Mike Jackson News

I hesitated to review the current touring production of THE WIZARD OF OZ (Fox Theatre, through May 18, 2014), which has been adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams, because even though I thought it told essentially the same tale as the original, I didn't particularly care for it. There's certainly a lot more spectacle than you'd find in your typical production, but the script is so camped up, and the additional songs so mundane, that it comes off as trying that they may have been trying a little too hard when they updated the show. In any event, the flashy and colorful show seemed to appeal to the crowd, but I'm wondering if they're aware of how much it's been pared down technically so that it could tour and play different size venues.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's beloved classic film THE WIZARD OF OZ has been re-adapted for the stage by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The splashy show features Harold Arlen's original music and E.Y. Harburg's original lyrics, with additional lyrics by Tim Rice and additional music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Flying audiences over the rainbow, this musical is sentimental, family-friendly schmaltz that entertains with ease.

During my first taste of the show last fall, I was certainly wowed by its technical wizardry and its talented cast, but was sadly underwhelmed by how much of the original film's stirring, emotional magic and innocent fantasy had been stripped away in favor of easy, high-camp laughs, dazzling onstage visual effects, and head-scratching staging choices. I think perhaps a small part of me had hoped that a few alterations have been enacted into the tour now that it has arrived an hour south in Costa Mesa months since that L.A. premiere. Alas, no.... the very same show (except for a cast change or two) is now playing at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County through February 23.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents the Orange County engagement of the first North American tour of the new stage adaptation of THE WIZARD OF OZ. The show will play at Segerstrom Hall from today, February 11 - 23, 2014.

PRETTY OLD, Walter Matteson's crowd-pleasing senior citizen pageant documentary executive produced by Sarah Jessica Parker, has been acquired by GoDigital for domestic release. Produced by Group Effort Films, Boss Films Productions and Parker's own Pretty Matches Productions, PRETTY OLD will see a simultaneous New York theatrical and nationwide VOD release via GoDigital this March. A theatrical on-demand release courtesy of Gathr Films is also slated for spring.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts has announced casting for the Orange County engagement of the first North American tour of the new stage adaptation of THE WIZARD OF OZ. The show will play at Segerstrom Hall from February 11 - 23, 2014.

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts today announced the opening of Andrew Lloyd Webber's all-new stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, which will run tonight, Dec. 4-29 at the Ordway in Saint Paul, Minn. This national production features the original music by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg from the 1939 Oscar-winning film, with additional music and lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

Last night at Joe's Pub, ROCK BOTTOM benefit star Bridget Everett invited the legendary Pattil LuPone on stage to perform Janis Joplin's 'Me and Bobby McGee.' Check out their rendition of the classic bluesy rock song below!

Joe's Pub at The Public previously announced a special concert tonight, November 9 at 9:00 PM to benefit its New York Voices commissioning series and to celebrate 15 years of presenting the best in live music and performance nightly

Joe's Pub has announced its lineup for this week, November 4-10, 2013, featuring Son Lux, Griffin House, Turnpike Troubadours, Polkabjorn & Kleine Heine, Ed Kowalczyk, Words & Music by Dan Wilson Co-Presented with WFUV, Mark Olson, The Hot Sardines, Never Sleep Alone, Marcelle Davies-Lashley, Joe's Pub 15th Anniversary Celebration featuring Bridgett Everett: Rock Bottom a Night to Benefit New York Voices, Nora York: Water Water Everywhere / Nay Any Drop to Drink, and The Joey Arias Experience. Details below!

This week at Joe's Pub at the Public, Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, will feature performances by JOAQUIN POZO, ADRIENNE TRUSCOTT'S ASKING FOR IT, LEWIS WATSON, JULIE ROBERTS, A NIGHT WITH ROBERT KRAFT, BRIDGET EVERETT: ROCK BOTTOM, NATHAN SALSBURG, DISAPPEAR FEAR, TOM RUSH, GAUCHO, ONLY WE WHO GUARD THE MYSTERY, and LET ME TRY THAT AGAIN: A BENEFIT FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS PROJECT.

Joe's Pub at The Public has announced a special concert on November 9 at 9:00 PM to benefit its New York Voices commissioning series and to celebrate 15 years of presenting the best in live music and performance nightly.

There are some classics you just don't mess with. "Casablanca", "Lawrence of Arabia" and yes, "The Wizard of Oz". OK, so there have been a number of sequels or prequels and complete rewrites (such as "The Wiz", which I love) but up to now no one has felt they could make the original better. That is until the ego that is Andrew Lloyd Webber came along and said, "Sure it's good but it needs my special flair." Well Sir Andrew, keep your special flair to yourself as what you have done is to jam in utterly forgettable new songs and horrifying jokes into the show and created a bastardized version of a classic.

Amber Martin, Tori Scott, Never Sleep Alone, Nikki M. James, Erin Markey, Bridget Everett, Andrea Marcovicci, Lady Rizo, Julie Klausner, Our Lady J, Tammy Faye Starlite, Jackie Hoffman, Sandra Bernhard and Pam Ann are set for the 'Women of Comedy and Cabaret' series at Joe's Pub at the Public, running October to December 2013. Details below!

Amber Martin, Tori Scott, Never Sleep Alone, Nikki M. James, Erin Markey, Bridget Everett, Andrea Marcovicci, Lady Rizo, Julie Klausner, Our Lady J, Tammy Faye Starlite, Jackie Hoffman, Sandra Bernhard and Pam Ann are set for the 'Women of Comedy and Cabaret' series at Joe's Pub at the Public, running October to December 2013. Details below!

What do you do for an updated stage adaptation of arguably one of cinema's much-beloved motion pictures of all time? Well for theater impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber and director Jeremy Sams, you populate the show with over-the-top, more cartoonish characters and snarky, audience-winking dialogue. Oh, yeah, and add a few new songs from Webber and his frequent collaborator, lyricist Tim Rice, too. The touring company plays the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood through October 6.

Joe's Pub at The Public has confirmed the premiere of Bridget Everett in Rock Bottom, a brand new theatrical event commissioned as part of its New York Voices series on October 30, November 1 & 2 at 9:30 PM. Written by Everett with Tony-winning writing duo Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, Rock Bottom is the entertainer's first major show since 2007's At Least It's Pink and the first since her critically-acclaimed tour with Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer. Tickets are on sale now: http://bit.ly/15WdMrz

THE WIZARD OF OZ national tour, with old standards and new music written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber and a book adapted by Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams, opened at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre last week on September 18. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below!

The Wizard of Oz, featuring some of movie music's most unforgettable standards, along with new music written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber; a book adapted by Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams... and everything else that is good made its way successfully to Hollywood's Pantages Theatre last week (September 18) for a high flying opening night celebration which drew a full house of young and old alike. Among those involved with the festivities were BWW TV's own Los Angeles correspondents Michael Sterling and Jerry Evans on the red carpet walk of fame. Among the celebrities in attendance were Rico Rodriquez (ABC's Modern Family) and his sister Raini Rodriguez (Disney's Austin and Ally), Fox TV's Lauren Potter (Glee), Academy Award winner George Chakiris (West Side Story), Kate Linder (The Young and The Restless), Jane Kean (The Honeymooners), Ann Jeffrey's (General Hospital, Topper), Corbin Bleu (One Life to Live), RJ Mitte (AMC's Breaking Bad), Michelle Dockery of the BBC's Downton Abbey and others of note. Check out the video below!