Review: THE WIZARD OF OZ at The Ruth is Darlingly Delectable
THE WIZARD OF OZ plays through May 23, 2026.
THE WIZARD OF OZ in the Smith Grand Theater at The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater is a darlingly delectable morsel of a production that whisks the audience away to the merry old land of Oz.
THE WIZARD OF OZ (music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg) was adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company from the 1939 motion picture based on L. Frank Baum’s novel. When Dorothy’s house is carried by a cyclone from Kansas to the magical land of Oz, she travels to see the Wizard in the hopes that he’ll be able to help her find a way back home.
Taylor Ann Jaeger (double cast with Madeline Clifford) is sheer perfection as Dorothy. This is a remarkably difficult role to play, as it is forever tied to Judy Garland’s iconic performance. Jaeger walks the fine line of playing homage without falling into caricature, reminiscent of Garland but drawing from real emotion. She is like a magnet that both pulls together the show and pulls in the audience.
Enchanting supporting acts include Stephen Kerr as the Wizard (single cast), Debra Hahn as Glinda (double cast with Michelle Blake), and Ian Webb as the puppeteer for Toto (double cast with Brigham Ker). The dog is a character of its own as never before in nearly every scene, emoting and even dancing with the others.
Other top roles include Chase Daynes as the Tin Man (double cast with Collin Larsen), Nick Garner as the Scarecrow (double cast with Logan Neville), Scott Rollins as the Cowardly Lion (double cast with Geoff Reynolds), Brett Myers as the Guard (double cast with Marshall Lamm), and Emily Llewellyn Sellers as the Wicked Witch (double cast with Shaunna Thompson).
The choreography by Eric Sciotto is delightful, from the Tin Man’s tap routine to an exhilarating “We’re Off to See the Wizard” jig to the tremendous ensemble’s ever-present, high-energy, multi-style dancing throughout the show.
“Jitterbug” is a cut song from the film that can be difficult to integrate seamlessly into the storytelling, but it works astonishingly well here due to the brilliant choreography, frantic lighting (though it could have turned up the dial even more), and dazzling gender-neutral costumes.
Readers of L. Frank Baum’s Oz book, and now audience members at The Ruth, know that Munchkinland is blue and Winkie Country is yellow but the Emerald City is green because of green glasses worn by its citizens and visitors. The attractive costume design by Lexi Goldsberry draws inspiration from the books with multiple gasp-worthy twists on expectations throughout the show.
The eye-catching set by Danny Rash, lit pleasantly by Danny Rash, includes WICKED-inspired pieces like Glinda’s bubble and the Wizard’s talking head. Director Ashley Carlson’s production runs the gamut of Ozian touchpoints in a way that feels like a warm tribute to all that’s come before while making it a fresh experience in and of itself.
THE WIZARD OF OZ plays through May 23, 2026. For tickets, call the box office at 801-226-8600 or visit www.theruth.org.
Photo Credit: Photo by Lauri Baird.
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