magic saturated with energy, wit, humor and charm."
ArtsBeatLA - Recommended
"...Nope, it may not be Garland and Bolger and Hamilton (oh, my!) in this lively adaptation of Oz, but, truly, what's offered in their place is an entertaining, respectful substitute."
OC Register - Not Recommended
"...Webber revamp creates a ‘Wizard' of flaws."
TheatreMania - Somewhat Recommended
"...If one can look past the cruel and unusual punishment that is what producer Andrew Lloyd Webber has done to the classic fantasy film The Wizard Of Oz, this specific mounting, at L.A.'s Pantages Theatre, is not bad with a cast that makes the most of the material provided."
Musicals In LA - Not Recommended
"...Unfortunately, the adaptation that just opened at the Pantages Theatre is about as superficial as it gets. It may have been successful when it opened in Toronto, but for my taste, adding a bunch of cheap jokes, hokey choreography, and regrettable new songs doesn't begin to enhance my experience of the wonderful Wizard of Oz."
Daily Trojan - Recommended
"...The dynamic mix of strong staging with emotionally touching character moments makes this Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams adaptation somehow manage to capture the audience's imagination and keep its attention, even though we know exactly what will happen next."
NoHoArtsDistrict - Recommended
"...This is great family fun for everyone and you'll know most of the music of course and the new songs feel like they've always been there. Technically, the pyro technics, projection screens, sound effects, lighting and rainbow colors will amaze you and are just plain awesome!"
Topanga Messenger - Recommended
"...This story is such an American icon and this Wizard should be seen by kids of all ages. I wish it were playing longer."
Entertainment Weekly - Recommended
"...There have been no shortage of recent Oz adaptations on stage and screen, ranging from the brilliant Wicked to the almost insulting Disney prequel Oz The Great and Powerful. Happily, Lloyd Webber's new stage production sticks pretty closely to the classic film. After all, there's no place like home."