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"The Wizard Of Oz"
Earlier Opinions from Theatremonkey Contributors

Back to Show Information for the current London Palladium Theatre production.

Please note: Some reviews can contain "spoilers" - please don't read if this bothers you!
Note also that some reviews may refer to cast members who have since left the production.

________________________________________________________________________ My fellow musical theatre aficionados beware, remember this is ALW's latest "X- Factor" type offering... so expect an audience made up of of mostly badly behaved non-regular theatre-goers and kids ....... lots and lots of kids. Now I have unveiled my snobbery and alienated half my readers, on to the show. It is a good family night out, visually spectacular, the sets and effects are highly impressive. However because they are so complicated the times taken for set changes are quite lengthy; hopefully as the show is still in preview they can make these slicker or at least play some more dramatic music. A competent return to the stage by old pro Michael Crawford. Excellent performances by The Scarecrow, The Tin Man, The Lion and but especially Hannah Waddinham (loved your Desiree) as a superbly pantomime Wicked Witch. The star of the show is undoubtedly Toto, though he appeared to be suffering with stage fright at several points All in all definitely worth going to see, some excellent one liners thrown in, which will go over the kids heads; I won't spoil it for you, but all good clean fun. 7.75 out of 10. P.S: What about Danielle Hope as Dorothy, I hear you cry? As my mum used to say "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." ____________________________ Always like to buy front stalls seats to be near the action, this time it backfired. Had stalls, row F seats 8, 9 and 10. Stage is so high that we couldn't see the yellow brick road, the actors' feet, (which is pretty crucial with the red slippers), the Wicked Witch of the West in one scene and most of Toto because he was so small. It REALLY spoiled the performance. Very disappointing.' _____________________________ Got two tickets for The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium for my daughter and her boyfriend on Saturday 12th February 2011 - seats F10 and 11 in the stalls.  When I bought the tickets back in May 2010, no mention was made of them being restricted view. So I was really cross to learn from my daughter how disappointing it was for them not to be able to see the Ruby Slippers, Toto or the Yellow Brick Road lighting up, from their seats. They only knew about the latter from hearing comments from other members of the audience sitting further back.   Having paid £103 for the tickets I think this is really not on. Hopefully this will help other theatre goers when choosing seats. Mutti ______________________________ As a bit of a regular theatre-goer I have contributed to this website in the past. Today (16th February 2011), I attended the matinee performance of 'The Wizard of Oz.' With it being a "preview" I don't want to be too critical of the performance. Whilst certain members of the cast were fantastic (The Wicked Witch especially) some of the other parts were work in progress... Although, Michael Crawford didn't appear much, it just didn't seem right the Phantom's voice coming from the Wizard. At this stage the show is good fun, with the potentially to be a huge hit for ALW. Anyway the main reason for writing this was to review the seats, I thought this would particularly be useful as the website doesn't have many reviews at the minute for this new show. We sat in the Stalls row K 25 and 26, and I must say these seats where fantastic! None of the stage was obstructed (the Red slippers where visible and the yellow brick road was clearly visible) also with plenty of room. SPOILER ALERT Only problem there is a possibility of jarking your neck when the witch appears from the rafters (but that's all part of the fun of the show.) SPOILER ENDS. _______________________________ M7 in the Upper Circle was fine. Very young family audience, which was good to see - although some audience members spent most of the evening trying to soosh other folks' kids. There was an additional short break in the first half as the revolve broke down, but that's what previews are for. Show was much as I expected, but I was disappointed by the set - stylish instead of sumptuous. Dannielle Hope was good, and I really like the new songs by Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. As might be expected, the dog got the biggest cheer at the curtain call. Taljaard _______________________________ 7th February 2011, Royal Circle Row F Seat 48: This was the first preview so I expected a few problems and there were a couple, firstly the wicked witch is meant to disappear at one point but she didn't. Also scene changes seemed to take ages to complete. Possible spoiler alert: When the witch descends from the top of the theatre, and is above the audience, I could see the wires holding her up! Spoiler ends. The cast, I thought, were great - especially the tin man, lion and scarecrow. Michael Crawford was weak though. The atmosphere in the theatre was great but again £37.50 (access rate) is quite expensive! From my seat in the Royal Circle I would have liked to have been more central (late booking) but nothing was missed on the stage, I probably wouldn't want to be any further back though. Leg Room was tight and it was warm up there. The stage is quite high so I would advise readers to sit from Row E in the stalls back and the Royal Circle Row A to F to be able to take all the scenery in. ________________________________ Just returned from the 19th February 2011 preview, and just wanted to say that this is shaping up to be a marvellous show! Michael Crawford is ill, so his understudy (who has clearly had very little time on the part) went on - script in hand!!... and was phenomenal. A few misplaced words but, other than that, I cannot give enough praise for his last minute performance. The witch, Glinda, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion were all marvellous; and Toto was a scene stealer! Danielle Hope as Dorothy was good, but her acting ability isn't great and her voice alone isn't really enough to sell it - I'm sure she'll grow into the role, however. We had front row seats of the upper circle (A14 to 17) and although had to jiggle a bit to see stage left, the view was fine. The leg room, however, was appalling; no-one over 5ft 5 need apply! Katie _________________________________ We had seats in row D in the middle of the stalls, so were three rows back from the front. There were several children around us, and none could see onto the stage - so they missed the crucial bits of the story when the house landed on the witch. I could just see the legs sticking out with the magic shoes, but had to tell my young daughter to stand and look. Later, she didn't see the dog coming onto the stage or the Yellow Brick Road when it appeared. My daughter went to the loo in the interval and overheard some people asking if they could move to the back as they were in the front row, had sore necks and couldn't see anything. One lady behind us had bought tickets for her daughter and grandchildren, so they must have spent a lot for the children not to see everything - which was a shame. That would be my only criticism. The show was very good and the special effects worked well. __________________________________ I know the musical is still previewing so this is not a review but a much needed warning to all potential customers planning a trip to see the show. My wife, 5' 6" and I, 6' 7" went up last night (21st February 2011) on a recce visit as we're planning on taking my parents in June to celebrate mother's 80th. We visited the theatre last year and saw 'Sister Act' from Row C of the stalls and enjoyed a perfect view of the stage. With this in mind we were considering Row D stalls for Wizard. We like being close to the front. We bagged a couple of last minute seats for last night's performance, Row D stalls, seats 3 and 4. We were advised this was a side view with partial loss of sight lines to the right but didn't mind as we're coming back later in the year. However, as soon as the lights went down and the curtain went up it became apparent there is a much bigger problem for all stalls Row B, C, D, E and F, probably G and H too. The stage is sooo high that all the actors were cut off at the knee. Apparently the show features a yellow brick road, sparkling ruby slippers and I've heard there is a dog at the end of the taught lead! We saw none of it. And that honestly includes me at 6' 7", I couldn't see ANYTHING! I had to raise myself out of my seat to glimpse the feet of the wicked witch of the east sticking out from under the house. Remember, we paid preview prices of £45 each last night and the seats we were proposing to buy for my mother's 80th would have been £62.50 each all be it more central in the same row. Needless to say we ended up buying Royal Circle for June. We popped up there during the interval and can assure readers it's a different show altogether from that perspective. These front stalls seats are really not worth more than £20 a ticket. The whole evening is spoiled by the severely limited view. DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO TAKE FRONT STALLS. That aside, the theatre has been refurbished beautifully and the smell of fresh carpet is very luxurious. Michael Crawford was off last night with laryngitis and so was his understudy so we had 'Zeph', the second understudy who did a grand job even with the book in his hand. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Bill Kenwright walked on stage before curtain up to explain the situation and welcome us, which went down very well with the packed house. Nothing like a personal appearance to sooth possible unrest! David and Katie Guildford. __________________________________ Our seats for 'The Wizard of Oz' on 25th February 2011 were stalls C26 and 27 ... I knew from reviews across the web that we would have problems with the view regarding the Yellow Brick Road and Ruby slippers, but I was not prepared to not see ANY of it at all!! Not only did we not see the road or slippers, we did not see the house falling on the witch or her apparent legs sticking out from under it ! The stage is sooooooooo high, I honestly think these seats should be bottom price. That said..... from the knees up....this show is FANTASTIC!!!! The effects are wonderful and in my eyes the Wicked Witch steals the show - she is perfection! Danielle was lovely as Dorothy, so I do not agree with a previous review that her acting was not up to scratch. After the show she met and had photos with everyone that wanted it! Not sure how long she can keep that up... but it was appreciated by all! The tin man was hilarious, with brilliant comedic timing; and the lion and scarecrow also gave a good performance, as did Michael Crawford. This is a no-expense-spared production... Perhaps if they had the stage at a slight angle (like for example the 'Blood Brothers' staging) this would improve the view no end from the front stalls....after all...if you go to see 'The Wizard of Oz' you really DO want to see the Yellow Brick Road and those Ruby Slippers...........and the little dog too!!!! Sarah Louise ____________________________________ Overall I think that this is a very good show. I loved the way that the storm was depicted, by using projectors and special effects. The choreography was great; I especially liked the way that the tin man and the scarecrow moved. I really enjoyed it when the witch and the monkeys came out above everyone and were right above your head. One thing that wasn’t so good is that we were right at the front of the stalls and none of the people around that area could see some of the key things like the witches’ legs under the house; the slippers; the yellow brick road and at first you couldn’t see the dog very well at all. I have seen lots of other shows, but I especially liked 'Wicked' which was good to see before this one because you got an idea of who Glinda and Elphaba were, and why Elphaba turned bad. ____________________________________ The Dog's Bo*****s ! (5 stars) ____________________________________ Having read the monkey's thoughts, I pretty much agree with everything it says. I don’t think the show gains anything much by the new songs although Hannah W. makes the best of her opportunity in her Act 2 number. We really enjoyed her performances here and in 'Into The Woods,' and is joining our other “must keep up with what she’s doing” actor. Other than HW my favourite performance was the Tin Man, whom I found amusing and well in character. DH was fine, but not outstanding, however I would say perhaps shows more promise for future roles than other similar TV show winners. The video for the trip to Oz I thought was a reasonable, if, as you say, a bit long interpretation. However, I thought the reverse “journey” felt longer and didn’t really work for me and consequently was a bit anti-climactic. The night we went the youngest Munchkin child was too young - the poor child was pretty much being pushed/dragged around the stage, which was a bit disconcerting. The kids aren’t necessary anyway except to add a bit of sickliness to the proceedings. Perhaps ALW should have stuck to the book for the number of Munchkins as well as for their costume colour – If I remember rightly Dorothy meets only 3 male Munchkins in the book. On the whole I thought the set was very good with appropriate contrast between Kansas and Oz and the Emerald City. The use of the elevating revolve reminded me a bit of a similar use for 'Wind in the Willows' a few (many?) years ago. I can live with the stuffed Toto for H&S reasons (and my wife spotted it much sooner than me!), but re stuffed animals – I’d have ditched the toy poodle in the Emerald City – contrasted with the living breathing Toto it seemed out of place and slightly ridiculous! It was very good to see Michael Crawford back on staged by the way. All in all it was an enjoyable piece of entertainment with kids. 3/5: enjoyable, but wouldn’t rush to go again. ____________________________________ *THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS, SO DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU PLAN TO SEE THE SHOW AND DO NOT WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS...BUT DO READ THIS WARNING ABOUT BUYING TICKETS (*): I rang up the box office today and got a last min ticket in Row I, Seat 27 of the stalls, right in the centre. I saw on theatremonkey's seating plan that from the front row to Row I, some people said they couldn't see Dorothy's red shoes or Toto the dog. In Row I, I could just about see her shoes and I saw the dog perfectly. Any further forward and I wouldn't have seen either. In the bus station on the way home, I happened to overhear a lady on her mobile talking about the show (weird as to come all the way back to North London to hear someone talk about it).  So on the bus I said to her that I had seen it too and we got into a discussion.  She and her grandson bought the tickets way back in May, 3rd row, and they could hardly see anything as the stage is VERY high for this production, so they complained to theatre and will complain further..not sure if theatre will start to reduce the price of these front seats if lots of people complain.*    ON TO MY REVIEW OF THE SHOW  Background to the show: For those that don't know, in the UK the BBC put on a TV show around May 2010, 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow,' to search for a new Dorothy to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber's new production of the classic musical, 'The Wizard of Oz.'  In an American Idol/X Factor style programme, the winner was eventually a girl named Danielle. The production at the famous London Palladium theatre opened officially on the 1st March 2011 after a few weeks of previews beforehand.  Btw, the 100 year old London Palladium is looking good in certain parts of the theatre after a refurb, since I last went there last year.   Michael Crawford and the score: Michael Crawford (Phantom, TV's Some Mother's Do Have 'Em's Frank Spencer) plays The Wizard, Professor Marvel (and a couple of other minor roles).  It was a privilege to see such a legend on stage, even though he had a small role.  When Michael first appeared on stage, I couldn't help but think of Frank Spencer lol.  Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice wrote a few extra songs to add to the original movie score and one of these songs was a song for Michael to sing as Prof. Marvel.    As soon as the show started, I wasn't sure about it, as I've not read any reviews.  At first I thought the orchestra overpowered the speaking, but this did stop after the first scene.   Scenery and Special Effects:  OMG! OMG! is what I have to say about the scenery. For anyone who knows me well, will know that I've exhausted seeing most of the musicals in London's West End, so for me to say this is HUGE.  I have never seen such a spectacular use of special effects in a musical theatre show before.  I felt as though I was in the middle of the tornado. WOW!  They cleverly use a video screen, at some points, to make you feel like you are watching a live movie take place in front of your eyes! The sets were fantastic too, for a fairly small stage.    I also nearly jumped out of my seat several times from the loud explosions of fire and at two points the Wicked Witch and a monkey man came flying down, right above my head from the very high ceiling.  There were lots of children in the theatre, which was great for a shorty like me, so that I could see without a tall person blocking me; but I do think that it is fairly scary/dark at times for young kids.  I'm an adult and I nearly had a heart attack at some points, especially the scenes with the Witch, LOL   Dorothy and Toto:  I wasn't too keen on Danielle in the BBC 'search' shows, but a great choice for Dorothy and she played the part excellently.  Reminded me of Judy Garland slightly, which is a good thing.  Awww loved the dog who played Toto. He is on stage a lot and was so well behaved and very cute.   Wicked Witch of The West/Glinda The Good Witch:  After seeing the musical 'Wicked' several times, my perception of The Wicked Witch (Elphaba) will NEVER EVER be the same again, so for me to see them portray the witch as being like in the movie...ugly and extremely nasty, just doesn't have the same effect anymore. Though towards the end, I did see they tried to make her a bit more human in character and I could kinda see how the ending of 'Wicked' fitted in with 'The Wizard of Oz.' Lady who played the Wicked Witch had a really good voice and another new song was sung by her,  which was a way of getting to know this character better than in the movie.   Same for Glinda (Good Witch). After seeing 'Wicked,' my perception of this character will never be the same as the way they portray her in 'Wizard of Oz' movie and theatre production.    Rest of the Cast: Absolutely loved the three guys who played the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion. Provided some laughs and serious moments too.  All the cast were great. And on a final note...wow, so sorry for the long review and if you've gotten this far then well done and thank you for spending the time to read this.    The End Many thanks,   Danni C. 5th March 2011 - Afternoon performance. ____________________________________ I had the first of three planned coach trips yesterday (9th March 2011) to see 'The Wizard of Oz.' We entered yesterday by the box office entrance which took us past phase one of the new extension, opened on World Premiere night 1st of March 2011, which includes a new bar named after Val Parnell and an attractive spiral staircase down to the stalls from an assembly room. Very tasteful, and later - after the performance - it was a joy as a man to only have to wait a few minutes for the ladies to exit the loos... as at last a London theatre has built new loos for the ladies that allows them to enter and exit like the men do, without an enormously long queue. No doubt even more joy for the ladies not having to stand for ages with crossed legs. Having read the Monkey's early preview report I feel that some issues must have been addressed and both Michael Crawford and Danielle Hope have settled in to their roles as they both gave confident and competent performances. My group were in rows L, M and N and from row L my sight line just saw the floor of the stage. I am 6'1" so I suspect anyone sitting much closer than that would have increasingly restricted views of some of the action the closer to the stage they are. I would say that our rows were just about perfect for this show. The wicked witch hung in front of the dress circle (almost above our heads) so all in the DC would have a superb view of her, but anyone in rear stalls would only see her feet at best - until she flew on to the stage. The upper circle would not see her hanging except that she did descend from the roof so passed in front of them first. Having got the negatives out of the way though, I loved the show as did everyone on my coach. What was there not to like if you have the intention of going to the theatre to have a great day out and are going to see a superb show, rather than just going to look for negatives? It was well balanced; all round superb family entertainment, and I felt kept pretty well to the film, albeit that the new numbers were needed to give it more musical content - and they blended in very well. I had two small boys on the coach aged 9 and 7 and they both absolutely loved it. I am looking forward to seeing it again in May. _____________________________________ Went to theatre on 23rd March 2011 to see 'Wizard of Oz.' Great show. Dorothy was fantastic, as was Toto. It really is worth seeing, if you like that sort of thing. Now the problem. Booked with Seetickets.com (the official box office - Editor). Big mistake. I ordered 2 tickets - row K stalls seats 23 and 24,which arrived quite quickly. These were the premium seats costing £84 each. The day before the show, I was emailed by Seetickets and TOLD I WOULD NOT BE SITTING IN THESE SEATS, AND I WOULD BE SEATED NEARER THE AISLE. When I contacted them and asked why, I was told that they did not know the reason why - call it "unforeseen circumstances." No offer of a discount or refund. They were rude when I asked for a better explanation. I did hear from them, and they tried to blame the theatre, saying it was an 'IT ERROR.' IT TURNED OUT THAT THEY HAD SOLD 4 TICKETS, INCLUDING MINE, TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE AFTER I BOOKED. And then moved me. BUYER BEWARE. I was also warned about them by theatre staff. _____________________________________ Matinee Performance Monday of Preview/Half term week February 2011. Seat in left block of stalls row N15, left of centre aisle. View: The Palladium has very few stalls seats without a good view  - unless Horse from 'Bonanza' is in front of you. I was very happy in row N, though I always try for row E in any theatre. The show started late. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and co-producer Kenwright came front of tabs personally to welcome the audience and to apologise for the non-appearance of Michael Crawford, and the fact that his understudy was also sick and that a second understudy would play (?) the part by reading the script. The audience appeared happy with this. Nobody left. The first half was too long, with some very long pauses. There were technical failures such as the broom failing to ignite at the crucial point where Dorothy kills the witch by thrusting it at her. The three new songs are totally forgettable and I am still unable to remember the melodies (?) never mind the words. Sadly the show copied the effect from WICKED where a character appears topside from the flies with a huge cloak that stretches to stage left and right. Why did they do that? I did not like 'Wicked,' either but, see my crit of that on another page. The whirlwind achieved its effect, but I ask why in a live show should film be used? I could have stayed at home and watched the DVD. A competent performance by Dorothy and the 3 characters. I enjoyed the marching soldiers and the use of the Palladium revolve which took us to the Emerald City. All in all I would go again to see it as a performance rather than a dress rehearsal . I give it B+. Suh North Yorkshire ______________________________________ I saw 'The Wizard of Oz' at the Palladium last night (31st March 2011) after an impulsive buying of return seats. However the seats were absolutely fantastic! We were in row B of the Royal Circle and could see everything, I think they're some of the best seats I've ever had. The circle is well raked from row A so the people in front of us were not in the way at all, and the wall of the circle is low enough that row A doesn't have to lean forward and therefore does not obscure anyone else's view. The stage is incredibly high, so we could see how easy it would be for people in the stalls not to be able to see what's going on. A lot of the action takes place quite far back on the stage so I would imagine that quite a lot would get missed. However the Royal Circle is a perfect place to sit. The stage doesn't seem far away at all and as we were in seats 21 and 22 we were dead centre and had an amazing view. I never much liked the story of the 'Wizard of Oz' but I'm very glad I got to see the production, even though I don't think I'll feel the need to go again. The set design was great, always so much to look at and I really like it when a revolve is used well. Danielle Hope did very well, although I don't think she's the strongest of performers, however for her first role she is very good. I loved seeing Michael Crawford, although he was not onstage much. I think he was showing his age, but played each of his four roles well and in one of his songs showed he still has his amazing voice. I thought Hannah Waddingham as the Wicked Witch was absolutely fantastic and really stole the show for me. She has a fantastic voice and enormous stage presence. _______________________________________ Saw this Saturday matinee April 2nd 2011 with 2 daughters aged 11 and 8. Firstly, to see this show, the Royal Circle is absolutely the best place to sit. People have mentioned the bad view from the stalls - well, from the Royal Circle you can see everything, and when the wicked witch flies down from the rafters, she hovered right in front of us. My kids thought that was awesome. The show itself is packed with special effects, it really is quite stunning, and very clever. I definitely wouldn't recommend it for children much younger than mine though, as its pretty loud and scary at times. We booked the show to see Danielle after her 'Over the Rainbow' TV show triumph, and she didn't disappoint, we thought she was a lovely Dorothy with a gorgeous voice. The rest of the cast were good too, we especially liked the scarecrow (funny), the wicked witch (splendidly horrible with green face and purple fright wig!) and the good fairy (pretty). Overall we'd give it "lots" out of 10. The kids loved it, I really enjoyed it too, but definitely sit in the Royal Circle. Mila Saturday April 2nd Royal Circle seats A 23, 24 and 25 (right in the middle, amazing!) ________________________________________ We went to the evening performance last Friday, 8th April 2011, and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Michael Crawford and Danielle Hope have settled into their roles and were excellent, as were the rest of the cast. Toto was a hit with the audience, and barked exactly on cue. Scarecrow was particularly good, with a body like rubber, but the star of the show, for us, was Hannah (why oh why has she not got a higher profile, considering all the fab parts she has taken over recent years?). She was unrecognisable as Miss Gulch/Wicked witch of the west, and she certainly seemed to relish every minute. The aerials were fantastic, at one point descending from the roof of the theatre. I have to agree with others that this is not for very young children, as it is dark in places and the flying monkeys are quite scary. Another wonderful evening in theatreland! We sat in the stalls, row F seats 22 to 25 and had a great view with plenty of legroom. Wouldn’t want to be any further forward though, or the stage is obscured. The new layout of bars is fab and, wonder of wonders, an extra lot of ladies’ toilets with no queuing!! Avril. ________________________________________ Went on 13th April 2011 and, even though we had a pause due to a technical fault, we had a great time. As a youngster I have watched the film every Christmas... and subject my children to it ever since - so could the show live up to my expectation? Yes it did - was amazing - stuck to the story line with the little jokes and them added some more! Great effects - wonderful to see Michael Crawford, but have to say the star of then show really is the wicked witch (sorry Daniele and Toto!) - she was brilliant and in our pre dinner meal (at the diner) was also told she was the nicest person you could ever wish to meet. Nice and talented - not fair! Great show if you take the child within you - enjoy! ________________________________________ Hey just went to see Wizard last night (14th April 2011) for the first time. So here are my views: Seats - We had seats T26 and 27 Limited view - however I could see all the stage and we only missed two very small sections of the show, but this didn't spoil anything for us. I did feel a little bit far away at times, but not too much. Overall thought view was fantastic, especially for the cheaper price. Actors - Hope did brilliantly, sang well, subtle characterisation that worked. Crawford was a joy to watch, as per. Waddingham was an absolute smasher - she just knows how to do it! Keating (Scarecrow) I thought he was great, really enjoyed watching him for the first time. Show - I especially liked the Kansas scenes, they were well acted and staged. However I personally wasn't a huge fan of the overly cheesy set for OZ, I wasn't keen on the revolving stage as I think it could have been staged more effectively. But this all added to the experience for kids. The show is long (2 hours 40 approximately, with a 20 minute interval), but it didn't feel like it dragged. Overall - I thought it was a great show and so glad I went to watch it! However, I did think most of the characters lacked a little depth and thought I should have cared about the characters more than I did. I think this is due to how the show has been written and staged, not how it is being acted. Crawford and Hope were both great at signing programmes and having pictures after the show. All in all smashing show, really enjoyed it, but think it could have captured my heart a little bit more. Lisa _________________________________________ Went to see "The Wizard of Oz" on 13th April 2011. Sat in Row W in the stalls, and can say that the Palladium is still one of the most uncomfortable seats for leg room that I have ever sat in. Last time I was at the Palladium I was in the Upper Circle, and swore never again, but unfortunately the stall seats are only marginally more comfortable. The end seats have the most leg room because of the way it curves, so as it was pretty empty, we all moved around and got slightly more comfortable seats. If it had been sold out it would have been a nightmare. I loved "The Wizard of Oz" from the moment it started. The new songs fit in perfectly, and I really enjoyed them. I thought Danielle Hope was absolutely fantastic, I hadn't known what to expect from her really, especially because of Andrew Lloyd Webber's contradictory behaviour during the casting of this show in "Over The Rainbow" (he wanted a young, fresh but experienced 16/17 year old for the part). However, I was blown away by Danielle Hope. Her accent was brilliant, her acting great and her singing perfect. I also thought she dealt with the rather naughty Toto extremely well. The staging worked really well and they used it to great advantage. They also had a rather long projection of the tornado, and Dorothy leaving Kansas, that although was pretty spectacular went on for a few minutes too long. Would have been better as a brief showing of the event because we are more concerned about seeing the characters on stage than a film/projection of a scene. I loved the scenes straight after this though, the scenery was fantastic and it was really beautiful. I was very impressed. There was a slight technical fault where the scarecrow got stuck in the revolving set and the safety curtain came down for about 15/20 minutes but this was fine, it was not a major issue and the cast were very professional and dealt with it very well. The yellow brick road was seen perfectly although, the flying witches/monkeys could not be seen from so far back in the stalls. I think the best view would have been the dress circle. It was not a problem though, they were brief things that were not upsetting to miss, although if possible they would have been good to see. The Emerald City was very impressive. The only part I did not enjoy so much is the bit in the Forest - but the same can be said for the film, so don't think that has anything to do with how this show is dealing with it. The entire cast was fantastic. The Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion were all perfect and gave us some great light hearted moments. The only thing I would say was that, although I thought Tin Man looked great and Scarecrow quite good, I was disappointed with the Lion's costume. It just looked too much like something you could hire from a costume shop and not West End theatre enough. It was a pleasure to at last see Michael Crawford on stage and it was a really enjoyable performance. Overall thought this was a fantastic night out, really enjoyed every minute of it and it lived up to expectations. It's very fun and quite moving. I really really recommend this show. ____________________________________________ I went to the matinee performance on May 2nd 2011 and thought this show was fantastic. Very visual and spectacular, brilliant effects and scenery and some great performances, notably the witches (good and wicked!) and the dog! To respond to a couple of points raised in other reviews: - I went with my 5 year old daughter who is a big fan of the film and has been to the theatre quite often. She absolutely loved it and wasn't scared by it. Get there early to get a booster seat as you'll definitely need them though. - Our seats were Q32 and 33 in the stalls, which were fine. You have the benefit of being on the end of a row and you are in the centre block and can see all the stage. The only downside was they were a couple of rows too far back to get the full effect of the flying witch. We could see if we ducked down a bit, but it wasn't ideal. I heartily recommend this show; we thoroughly enjoyed it and would go again given half a chance! ____________________________________________ 'Wizard of Oz'  do Day Seats for £25 from 10am each day. This was my second experience of Day Seats after Wicked. I was very surprised as by the time the doors opened only about 9 people in the queue. They seemed to have rows A and B and the far ends of rows back to row G. I took seat G1. Although this is far right I don't feel I missed too much, only a couple of times at the most was a cast member hidden from view, by the side of the stage or the loudspeaker. The stage is very high, I was able to see Toto fine, and the majority of the time I was able to see at least part of the ruby slippers. I enjoyed the show very much. I was very pleased to see both Michael Crawford and Danielle Hope as I am fans of both. The whole cast was brilliant including the dog playing Toto. I was a bit surprised that the munchkin children didn't seem to be there at the curtain call. Although they are only on stage for a short time they still deserve to get some recognition. (Attended Saturday Matinee 14 May 2011) ____________________________________________ Went to see 'The Wizard of Oz' on Friday evening, 27th May 2011. The seats we had were in the Royal (Dress) Circle, Row E, seats 33 and 34, and these were fantastic seats. They cost me £62.50 per ticket but were well worth the price. I'd read up before on Theatremonkey about the best places to sit, and to me the Royal (Dress) Circle was the best bet. Previous reviews had mentioned people sitting in the Stalls or Upper Circle missed various parts of the show like the flying witch and monkey / seeing Toto / seeing Dorothy's Ruby Red shoes, but you saw everything from our seats. Leg room though is very tight so that's why I opted for two side seats - so me and my brother could swap over to stretch our legs in the aisle. Show was brilliant, and for me Toto stole the show - absolutely brilliant!!!! Go and see this show, but try to get seats in the Royal (Dress) Circle - you will not be disappointed. Claire and Daniel. ____________________________________________ Have just seen a fantastic show at the London Palladium (June 2011), but nearly ruined by the lack of leg space in J30 of the Upper Circle. I am 5' 9" and found it incredibly uncomfortable. I can't imagine how anyone taller, or with longer legs, managed. Shame because the seats themselves are very comfortable, and it's a lovely old theatre. ____________________________________________ Saw the show on Saturday 11th June 2011, 2.30pm. The show overall is truly brilliant - made me fall in love with the show all over again! There are so many surprises throughout the production, and the extra songs added are fab. I must say that Hannah Waddingham, who stars as the Wicked Witch, stole the show - she was absolutely magnificent. I paid £25 for Row B seats 14 and 15. After reading the reviews from the Monkey (before the stage was adjusted - editor), I had doubts about these seats, but was pleasantly surprised, I didn't have a single problem with these seats. I was able to see everything, including the yellow brick road, Toto, and the ruby slippers. If you need to see this show and are on a budget, row B is definitely the way to go, better to be second row stalls rather then the back of the upper circle - you feel so engaged in the show. I would not take row A though; the woman in front of me was unable to see some things and jumped up a few times (middley annoying). Also, from these seats, the conductor isn't a main problem, so for brilliant seats at a cheap price go for row B :) Luke ____________________________________________ I went to see “The Wizard of Oz” on 1st April 2011. Having been a lifelong fan of the film, I was really looking forward to seeing the show, and I was not left disappointed at all. The visual effects used in the tornado scene, the fabulous costumes and of course, the beautifully behaved dog all contributed to make a truly wonderful production. Danielle Hope makes an outstanding Dorothy, and succeeded in reminding the audience why the public adored her on “Over The Rainbow.” I personally felt that she managed to bring out a rather different element to the character originally played by Judy Garland. In the opening scene, we witness an angry, frustrated and typically teenage Dorothy, which added depth and emotion to the character. Special mention must go to Michael Crawford, for his outstanding portrayal of Professor Marvel, and the Wizard. He had a marvellous stage presence, as did Hannah Waddingham, who played the wonderfully Wicked Witch of the West. Her fiendish cackle, and the way she fearlessly flew across the stage on a broomstick, or else dropped from the ceiling, really emphasised the actress’ talent, as did her spine-tingling solo song “The Red Shoes Blues.” Edward Baker-Duly was extremely comical in his role of the Tin Man, and seemed to have grasped a firm understanding of the character. In my opinion, he stood out against the Scarecrow and the Lion, both of whom were excellent however. The production’s soundtrack was excellent, even with the omissions of “The Jitterbug” and “If I were King of the Forest.” Andrew Lloyd Webber has succeeded in giving classics like “Over The Rainbow” a new lease of life, as well as introducing us to a whole host of new gems. My personal favourites would have to have be “Nobody Understands Me” and “Wonders of the World”, as both these songs added depth and a more life-like quality to the Kansas scene. Una ______________________________________________ Popped along to the Palladium last night (28th June 2011) to see 'The Wizard of Oz.' Not a full house, but that's maybe down to the fact that the winner of 'Over the Rainbow' wasn't performing (I didn't watch it, so I wasn't bothered).   We sat in the Royal Circle row D seats 38 to 40 which, although I thought might be a little bit too far over to the left hand side, were actually really good seats with an excellent view. Legroom was fairly tight for me, being 6', but I managed to wedge myself in without too much knee ache throughout the evening. I've sat, and prefer to sit, in the Circle here because I think it offers the best view of the stage.   The show itself was very good, strong performances and a great set. Nothing stood out for me as exceptional because I think it almost felt like a Panto at times, certainly with Hannah Waddington's wicked witch almost playing it for laughs - even though her performance was brilliant. I wish she could have made her slightly more scary, as that is why the film works so well. When she did her song in the second act my friend commented that she looked like a drag queen - which I found quite funny. Mr Crawford was on fine form and the audience reacted very warmly towards him throughout. Out of the 'friends of Dorothy,' I found the Scarecrow to be the most engaging and true to the film - with the Lion a close second. The Tin Man acted more like 'The Terminator,' but it worked OK none the less. This production is certainly geared up for children, I think, more than anything else - and because of that it doesn't quite 'Defy Gravity' like 'Wicked' does! The girl on for Dorothy did a very good job indeed, and you could almost hear Judy Garland at times - which was kind of spooky. All in all a good night out but nothing astounding, and it tells you something when the dog gets a bigger cheer than anyone else on stage at the end of the night!!   It's not something I'll see again but am glad that I went along.   Graham (Oxfordshire's most feared critic). ________________________________________________ 'Wizard of Oz' is a very colourful happy pantomime musical. If you can’t wait till Christmas for a great pantomime to take your children to, then go and see 'Wizard of Oz.' The costumes and scenery are very colourful. The actors and actresses are great singers and dancers. The dog especially is very cute and very entertaining when it does not do what it’s supposed to do, he really does make everyone laugh. I would recommend this play if you want a fun happy pantomime for the children, but if you are an adult and don’t have children then I would highly recommend 'Wicked' instead - which is a more grown up version of 'The Wizard of Oz.' 'Wicked' is based mainly around the good and bad witch of Oz. _________________________________________________ Stalls seat P9. View good, but sitting below the circle. Above this overhang a ventilation panel is fitted, blowing strong cold air. A number of us both in row P, and in rows immediately behind and in front requested at the interval that the air conditioning was turned down. No action was taken. I recommend when buying seats that you bear this in mind. __________________________________________________ We booked this show over a year ago, after Danielle had won the final of 'Over the Rainbow' - and it was worth the wait! We had great seats in row B of the dress circle - it was worth paying the premium price for the effects. Contrary to some of the critics, I felt that Lloyd Webber's new songs added to the the original. Hannah Waddingham was, as always, stunning in her performance, and the 'Red Shoes Blues' adds some necessary drama after the interval. Glinda's 'Home is a Place' also drove the show to a satisfying conclusion. But it was Danielle's performance that pleased me most. After all the cynical comments about these shows, she is an undoubtable talent. She held the stage with confidence, her voice pure and controlled. I took my 5 year old and 7 year old - both of whom loved it. It was a little scary but they soon got over it, and haven't stopped playing the music since! __________________________________________________ Wednesday Evening 22nd June 2011. First, I would agree with the monkey's opinion that the show is not suitable for really young children, not so much due to the pacing of the show, but because there is some “scary” action at times. This was perfectly illustrated by a boy of about seven years of age, sitting two rows in front of us, who was scared out of his wits during the storm when Dorothy was being transported to Oz. His mum had to take him out of the theatre, but happily when we left the auditorium during the interval, he had calmed down and was sitting peacefully in the back row. They survived the second half intact at the back of the stalls! Which leads me nicely on to say that the special effects were brilliant and I didn’t think overdone. We were sitting in stalls I16 and 17, the right hand aisle seats in the centre block. The view was excellent, no doubt helped in that nobody was sitting in front of us, and legroom was good. No problem in seeing the yellow brick road, Dorothy’s red shoes or Toto the dog. There were a few empty seats in the theatre which rather surprised us given the publicity the show has attracted. There was one understudy performing that evening, Marianne Benedict in place of Hannah Waddington as the Wicked Witch of the West. Not having seen Ms Waddington I can’t compare performances, but I thought Ms Benedict was excellent! In fact all the cast were on top form and thoroughly entertaining, especially the dog who played Toto! He got the biggest round of applause at the end! I enjoyed all the new songs, and in the big number at the end of Act 1 Michael Crawford reminded me of the time he was in 'Phantom of the Opera!' I thought Danielle Hope as Dorothy had a bit of a slow start, but she warmed up as soon as Michael Crawford appeared on stage. I’m glad that he has extended his run by another six months. ___________________________________________________ 28th August 2011. Wasn't really sure if I'd see anything different to set Lloyd-Webber's version of this musical apart from any other productions, but the lure of seeing Michael Crawford and Hannah Waddingham made me buy tickets for the show. If you're looking for a traditional family show then you can't go wrong but if you're looking for something different then you'll be disappointed. For me, if you took Crawford and Waddingham out of the show then you're left with Xmas panto fare. Waddingham was excellent as the Wicked Witch especially when belting out the song 'Red Shoes Blues,' she played the role to perfection. Crawford was equally as good but underused in his 3 roles throughout the show. I was sat in the Upper Circle in row F34 and 35 which offered a great view of the stage albeit from a huge height! A very good show but not different enough to be a great show. ____________________________________________________ Saw the show on 31st August 2011. The Guardian’s reviewer concluded “if only it had a heart” and I couldn’t agree more. It is entertaining and well put together, but I found myself admiring the show’s efficiency rather than marvelling at any great spectacle. The show clearly has a big budget and much of it is there on stage, whether it’s high wires, fancy sets and even the presence of Michael Crawford. But it still left me oddly dissatisfied. It ticks most boxes, but that’s all it does – it is competent rather than inspired. I’ve 'day seated' several times before in the Palladium, most recently for 'Sister Act.' I sat in the same seats (A7 and A8) as I did for 'Wizard of Oz.' I’d say they remains the pick of the day seats, being just off centre (no conductor’s head in the way) and on an aisle (enabling a longer legged person like me to stretch out). The yellow brick road is barely visible from so close to the front, but in this production isn’t as integral to the plot as you’d perhaps guess. So the front row seats would have a big vivid green hue in my opinion but for one flaw. The orchestra is more visible from these seats than previously (certainly much more visible than for 'Sister Act') and there was much rolling of eyes, face-pulling and yawning from some of them during the more saccharine scenes - not what I’d exactly call professional. ____________________________________________________

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