The Wiz

Superb job by all; cast, stage crew and the band. The acting and singing was top notch and dancing was superb, a lot of great talent displayed. Everything was professional. Additionally, I enjoyed seeing a variety of ages and body sizes. Job well done!!

I thought the Wiz was a wonderful play! I never got to see the original because i was a teenage then but I thought the Cast did a wonderful and memoriable job! Talk about work for your money.... The CAST are amazing while trying to serve you and act! Takes real talent! WELL DONE!! Oh and my Husband had an amazing Birthday because of YOU! Hats off!

I attended the Saturday matineé performance. I was very pleased to see so many children in the audience, and I enjoyed the show as much as they all did. The performances were exceptional, and the voices were amazing. Although I loved everything and everyone, my favorite was the Scarecrow. I would gladly pay to see this again. I am never disappointed at the Murphy Fine Arts Center.

Some parts were a little sloppy and it was longer than it needed to be. Overall, entertaining.

Awesome actors, fun, and enjoyable................... it is long though for the entire experience....... so be prepared to spend 4.5 - 5 hours.

Very talented actors and actresses. It was a lot of fun. Food is always good.

I drove to Baltimore from Philadelphia to see this show. The entire experience was great! I was blown away by the thoroughness of the performers, and the venue itself. It was hugely entertaining, welcoming, and personal. The performers were Super friendly, and best of all doubled as servers; Incredible! I am interested in maybe even catching the show again. In the meantime, I would most definitely recommend this show to family and friends. Thank you!

The event was enjoyable. The wait staff was a bit slow but who could blae them; they were the actal actors too. Talk about earning your pay. Amazing.

I thought this was the broadway performance, very dissappointed

A wasted Saturday night that I can never get back. What happened to "when the curtain opens, the doors close?" Inconsiderate people were still coming into the theater and climbing over us to get to their seats at 8:15!!! Curtain was at 7:30. Is there no common courtesy anymore? When the curtain opened, the set was a piece of cardboard and a stool. There were huge chunks of the plot missing entirely, so if I wasn't familiar with the story, I'd have been lost. Some of the speaking actors were not wired and in the balcony it was impossible to hear them. We moved to the back of the balcony after having to get up 4 times to let people in or out of the row for various reasons and still after 45 minutes had more coming in. There were children running wild banging their plastice booster seats on the floor and on the backs of our chairs. Very disruptive. I blame that on the theater staff. Unacceptable. We left at intermission. The Dorothy character would have been enjoyable. She could sing. I am shocked that these tickets were sold through Ticketmaster.

The talent displayed by this group of young people was amazing! We left feeling uplifted and so proud of our youth!

Although the show was completely a youth cast, it felt like I was watching a stageplay that was on tour! Everyone in the cast was phenomenal, from the Tinman to Dorothy. The music selections, orchestra, dancing and singing was amazing. The only thing in the show that reminded you that you were not at a touring show was the scenery, but I'm sure that had more to do with financial constraints. I would definitely recommend people to see this...i already have!

Really good play, actors very professional. Fun to watch!

I had no prior experience with this group but they were great!! Very will put together!!

YEPAW's presentation of The Wiz was absolutely fantastic! I could not believe that these were young actors, and not seasoned veterans! The acting, the singing, the dancing, the band were all excellent! I attended the 2:30pm performance and was awfully tempted to try to buy a ticket to the 7:30pm show!!

An outstanding performance by all. This was a very entertaining and well executed performance. We are looking forward to seeing their performance next year.

I was pleased to see the event was well attended and well accepted. There was some exceptional talent displayed. I wished the choreographer had taken advantage of the exceptional natural talents of some the performers by highlightilng dance moves that only our black Americans can do with such grace. As it was, their choreographed movements reminded me of what a middle school pep squad would have done in the 60's. Boring and simple. Although some of the actors did break out on occassion and show some spark and individuality. That was delightful. The dance routines dragged and added too much time to the story and were not entertaining....time fillers. Talent was there, just not utilized.

Great Show. My husband and I truly enjoy spending the evening there.

I absolutely loved this production. I took my 4 3/4 year old who loves the movie The Wizard of Oz and also loves singing and dancing. She was captivated. She loved it.. She became tired due to the length of the show but she would not allow herself to fall asleep. As an adult, I really enjoyed it myself, funny and entertaining. The singing was great. What a shame this did not get the attention it deserved in a city the size of San Antonio.

There wasn't a moment that was slow. The entire show was moving and with the singing and dancing it was just beautiful. All the costumes were nice and neatly fitting to the characters. The excitement for the ones performing gave energy that let you know they were truly enjoying themselves and had a passion and love for what they were doing!!! Awesome!!!

The Wiz was a wonderful performance! The acting and singing were first class, and the show moved along nicely. Truly an enjoyable evening. We had never been to a show at the Carver Center Jo Long Theatre, and we pleased with the entire experience... from the well lit and secured parking to the theatre itself. It's a very nice venue... not too small, not too large. Highly recommend.

Wonderful small theater. The songs were great. Both my Granddaughter and I enjoyed ourselves. Loved the Lion.

I loved the show. It was very entertaining. Love the way they interacted with the audience. And the cast came out aftewards and took pictures with my daughter. It was funny and kept your attention. I love it!

Love the way they did this!! Music was great, talent was awesome, kept me entertained all the way til the end

Well put on production. Cast did an excellent job. Parking was convenient and facility, seating excellent.

The production was very well done. Al lot of great talent.

The play was awesome from beginning to end. Singing was amazing. Acting was great.

Enjoyed the Wiz. Couple of issues. Production was 40 minutes late starting without any explanation or apology. Sound system needs to be revamped. I was in Row G and some of words were hard to hear.

Very good performance by most. The Wiz character detracted from the overall performance of others.

The play was enjoyable with the many talents displayed, but you can tell that the folks were just getting started in this entertainment business and about another year or so they will be sharper with their lines and able to bring more excitement into their characters - it takes time and I do encourage the support of young artist.

I went to see YEPAW do the production & was highly impressed! Your version of the Wiz was just dread awful! The sound, stage, no yellow brick road, hot mics going, Robin Givens was my main reason but she was a flying Monkey WOW! Horrible decision!!!!! Dorothy should've played the monkey. She was not a good Dorothy. The good witches, Scare Crow, Tin Man & Evilene sister were the only good fits! This was to pricey to have that many mistakes & mishaps! I would've preferred to have stayed at home & watched the news!

I thought I was paying to see The Wiz not Garbage!!!! With the exception of the dancers & the Scarecrow all else sucked!!!!!!! Dorothy was not a strong actress & had a nice voice but not fit for the role. To bright & thick for the role. Robin Givens as a flying Monkey was just stupid! All the headliners were strictly to sale tickets!!!! Evilene sister should've just played the role. She fit the role & sang nicely! The set was horrible, the mics were the absolute worse, my son could've did a better job at 8yrs old. I couldn't wait for it to be over. It was not a good Wiz!!! I went to see Wicked @ the same ticket price & it's unbelievable that a show like yours would've been the same price as Wicked! I purchased 19 tickets for co-workers & boy was I disappointed & my co-workers. The one star is for the laughs we had at work talking about how awful it was. Go back to the drawing board Mr. Ruffin

I thought that the play was put together very well. It had a nice twist to the original Wiz. A few malfunctions, but that is to be expected when you do live shows.

I am always impressed by John Ruffin's interpretations and actor portrayals. The casting of Ms. Porsche King as Evilene was the greatest. Kudos to her & the entire crew.

If you are expecting the movie version, you will be disappointed. The added comedy was a good effort. The flying monkey switch was a little corny and somewhat unattached to the plot. The actors and singing was great! There was no yellow brick road on the stage... go figure!

I wish I would have read some of the reviews before I purchased these tickets. It has been one of the worst production I've seen. Weak script, Sound check not done at all Mics were off , sound was horrible, props did not work, set was terrible, stage was also terrible. The play did not start on time. That was three hours of my time wasted - wsh I could get my money back.

I don't know why my expectations were set high for this play!!! I've attended John Ruffin's Productions in the past and they were awful. I guess I thought this one would be different because Mr. Ruffin boasted so boldly and proudly on local television stations, news and radio stations about his particular production of The Wiz, and how it would be different because of the SPIN that he put in the production! Well he definitely added a SPIN! And not a good one! This play was possibly the worst that I've seen him do yet! To take a cast of this caliber in a venue like the Arie Crown and put on such a low class performance was just Awful! I was very disappointed and ashamed, because I brought some out of town guests to the play with me. Money was not an issue for me, but I saw so many families there, lots of women with all of their children! I spent a lot of money on tickets so I know that they spent a hell of a lot more than I did! I was really hoping that my guest and I would have a nice time but they were ready to leave at intermission along with the other pissed off people who stormed out angrily! I had to persuade them to stay, hoping that the second half of the play would be better. It only got worse! I was embarrassed to the end! This play did not belong at The Arie Crown and should not be performed again ANYWHERE! If it comes to your town, do not I repeat DO NOT WASTE YOUR 4 HOURS OR YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY! EVEN IF YOU ARE GIVEN TICKETS PASS THEM ON TO SOMEONE ELSE! FREE IS NOT EVEN WORTH IT! SIMPLY PUT IT IS A HORRIBLE NIGHTMARE! SHAME ON JOHN RUFFIN AND THEATER 47 FOR LITERALLY STEALING MONEY FROM PEOPLE THAT TRIED TO SUPPORT YOU!

This was the worst production I have ever seen. It was not worth the sixty dollars. The sound was horrible. The mics went in and out. We could hear and see what was happening back stage. The dancers didn't dance together and weren't in sync. Some of the props did not work. Robin Givens as a monkey? Really? It's three hours I will not get back.

The play was so funny my kids and I could not stop laughing . I was so caught up from back when I was a kid and saw the movie for the first time . Great family time! Now the bad part the sound sucked awful it was horrible all through the play ..Fix that!

This was very good coming from a young theater group. It is not a big Broadway play like Tyler Perry and the other veteran playgroups and I think that's why a lot of people were expecting and was disappointed. I think in the future they should tell the people who is buying tickets for the play what type of play it is so they will know what to expect. I think some of scenes could have been a little bit better with the background and props and stuff(but I cannot expect a lot when it's a smaller theater group so they did the best that they could) like that but other than that I thought it was good and the actors worked hard on it. Plus, the kids seem to enjoy it and they didn't have any problems with it.

This play was emotional and humorous. My family truly enjoyed the actors.

Correction to my earlier review. I listed the Tin Man as a good second actor to Dorothy. I meant The Scarecrow was GOOD, not the Tin Man - who was just OK.

This was a "B-" production w/ a ticket price unbefitting the entertainment. I actually fell asleep for about 15 mins or so. The stage set/props were so, ???, I don't even have the words to describe it. My kids high school put on The Wizard of Oz last year and it was 4x better than this; plus it only cost $10 per ticket. Dorothy was the best performer w/ Tin Man a good second. The Giggles and the fun witch did good as well as the Emerald City dancers & the Crows. But, for the most part the acting and the feable attempt at jokes, some laced with profanity, was NOT GOOD. Lines like " what the hell" & "get yo ass" should not be in a family classic like the Wiz, especially when little children are viewing. It had to be the most unpolished stage production I've ever seen at a major venue. And trust I would know as my brother produced many concerts at Arie Crown. This probably should only get a C- for effort at best. I JUST can't get over the lack of stage set /backdrop which NEVER covered the stage & left the whole thing looking/feeling incomplete. Not to mention constantly being to see the stagehands movie stuff around & hold up parts of the set during the scenes. The wicked witch is dead, & this production needs to shape up or die w/her. I've NEVER given a harsh critique before now, but somebody needs to know before spending $70 - $80 per person on these tickets like I did - and I bought 6!!! Not to mention drove 3 hours from Michigan to my home in Chicago just for this show. You do the math.

I thought Robin Givens would have a bigger role with the way this event was advertised on V103. But overall it was ok.

Stage management did not execute effectively, very clumsy transition. For example during one scene the curtain was lowered on the head of the scarecrow and there were many other mistakes that made this production un-enjoyable.

This entire production, from start to finish was disappointing and unprofessional. The set was scarce, tacky, cheap. The acting and singing were mediocre, and the sound was awful. The microphones went in and out during the whole show, so the audience only heard partial dialogues and songs. The show did not start on time. Set changes were slow and one prop (a door) didn't work. 3 dancers bumped into each other onstage and almost knocked one of them over mid-dance. This show was not appropriate for children, though it was advertised as a "family" play. There was cursing and sexually tinged jokes. It appeared that some actors flubbed their lines and winged it. I was offended by the liquor given to the lion for courage, some of the suggestive dancing, and the forest called Englewoods. There was also offensive language used about Chicago's crime statistics. Inappropriate!

Some of the actors did not have mics so you couldn't hear them, the play included references to alcohol which is not appropriate for smaller children and there was no yellow brik road until they reached Oz! Really? Lastly, too many actors fumbled their lines. Good effort but not ready...it shouldn't be advertised as a Broadway show when clearly its not.

I admire the writer's sense of creativity, however the plot was not developed enough for me. I also found some of the script to be too lewd for children. The singers really tried but just didn't cut it. I thought Robin Givens and Lenny Williams would have bigger roles but sadly did not.

sooooo... I enjoyed the scarecrow,tinman and the lion. I went to the first show which should have been classified as a dress rehearsal. there were to many mistakes before the intermission for them to charge regular price. the singing was great. evermeans sister should have just played her role. dorothy coukd really sing but it was hard for me to get into her character.I am a wiz fan and own the dvd and watch it alll the time. I ended up leaving at intermission so I didnt see the end. tickets should have been $25 instead but thats just my opinion. dancers were awesome!

Production seemed to be "thrown together". Microphones were horrible! Sets were ok, but stage crew seemed to have trouble getting them in place in a timely fashion. Additional scenes that weren't in the original musical weren't really necessary to the story line.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Hearing all the songs reminded me of when I originally saw the Wiz, took me back to my childhood. They kept true to the original story, but added a little relevance to today and Chicago!! The dancers were awesome!!

The play was great. Performed all the great songs we wanted to hear. The sound engineer did a horrible job! The first act was too loud when the mics were actually turned on. The props didn't work either so that was distracting when actors are speaking in the back about doors not opening with hot mics and performers on stage at the same time.

This was the worse play I've ever seen. Sound sucked. Stage props didn't work. Took lightening forever to light up the yellow brick road. The reference to people get killed in Chicago & Englewoods was tacky. The lion getting liquid courage from a bottle of Crown Royale was insane. The behind the stage commentary was interesting & we should not have been able to heat. I wish I could have a refund, reimbursement for gas & get the 4 wasted hours of my life back.

Amateur show advertised as a Broadway musical. A waste of time and money.

Let's began with the sound department, this is the Arie Crown Theatre and the sound quality was piss poor. Microphones were imbalance some you could barely hear while others were way too loud! The cast was mediocre. While some were awesome like Dorothy others over did it with an overwhelming long runs and too much voice fluctuation. Sing well and articulate tastefully. Let's not over do it though. Because I know there's so much talent and competition in Chicago in the field of solo performance I felt like the selected cast should have been flawless. The soloist were good, don't get me wrong, BUT they could have been a lot better to really wow the audience and keep us engaged. The play itself had an extremely urban twist which I personally felt watered down the storyline some. Let's keep it classy not tacky. The transition from scene to scene was smooth but the storyline was lost a bit in some transition simply due to drastic rewriting of the script. I witnessed "The Wiz" play live at Whitney Young High School in 2002 or 2003.... Can't remember the exact year. However, this play was articulately performed with similar storyline to the movie, excellent cast and it was amazing. Considering that was high school and this was suppose to be professional. I wasn't thrilled with the production. A solid cast and selection of excellent voices and a solid storyline produces great plays. Falling mediocre in these field produces mediocre plays overall. I was quite disappointed to say the least. Shoot for excellence and excellence even in it efforts will be acknowledged.

I was sorely disappointed in this adaptation of The Wiz. While the singing was good (when the technical difficulties didn't interfere), it was not on par with the original, nor the movie. It would have been nice to hear the Lion sing his, "I'm a Lion" song, but we could really only hear Dorothy. I get that J Ruffin was trying to modernize it and bring a Chicago feel to it, but it was a bit too much for my taste. And when did the Evilene have another sister??? Why start the backstory of the flying monkeys and then not complete it? Robin Givens as the flying monkey mother/wife??? She could have just as well been Evilene seeing as how Evilene didn't sing. And to top it all off, Lenny Williams as Uncle Henry??? Really???? No, I will not recommend this to anyone.

I was looking forward to the event because I absolutely love the movie. I've watched it over and over again over the years. The rendition of the crows and the scarecrow was the highlight of the night. Tyrell Carter did a great job!!!! I also loved the performances by the Tin Man, Dorothy and the Lion in that order. The singing was great and the dancing was awesome. I was sorely disappointed with the additions to the storyline. Christian Keyes was Dorothy's boyfriend who proposes to her. I think that part was added to sell tickets. The story of the flying monkeys was absolutely ridiculous. I thought I had started watching an episode of Planet of the Apes. The character created for Robin Givens was meaningless. It was horrible. I was so glad when we got passed that castrophe and continued with the classic. The play was ok and could have been great if they would have stuck with the original storyline. The movie was so great that there was no need to divert from the original script. I give it a C.

Love it and enjoy it so much. Nice production. Greatly actors and dancers

The sets were bad, the sound were bad, and some of the storyline was bad. At some points in the beginning all I could think was "this is not the wiz". The singing was really the only good thing about the show. I felt like it was a high school production. But for $50 you really could not ask for more.

Overall, the play was enjoyable. The vocals on the actors and actress outweighed the multiple technical and stage prop difficulties. But other than that, the play is worth seeing again, well if mics and props are checked prior to the show. Oh, one more thing, having at least a 1 page hand bill (free), in addition to the books sold may have been helpful in knowing were some of the cast. At the price of the tickets, I was somewhat disappointed. But play was pretty ok.

Overall it was not what I expected. Where was Regina Bell. I think I missed the casting change. I don't know if it was the Arie Crown or the Theater group but the sound system was horrible. Dorothy was terrible. Only two good singers the scarecrow and Dorothy's aunt. The story line did not flow for me. What was the point of the sick uncle and Dorothy coming back home and getting married, I just think it could have came together better.

Bad sound. Could not hear the actors. Robin Givens - what was her purpose???? Just a sales tactic??? Late comers were seated during performance. The ushers stood right in front of you trying to figure out tickets/seats. Couldn't see a thing.

Nothing like the movie!!! How was these tickets being sold from a reputable company like ticket master?

This was the worst performance I have ever witnessed. First, no tech was done. The microphones "popped" or worked barely through the scene. Second, the props didn't work. I've seen college students put on a better theatre productions. The doors on set didn't work. Tech crew had no idea where the props went. During scene changes, the backdrop fell on other props. I wish I was making this up. Third, the acting was subpar. I truly wish I could have my money refunded. Needless to say, my wife and I did not return after the intermission. Regarding the venue, the Arie Crown, wow! If a theatre production begins at 3pm, it begins! The doors are to be shut. If you are late, you are late. People came in throughout the play disturbing the experience. I wanted to note this issue in this review regardless of the fact the experience was terrible. Save yourself. Never purchase a ticket to anything produced or directed from John Ruffin and Theatre 27.

I really enjoyed Scarecrow's character. Really enjoyed this updated version.

The sound was horrible. The sound engineer shouldn't get paid. And one person's mic wasn't secured and it was swinging behind him, the door prop didn't open, some props interfered with a smooth and uneventful back drop change. My 9 yr. old nephew gave it a 6 of 10 rating.

Theater 47's modern twist added flare to the familiar story we hold so dear. A cultural classic re-mixed, I found myself whisked away to childhood memories that felt like 'home'. The storyline carried a back-story that captivated my interest. The singing was laced with unique voices and melodies that touched my soul. The dancing was creative and provocative with talent that Alvin Ailey would be proud to have. Thank you John Ruffin for sharing your vision of "The Wiz"!!

My daughter and I loved the show. Future suggestion free programs.

This was a wonderful show! The actin, dancing, and singing was amazing. And the costumes were magnificent! I loved every moment of it. Great job!

I think it needed more rehearsals. audio was horrible but I know that was the arie crown issues. the left the witch leg on the stage. too many flaws.

I bought five tickets for the wiz. The play was very low budget and I thought it was not worth the money especially for it to be at the Arie Crown. Robin Givens roll had no value to the play and to me you guys made the wiz a joke. For the kids who were there am sure they left confused.

Hot Mess! Please do not waste your money on this wanna be WIZ. They have butchered a classic and turned it into a total farce! How did having a single mother make the lion cowardly...Insulting! What was with Lenny Williams singing his one hit wonder, 'Cause I love you' at the end and if that wasn't enough....a come to Jesus moment ? Why? Why? Why? Robin Givens, really?

The singers sang amazingly! However the sound was terrible, the stage props didn't work, I don't recall anyone bumping and grinding in the original Wiz and the Lion drinking Crown Royal was all too much for me. I'm so glad I didn't bring my daughter as I planned.

This little changes to the story made it fun for people that know the story of The Wiz but for those that don't, they saw a great play

I think the price point was a bit high for the quality of this production. Although the acting was good and the singing was spectacular, the set was that of a smaller scale, lower budget production. Robyn Givens was listed as though she was a feature actress and had what 10 lines! If they would drop her and spend her salary on the set this production could tour

The Wiz was awesome. I just wish that some of the actors weren't so flamboyant. The good was ok.

This was my first experience attending a show at Toby's. To say the least, I was very disappointed. The setup is horrible. The seating arrangement madeit difficult to see the stage past someone's head and/or back depending on where you're sitting. The event is also way too long (4.5 hours). The second half the play started around 10 p.m. They also had issues with sound. Some the character didn't have mics, but had singing or speaking parts that could not be heard in the rear of the theatre. I was expecting something close to a Broadway musical. Instead, the play was more like a high school musical. I absolutely love The Wiz, but this show did not deliver. It was hot, stinky and stuffy in the theatre. The music from a show next door could be heard and was very distracting. I did this as a gift for my mom, and she wasn't happy, which made me upset. The food was good and the staff, who were also actors in the play, provided excellent service. The Scarecrow was the best... that's about it.

The production of the Wiz was outstanding. All the characters did a great job. The Tinkan and lion were exceptional.

YEPAW's presentation of The Wiz was awesome! Hard to believe these were high school students. Fabulous show!

Yepaw did an excellent job. Refreshing to see OUR youth doing positive things.

The food at Toby's was plentiful and good and the arrangements for feeding 45 large tables at a buffet within an hour was pretty impressive. But the play "The Wiz" was poorly staged, suffered technical problems and seemed to be just a lot of people in costumes running around. Some people in the cast had excellent voices and they were enthusiastic; but "The Wiz" has only one memorable song and little else to recommend it. After a VERY long first act, we left at intermission.

The performance itself was very good. The food could have been better. Also, the timing was too long. 4.5 hrs for an event is just too long.

I thoght the overall experience was great! The staff was very professional and welcoming. All though the food was presented well, the taste was lacking. I have never had french toast that taste like nothing. The performance was great but the food needs improvement.

The actors were good and thei voices were awesome!

The experience was great. Pick up tickets from Will Call went smooth and quick, the brunch was delicious and filling and the play was excellent! Was able to talk to the cast as they served and mingled with the audience.

I have already recommended this play to be seen to my friends and coworkers as it was highly recommended to me. I especially enjoyed the personal setting of interacting with the actual cast. Ashley/Dorthy was phenomal.