THE WIZ Opening Night Critics’ Reviews- Page 2

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 11:20pm

This is as bad as it gets.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 11:24pm

NY Theater:

https://newyorktheater.me/2024/04/17/the-wiz-broadway-review/

"The cast as a whole can sing to the rafters and dance like the dickens, but their belting started to feel  like an American Idol competition, and some of the dance numbers seemed so frenzied that at times they gave off an aura of desperation. This unmodulated, artificial-feeling fervor made me wonder whether there were too many cities on their 13-city pre-Broadway tour, leading the cast to overcompensate in order to stave off fatigue. Or had director Schele Williams simply decided that entertainment is best served with an overdose of adrenaline?"

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 11:25pm

Queerty:

The House of Dorothy reigns supreme in ‘The Wiz’ with Wayne Brady in the titular role

https://www.queerty.com/the-house-of-dorothy-reigns-supreme-in-the-wiz-with-wayne-brady-in-the-titular-role-20240417

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 11:32pm

McHenry in Vulture:

The Wiz Rolls Back Into Town

Big high-energy performances, undercut by the folks behind the curtain.

https://www.vulture.com/article/theater-review-the-wiz-broadway-revival.html

"The jokes are good, but as they pile up, they undermine the show. My childhood memories of seeing the film of both The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz are tinted by moments of real terror, especially from that menacing witch. Here, Ruffin and Williams shoo all the scary stuff away. Betts’s Evillene is made too goofy to be a real threat—while melting, she announces that “worst of all, it is ruining my silk press!”—and those threatening poppies are mostly about blissing out and encouraging the characters to prioritize self-care. A show like The Wiz needn’t be a horror movie. Part of its lasting power is in its upbeat, joyous qualities, especially as a Black American narrative without a significant trauma plot. But if you subtract what’s ominous from Dorothy’s journey you also risk losing the adjacent sensations of awe and wonder. There should be something a little mysterious and chilling about a fantastical trip into another world, which neither The Wiz’s punched up book nor its shrunken-down staging manage to access."

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 11:37pm

Theatermania:

Review: A Big, Empty Revival of The Wiz Lacks the Magic of Broadway

Perhaps six months on tour isn’t the best way to kick off a run.

https://www.theatermania.com/news/review-a-big-empty-revival-of-the-wiz-lacks-the-magic-of-broadway_1737204/

"The dancers give Knight’s repetitive choreography their all but are clearly bored or tired — I’ve never seen so many ensemble members going through the motions all at once, especially on a critics’ night in the run-up to Tony nominations. Williams’s direction is similar: bare minimum, dead behind the eyes. You don’t realize how tricky scene transitions are until you watch the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow just slowly back off stage like they’re in a Family Guy cutaway. There’s no connection, no chemistry, no soul. This is as lifeless a production as I’ve ever seen on Broadway, and, quite frankly, it’s shocking."

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 11:40pm

The producers should be thanking their lucky stars that Maya Phillips reviewed this instead of Jesse Green.

Her mixed review will also save us from some discourse...yay?

David Gordon is spot on.

Updated On: 4/17/24 at 11:40 PM

[CukorLover]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 11:43pm

MemorableUserName said: "Theatermania:

Review: A Big, Empty Revival ofThe WizLacks the Magic of Broadway

Perhaps six months on tour isn’t the best way to kick off a run.

https://www.theatermania.com/news/review-a-big-empty-revival-of-the-wiz-lacks-the-magic-of-broadway_1737204/

"The dancers give Knight’s repetitive choreography their all but are clearly bored or tired — I’ve never seen so many ensemble members going through the motions all at once, especially on a critics’ night in the run-up to Tony nominations. Williams’s direction is similar: bare minimum, dead behind the eyes. You don’t realize how tricky scene transitions are until you watch the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow just slowly back off stage like they’re in aFamily Guycutaway. There’s no connection, no chemistry, no soul. This is as lifeless a production as I’ve ever seen on Broadway, and, quite frankly, it’s shocking."

OUCH!

 

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 11:49pm

These are pretty dreadful reviews for a show that has been selling like hotcakes out of town. The last revival of The Wiz on Broadway was also a cheap tour using a Broadway theatre as a tour stop. It's a shame, as I don't think The Wiz is likely to get another shot any time soon, if ever, to truly shine on a Broadway stage.

At least the cast is getting high praise. If it gets a recording, it sounds like it will still be worth listening to. I'm sure it will continue to sell well when it goes back on the road.

[jagman106]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 11:58pm

It seems that most of these reviews are pretty much what we expected, no?

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 12:02am

Honestly these are kinder than I expected…

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 12:02am

blaxx said: "This is as bad as it gets."

huh? these seem very mixed to positive and with tons of readily quotable lines to plaster all over manhattan. compared to what they had to say about lempicka, these are solid reviews.

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 12:07am

PipingHotPiccolo said: "blaxx said: "This is as bad as it gets."

huh? these seem very mixed to positive and with tons of readily quotable lines to plaster all over manhattan. compared to what they had to say about lempicka, these are solid reviews."

They're certainly not "as bad as it gets" but I also think "mixed to positive" is pretty generous when reading through these...

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 12:10am

DTLI Consensus: Strong central performances and the effervescent-as-ever score make up for the cheap design and directorial choices, making this Wiz a serviceable enough affair. 

5 positive, 4 mixed (including the NYT), 2 negative. 

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/the-wiz-bway/

Updated On: 4/18/24 at 12:10 AM

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 12:13am

EDSOSLO858 said: "DTLI Consensus:Strong central performances and the effervescent-as-ever score make up for the cheap design and directorial choices, making thisWiza serviceable enough affair.

5 positive, 4 mixed (including the NYT), 2 negative.

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/the-wiz-bway/"

Interesting that they're calling the Post and Variety reviews mixed.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 12:17am

IdinaBellFoster said: "Honestly these are kinder than I expected…"

Yes they are.

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 12:18am

MemorableUserName said: "EDSOSLO858 said: "DTLI Consensus:Strong central performances and the effervescent-as-ever score make up for the cheap design and directorial choices, making thisWiza serviceable enough affair.

5 positive, 4 mixed (including the NYT), 2 negative.

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/the-wiz-bway/"

Interesting that they're calling the Post and Variety reviews mixed."

Especially the Post review. Nothing about that is mixed.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 12:19am

This many positive reviews for this one truly shock me. Maybe the critics were afraid of Sara Bareilles making a video about them. 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 12:33am

Jordan Catalano said: "This many positive reviews for this one truly shock me. Maybe the critics were afraid of Sara Bareilles making a video about them."

ha i have to say, while i thought the reaction to the lempicka reviews were somewhat delusional, i imagine that production is fuming reading these. 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 12:56am

Deadline

https://deadline.com/feature/broadway-show-reviews-spring-2024-1235866317/

"The once groundbreaking Wiz, in other words, is gonna have a tough yellow brick road to hoe to keep up, and the new Broadway revival, opening tonight at the Marquis, only occasionally meets the challenge. A good cast, though apparently encouraged to over-sing at the drop of a house, works hard to make up for the production’s shortcuts – painted flats are overused, special effects are few, far between and not particularly special, and director Schele Williams breezes past (or completely ignores) some of the well-worn story’s most anticipated beats."

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 4:13am

PipingHotPiccolo said: "blaxx said: "This is as bad as it gets."

huh? these seem very mixed to positive and with tons of readily quotable lines to plaster all over manhattan. compared to what they had to say about lempicka, these are solid reviews."

For a show and score of this calibre, yes, these are dreadful. 

Also, the only mixed-to-positive thing about this joke of a revival is that it's just passing through.

[OhHiii]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 5:39am

I just don’t understand how Williams has landed these positions when the results are consistently this mediocre at best. Same was said for her Aida in Europe. It doesn’t seem she has any point of view to speak of in her direction (not that working with Greif is a way to broaden your range), and it’s even clearer that she does not have a vocabulary with design teams. It’s her responsibility to guide her team to realize her vision…well and to have a vision to begin with.

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 6:43am

I almost wonder if DTLI it skewed some of these review scores after the Lempicka review discourse this week, because some of those are definitely pans and middling that are listed as raves...

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 6:45am

I’m shocked. I hated this so much. Good for them I guess. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 7:33am

CukorLover said: "MemorableUserName said: "Theatermania:

Review: A Big, Empty Revival ofThe WizLacks the Magic of Broadway

Perhaps six months on tour isn’t the best way to kick off a run.


https://www.theatermania.com/news/review-a-big-empty-revival-of-the-wiz-lacks-the-magic-of-broadway_1737204/

"The dancers give Knight’s repetitive choreography their all but are clearly bored or tired — I’ve never seen so many ensemble members going through the motions all at once, especially on a critics’ night in the run-up to Tony nominations. Williams’s direction is similar: bare minimum, dead behind the eyes. You don’t realize how tricky scene transitions are until you watch the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow just slowly back off stage like they’re in aFamily Guycutaway. There’s no connection, no chemistry, no soul. This is as lifeless a production as I’ve ever seen on Broadway, and, quite frankly, it’s shocking."

OUCH!

"

This is how I felt watching the Into the Woods tour. Granted that’s a concert production, but some baffling direction choices. 

[Huss417]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 8:47am

RippedMan said: "CukorLover said: "MemorableUserName said: "Theatermania:

Review: A Big, Empty Revival ofThe WizLacks the Magic of Broadway

Perhaps six months on tour isn’t the best way to kick off a run.


https://www.theatermania.com/news/review-a-big-empty-revival-of-the-wiz-lacks-the-magic-of-broadway_1737204/

"The dancers give Knight’s repetitive choreography their all but are clearly bored or tired — I’ve never seen so many ensemble members going through the motions all at once, especially on a critics’ night in the run-up to Tony nominations. Williams’s direction is similar: bare minimum, dead behind the eyes. You don’t realize how tricky scene transitions are until you watch the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow just slowly back off stage like they’re in aFamily Guycutaway. There’s no connection, no chemistry, no soul. This is as lifeless a production as I’ve ever seen on Broadway, and, quite frankly, it’s shocking."

OUCH!

"

This is how I felt watching the Into the Woods tour. Granted that’s a concert production, but some baffling direction choices."

They aren't even in the same league. Personally I loved everything about Into the Woods. It was a special night at City Center and then also on Broadway.

Updated On: 4/18/24 at 08:47 AM