STEPHEN KEARLEY reviews THE WIZARD OF OZ
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Legacy’s handmade Oz is playful, charming, and full of imagination.” -Stephen Kearley, The BroadGAYS
THE WIZARD OF OZ comes with one enormous challenge: everybody already has their own version of Oz sitting in their heads.
We know Dorothy’s dress. We know the ruby slippers. We know the Tin Man, the flying monkeys, the Wicked Witch, the yellow brick road, and exactly how many times that woman is going to threaten a little girl over a dog. Putting all of that on the very small stage at Legacy Theatre in Branford is a huge undertaking.
Director Hannah Ryan wisely avoids trying to cram the MGM movie into the building. Instead, Legacy creates its own handmade Oz using tiered wooden platforms, a small company playing nearly everyone, and a collection of repurposed household objects that gives the production its own playful personality.
The story remains the one practically everyone knows. Dorothy is swept out of Kansas by a tornado and dropped into Oz, where she accidentally kills a witch, takes her shoes, and immediately becomes the target of the dead woman’s extremely angry sister. She sets off for the Emerald City with the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, each hoping the Wizard can provide whatever they believe they are missing.
Annika Jonker makes a warm and likable Dorothy. Her “Over the Rainbow” is beautifully sung without becoming an imitation of Judy Garland, and I loved seeing Dorothy in dark blue overalls with sewn-on patches instead of the familiar gingham dress. It makes her feel like an actual Kansas farm kid instead of someone who just stepped out of the MGM wardrobe department.
Charles Romano’s loose-limbed Scarecrow is a lot of fun, and his patchwork costume is one of the production’s strongest designs. Garrett Van Allen brings plenty of charm to the Tin Man, and Jimmy Donohue’s Cowardly Lion has the voice, the accent, the comedic timing, the looks, and an impressive collection of nervous little noises. The three work especially well together once the journey settles into its comedy.
Olivia Fenton has the necessary bite as Miss Gulch and the Wicked Witch, although I could have used a little more danger from the Witch. Sarah Anne Hughes brings warmth to Aunt Em and Glinda, while Rod Brogan has a great time with both Professor Marvel and the Wizard. His delivery of “I’m a very good man. I’m just a bad wizard” lands exactly as it should.
The production gets a remarkable amount of mileage out of Ryan Howell’s multilevel set. Seven platforms become a farm, Munchkinland, a forest, the Emerald City, and the Witch’s castle, sometimes within minutes. The company crawls beneath them, climbs across them, pops out from behind them, and occasionally disappears into spaces that do not look large enough to hold a human body.
Douglas Macur’s lighting carries much of the visual storytelling. Kansas begins in a muted palette before the stage blooms into color when Dorothy reaches Oz. String lights shift with the location, red washes spread across the poppy field, and small changes in color help separate places built from the same wooden platforms.
One lighting choice is much less effective. The Wicked Witch is lit in red rather than green, which makes her face appear brown and muddies one of the character’s most recognizable visual features. Green lighting would have worked much better.
The tornado sequence is busy and not always clear, but there are smart ideas inside it. Puppetry is also used well, particularly with the crows, and the ensemble keeps Oz moving even when the physical space sometimes limits them.
Jimmy Johansmeyer’s costumes embrace the production’s handmade, found-object style. The Munchkins are colorful and adorable, with terrific hats and flower fascinators. Dorothy’s overalls are a welcome change of pace, the Scarecrow’s patchwork design fits the production beautifully, and the Cowardly Lion’s strips of ragged fabric give him plenty of personality.
The designs also have fun incorporating familiar household objects. Glinda’s crown appears to be fashioned from forks, the Tin Man wears a washboard, and the Winkies arrive in metal headpieces decorated with kitchen tools. The Tin Man’s look may not be the most traditional interpretation of the character, but it pays off during a genuinely fun tap break, accompanied by an ensemble member playing along on a metal bowl.
One of the production’s funniest ideas is Miss Gulch’s scooter. Watching her tear into the theater on wheels to seize Dorothy’s dog is ridiculous in exactly the right way.
And then there is Gus, the real dog playing Toto during the Kansas scenes. He is adorable, remarkably well behaved, and receives exactly the response you would expect from an audience suddenly presented with a very good boy. Once Dorothy reaches Oz, Gus is replaced by a tiny stuffed Toto. A slightly larger double might make the switch less noticeable, but the real Gus has already done more than enough to win everyone over.
The four-piece band, led by David Marottollo, gives the familiar score plenty of life without overpowering the performers. “If I Only Had a Brain,” “The Merry Old Land of Oz,” and “If I Were King of the Forest” are especially enjoyable. The company also handles the constant doubling, costume changes, entrances, exits, and traffic patterns with impressive commitment.
Legacy makes very good use of every inch of the theater. The action frequently spills into the aisles and stairways, the house lights rise from time to time, and the characters join the audience out in the theater. It makes the production feel larger without making the space feel crowded.
The evening also has a genuine sense of play. Umbrellas become birds. Kitchen tools become armor. Seven wooden platforms become an entire country. Legacy may not have acres of scenery, a large flying house, or an army of monkeys, but it keeps finding inventive ways to send Dorothy down the yellow brick road.
Legacy Theatre is also one of the cutest theaters I have ever visited, and I already know I will be making the trip back to Branford to see what they do next.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For tickets and information:
Legacy Theatre
128 Thimble Islands Road
Branford, Connecticut
Performances through August 9, 2026
CAST:
Rod Brogan - Wizard / Professor Marvel
Sophia Coppola - Ensemble (Wicked Witch / Miss Gulch Understudy)
Jimmy Donohue - Lion / Zeke
Lucas Dylan - Ensemble (Lion / Zeke Understudy)
Olivia Fenton - Wicked Witch / Miss Gulch
Rick Fountain - Emerald City Guard / Uncle Henry (Wizard / Professor Marvel Understudy)
Nicholas Futris - Swing
Fletcher Hooten - Ensemble (Tin Man Understudy)
Sarah Anne Hughes - Glinda / Aunt Em
Annika Jonker - Dorothy
Sophia Nardone - Swing
Madeline Olexy - Ensemble (Dorothy Understudy)
Jenna L. Ptachcinski - Ensemble (Glinda / Aunt Em Understudy)
Charles Romano - Scarecrow
Ron St. John III - Ensemble (Scarecrow Understudy)
Garrett Van Allen - Tin Man
Gus - Toto
CREATIVE TEAM:
Book - L. Frank Baum
Music - Harold Arlen
Lyrics - E. Y. Harburg
Background Music - Herbert Stothart
Dance and Vocal Arrangements - Peter Howard
Orchestration - Larry Wilcox
Adapted by - John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company
Director - Hannah Ryan
Choreographer - Eric Santagata
Music Director - David Marottollo
Production Stage Manager - T. Rick Jones
Scenic Designer - Ryan Howell
Costume Designer - Jimmy Johansmeyer
Lighting and Projection Designer - Douglas Macur
Sound Designer - Michael Skinner
Props Designer - Colleen Callahan
Diane Sobolewski - Production Photos
MUSICIANS:
Keyboard - David Marottollo
Drums - Anthony Soscia
Violin - Kelly Gembara
Reeds - Patrick Lombardo