"The Wizard of Oz" - by L. Frank Baum, Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg - North Shore Music Theatre (Beverly, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: The CAST of the musical "THE WIZARD OF OZ" by L. Frank Baum, Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through July 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Paul Lyden)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."
- ("The Wizard") / L. Frank Baum, Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg
North Shore Music Theatre
Presents the Iconic Story
"THE WIZARD OF OZ"
Written by L. Frank Baum
With Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg
Background Music by Herbert Stothart
Dance and Vocal Arrangements by Peter Howard
Orchestration by Larry Wilcox
Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company
Based upon the Classic Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros.
Directed by Robert W. Schneider
Music Director Matthew Stern
Choreographer Briana Fallon
Cast Includes: Bridget Delaney* as “Dorothy Gale,” Bug Minnie as “Toto,” Kerry Conte* as “Aunt Em/Glinda,” Ian Lowe* as “Uncle Henry/Emerald City Guard,” Ethan Carlson* as “Hunk/Scarecrow,” Sean Bell* as “Hickory/Tin Man,” E. Mani Cadet* as “Zeke/Cowardly Lion,” Michele Ragusa* as “Almira Gulch/Wicked Witch,” David Coffee* as “Professor Marvel/The Wizard Of Oz,” Penelope Rhoads as “Mayor Of Munchkin City,” Helen M. Brady as “Barrister,” Lola Rhoads as “Coroner,” Shaun Collins as “Nikko,” Brian Shimasaki Liebson* as “Winkie General.”
Lullaby League: Stella Centore, Ainsley Moulton, Norah Pritchard, Genevieve McGovern, Clove Sinclair; Lollipop Guild: Regan Shanahan, Nicholas Shay, Gilda Fitzpatrick, Ava Morin; The Munchkin Ensemble: Violet Black, Alexandra D’Onofrio, Ashley Fox; Crows: Andrew Leggieri*, John Neurohr, Jake Siffert; Apple Trees: Sarah Crane*, Jessica Minter, Caitlin Wilayto* Winkies: Luciano Castaldo, Andrew Leggieri*, John Neurohr, Jake Siffert Jitterbugs: Luciano Castaldo, Catrina Teresa Contini, Sarah Crane*, Emma Kantor, Esther Lee*, Jessica Minter, Reché Nelson, John Neurohr, Brett Pederson*, Jake Siffert, Caitlin Wilayto* Flying Monkeys: Brett Hennessy Jones, Andrew Leggieri, Meagan Lewis-Michelson Ensemble: Luciano Castaldo, Shaun Collins, Catrina Teresa Contini, Sarah Crane*, Brett Hennessey Jones*, Emma Kantor, Esther Lee*, Andrew Leggieri*, Meagan Lewis-Michelson, Brian Shimasaki Liebson*, Jessica Minter, Reché Nelson, John Neurohr, Brett Pederson*, Jake Siffert, Caitlin Wilayto*.
UNDERSTUDIES & STUDY COVERS
Understudies and Study Covers are never substituted for listed performers unless a specific announcement is made at the time of the performance.
Understudy For: Aunt Em/Glinda - Caitlin Wilayto*; Hunk/Scarecrow - Brett Pederson*; Hickory/Tin Man - Andrew Leggieri*; Zeke/Cowardly Lion - Brett Hennessey Jones*; Professor Marvel/ Wizard - Ian Lowe*; Study Cover For: Dorothy - Jessica Minter; Uncle Henry/Emerald City Guard - John Neurohr; Almira Gulch/Wicked Witch - Meagan Lewis-Michelson; Tree - Emma Kantor; Crow - Shaun Collins; Nikko - Luciano Castaldo.
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Additional Creative Team:
Orchestrations Adaptation - Matthew Croft; Original Costume Design - Travis M. Grant; Makeup Design - Anna Corinne Lee; Costume Coordinator – Rebecca Glick; Scenic Design - Ryan M. Howell; Chief Operating Officer - Karen Nascembeni; Associate Producer & Casting Director - Matthew Chappell; Company Manager & Casting Associate - Amanda Ostrow-Mason; Production Stage Manager - Brian M. Robillard; Production Design – Pamela Hersch; Associate Director - Joseph Frederick Allen; Assistant Stage Managers - Dakotah Wiley Horan, Maria Papadopoulos; Assistant Music Director - Robert L. Rucinski; Lighting Design - Jack Mehler; Sound Design – Alex Berg; Wig & Hair Design - Rachel Padula-Shuflet.
Performances:
July 8, 2025 through July 20, 2025
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
TICKETS:
For tickets and information visit www.nsmt.org, call # 978-232-7200, or visit the North Shore Music Theatre box office in person at 54 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA. 01915
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)
The latest production of "THE WIZARD OF OZ" at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) is, without question, the “yellow brick gold” standard as to how this show should be presented.
This is a fabulous musical re-telling of the timeless L. Frank Baum tale featuring all your favorites - Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion – as they band together to defeat the evil Wicked Witch of the West.
Written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg and adapted by John Kane, the story of "THE WIZARD OF OZ" inherently has an appeal to those fans of the beloved 1939 classic movie adaptation starring Judy Garland and a stellar supporting cast.
However, this most recent offering by NSMT, under the direction of Robert W. Schneider, dazzles on all levels from special effects, costumes, make-up, an amazing orchestra and solid performances.
This "OZ" musical, performed in-the-round, successfully combines visual spectacle and acting substance.
Dorothy Gail (Bridget Delaney) is whisked away by a cyclone, taking her far from her Aunt Em (Kerry Conte), Uncle Henry (Ian Lowe) and farm hands Zeke (E. Mani Cadet), Hickory (Sean Bell) and Hunk (Ethan Carlson) to a magical land of adventure far beyond the rainbow...OZ.
(Photo: Bridget Delaney as "Dorothy Gale" and David Coffee as "Professor Marvel" in a scene from the musical "THE WIZARD OF OZ" by L. Frank Baum, Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through July 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Paul Lyden)
Almira Gulch (Michele Ragusa) gets a sheriff's order and takes Dorothy's dog, Toto (Bug Minnie), from the farm to be put down.
The dog escapes, returning to Dorothy who then runs away from the farm with the dog.
Bug Minnie is the true star of this show, stealing almost every scene in which the dog appears.
High praise extended for the wise management of the dog in not trying to force it to appear unnecessarily in each and every scene.
Either that or the dog has a strong union contract.
Delaney gives a fine performance as Dorothy, not trying to force us into watching yet another Judy Garland impersonation but still portraying the character exactly as one might expect.
Delaney not only does a fine job singing the musical's staple song "Over the Rainbow" but also later surprises us during moments when she gets to use her gorgeous Soprano voice.
The twister hits the Kansas farm, stranding Dorothy away from her family.
Dorothy, knocked unconscious by the twister, awakens to find she has been transported to the Land of OZ.
The NSMT ensemble does a highly commendable job portraying various Emerald City citizens, Flying Monkeys, Crows, Trees, Poppies, Jitterbugs, Winkies, and Munchkins, all faithfully and flawlessly executing the impressive choreography by Briana Fallon.
The costumes are splendorous with the ensemble needing to make various costume changes at breakneck speed, especially before, after and even during quintessential musical numbers such as "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" and “Merry Old Land of Oz.”
(Photo: The CAST of the musical "THE WIZARD OF OZ" by L. Frank Baum, Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through July 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Paul Lyden)
The supporting cast of characters contributes to making this an incredibly fun production to see with the entire family, especially those with younger children.
As Glinda, Kerry Conte is refreshingly diverse.
Conte does not try to approach the role as “Galinda” from “Wicked” and her turn as Glinda contrasts nicely to her earlier appearance in the show as the stern, almost cantankerous Aunt Em.
Michele Ragusa, as Wicked Witch of the West, will also not remind anyone of Idina Menzel’s performance as “Elphaba” from “Wicked” nor the actress who defined the original "WIZARD OF OZ" Wicked Witch, Margaret Hamilton.
Instead, in this stage adaptation at NSMT, Ragusa wisely approaches the role moving closer to being a more comedic foil for Dorothy and her companions.
David Coffee is a delight as both the mischievous but well-meaning characters “Professor Marvel” and "THE WIZARD OF OZ" and fans of the annual “Christmas Carol” shows at NSMT will enjoy a few fabulous “Easter egg” (or rather “Christmas egg”?) moments from "THE WIZARD."
Ian Lowe gives a nicely diverse performance between the rural “Uncle Henry” vs. the more flamboyant “Emerald City Guard.”
Ethan Carlson is a jovial, jittery sight as the friendly and flexible “Scarecrow,” tumbling and kicking up his heels during “If I Only Had a Brain.”
Sean Bell as Dorothy’s newfound friend the “Tinman” gives an entertaining performance with his fine voice and equally impressive tap dancing during “If I Only Had a Heart.”
Bell also delivers probably some of the best line interpretations of the Tin Man heard ever, yielding more than a few laughs.
E. Mani Cadet as the “Cowardly Lion” offers an original approach that (while it may not resonate with devoted fans of Bert Lahr’s movie “Lion” portrayal) provides many laughs, especially during his signature number “King of the Forest.”
(Photo: Michele Ragusa fuming as "The Wicked Witch" in a scene from the musical "THE WIZARD OF OZ" by L. Frank Baum, Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through July 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Paul Lyden)
As mentioned, the technical aspects of the show are unsurpassed.
The surrounding NSMT stage projections used for Kansas and various OZ locales are brilliantly produced and utilized with precision execution.
The cyclone effect, used at two points in the show, is also a technical high point, combining projections with captivating and highly inventive ensemble choreography.
Scene changes move seamlessly with one notable exception – during the July 9th NSMT performance Dorothy’s bed, situated center stage on a floor-level riser, got “bumped” and broke, also moving it slightly off its mark (centered over the circular trap door).
Thus, when that center section of the stage lowered, the bed collapsed down into the hole with a noticeably loud thud.
However, no one was injured on stage as a result and the scene progressed without interruption.
(Photo: Ethan Carlson as "The Scarecrow," Sean Bell as "The Tin Man," Bridget Delaney as "Dorothy Gale" and E. Mani Cadet as "The Cowardly Lion" easing on down a familiar road in a moment from the musical "THE WIZARD OF OZ" by L. Frank Baum, Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through July 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Paul Lyden)
Specialized intelligent lighting and sound are also used to perfection.
Theatregoing veterans who have seen multiple productions of "THE WIZARD OF OZ" know these shows tend to wind up either as:
1 – The performances excel while the production values suffer, or;
2 – The performance values are top-notch, but the performances are lacking.
The combined effort by the NSMT cast and creative team has given us the very BEST of both worlds.
While it is important that any professional-level production moves along like a “well-oiled machine,” the approach taken by director Robert W. Schneider allows for some terrific artistic interpretation by his actors on stage.
The chemistry between the fabulous foursome shown in the photo above comes across as genuine and we enjoy seeing these performers showcase that obvious camaraderie in every scene.
(Photo: Bridget Delaney as "Dorothy Gale" with the CAST of the musical "THE WIZARD OF OZ" by L. Frank Baum, Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through July 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Paul Lyden)
"THE WIZARD OF OZ" continues in Beverly, MA. until July 20th, 2025 at North Shore Music Theatre and, since some of the Wicked Witch's scenes may appear rather intense, young children may wish to hold tightly onto their parents, just to help keep their parents calm and more at ease during the show.
“The word” is that, coming up next at NSMT will be the rocking musical “GREASE” beginning August 12th, 2025.
For tickets and information visit www.nsmt.org, call # 978-232-7200, or visit the North Shore Music Theatre box office in person at 54 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA. 01915
BUY TICKETS
Approximately two hours, 20 minutes with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
Travel down the Yellow Brick Road with Kansas girl Dorothy and her loyal dog Toto as they embark on a magical adventure to meet the Wonderful "WIZARD OF OZ!"
Joined by new friends, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, this lavish production of "THE WIZARD OF OZ" promises to enchant audiences with dazzling choreography and spectacular special effects.
Enjoy classic songs from the beloved 1939 MGM film and Broadway show, including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “We’re Off to See the Wizard,” “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” and more!
This musical adaptation of "THE WIZARD OF OZ" is a captivating experience for the entire family.
Join Dorothy and friends as they discover the true meaning of friendship and find their way back home!
Approximately 2h 20m (includes intermission)
CONTENT ADVISORY: Recommended for all audiences. We do encourage you to use your judgment based on your own research of the show, your own sensibilities, and a child's age and maturity level. No children under the age of 4 will be permitted in the theatre including babes in arms.
ABOUT BILL HANNEY'S NORTH SHORE MUSIC THEATRE
Since opening in 1955, NORTH SHORE MUSIC THEATRE (NSMT) has become one of the most attended theatres in New England, with approximately 250,000 patrons annually. With a national and regional reputation for artistic achievement, NSMT has received numerous industry awards including Elliot Norton Awards, IRNE Awards, the Rosetta Le Noire Award from Actors' Equity, and the Moss Hart Award. NSMT produced the World Premiere of "Memphis" in 2003, the show went on to win four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Under the new ownership of Bill Hanney since 2010, NSMT continues to annually produce a musical subscription series and an annual production of "A Christmas Carol" along with celebrity concerts, children's programming and year-round education classes for children and adults.
