HowWasTheShow.com

CTC’s The Wizard Of Oz imitates the 1939 MGM classic beat-by-beat: the structure is identical, the character conceits, the exquisite Arlen/Harburg songs. Much of the play’s dialogue comes directly from the movie. All the classic lines—“I’m not a witch at all!”  “Who’d've thought a little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?”—are perfectly preserved. This production makes almost no effort to assert itself, to give Oz a distinctive 2011 spin (except, occasionally, in the set design; more on this in a moment).