Chicago Tribune
- Somewhat Recommended
"...If only the singing were better, "The Wiz" would be a stellar off-Loop attraction. Sadly, given the show, the vocals are pretty much a deal-breaker (this isn't a great or profound libretto, after all). It's not that the numbers are all bad--Tin Man Gerald Richardson sounds great and the ever-splendid Bethany Thomas (as the wicked witch) could raise the roof if she so chose. And the ensemble numbers mostly work fine. It's just that, when faced with the need to knock a solo out of the park, the youthful cast lacks the necessary vocal certainty."
Chicago Sun Times
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Director Craig Joseph has cast the production well, but he, too, fails to get things up to speed, particularly early on. Choreographer Baron L. Clay Jr. has devised some clever sequences for the Yellow Brick Road crew, the sassy Fly Girls and the Funky Monkeys."
Daily Herald
- Recommended
"...The production excels at the visuals, particularly the dancing and the costumes. Just after the opening scene, dancers create the vivid energy of a tornado as they spin and whirl. And the production pops with the bright colors of Alison Siple's delightful costumes."
Chicago Reader
- Somewhat Recommended
"...its relentless self-affirmation ("Believe in Yourself") anticipates today's glut of power ballads. Bethany Thomas's wicked witch is nothing but good news, and Craig Joseph's sassy staging for the White Horse Theatre Company detonates the dancing. This production also registers the unevenness of William F. Brown's script, which sometimes rushes the story, then bogs down. Samara Smith is a pile-driving singer but doesn't capture Dorothy's wonder or homesickness. The show's budget seems to have gone to the brassy costumes, not the sets, so you have to use your imagination."
Gay Chicago Magazine
- Highly Recommended
"...The Wiz is made complete through outstanding dance numbers. Choreographer Baron Clay has covered the gamut of musical styles, including hip-hop and ballet (Tornado Ballet), tap dance (Slide Some Oil to Me), ’60s Bond Girl backup moves (Emerald City Ballet) and a drug-induced love dance between the Lion and the poppies in the poppy field (Lion’s Dream)."
EpochTimes
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Director Craig Joseph has taken on a major task in taking on an extravaganza and trying to bring it to the small stage at The Theatre Building on a low budget. The sets are very minor, the lighting not powerful to make the point and as I previously said, the sound needs to be improved. Choreographer Baron Clay Jr does a formidable job, working on a very small stage. There are some wonderful moments in this production and there is some magic. This production could possibly be trimmed down (cut a little here and there and have no intermission - 90 minutes without intermission might make this a better "family outing")."
Time Out Chicago
- Somewhat Recommended
"...More inventive or playful staging would’ve diverted our attention, but director Joseph, rather than working in tandem with his designers, instead relies on them to create an atmosphere that his flat-footed direction doesn’t. Costume designer Alison Siple has stitched together some fetching, if derivative, outfits (Funky Monkeys with umbrellas for wings). The lights turn green in Emerald City, but here, as in Evillene’s Lair, the director doesn’t evoke what the characters describe; words and image score disparately."
ChicagoCritic
- Not Recommended
"...White Horse Theatre Company has, over the last few years, produced several worthy musicals but not this time. While the staging was innovative and the dancing was first class, the musical suffers from an amazingly poor singing. This sure can kill a musical."
