“Do you know how to panto?” That’s one of the questions asked by hostess “Dame Lady Chicken Cutlet” (Matthew Mastromatteo), the first player we meet in R&R Productions’ panto take on the timeless classic The Wizard of Oz.  Our Dame prophetically shared,“I used to be a tornado in my younger years.  When I pulled into town, nobody knew what was going to happen!… ‘Tornado Lady Chicken Cutlet’: She came in fast and left you breathless!” before educating the American audience to the rules of panto.  And what a better way to introduce the distinctly British tradition than by yet another walk in your ruby slippers down that yellow brick road?… or, maybe, a ride down the yellow “Q” line on the subway in your ruby red sneakers…?!

Let’s face the facts: Most of us will NEVER get enough of the “Oz-verse”. We are ALWAYS going to run towards any new adaptation of the oh-so-familiar characters we know and love (or know and hate…), whether it’s on TV, on the Broadway stage, on a movie screen, or… in the intimate setting of the popular New York City venue Parkside Lounge. The creators of this wild show have assembled a diverse, young, and energetic cast who seem to be having as much fun on the stage as we the audience is having watching them.  In this version, the famous magical land of dueling witches, talking animals, and grumpy trees switches to another equally magical land: New York City on the edge of 2026– which goes into fantastical overdrive when our Dorothy (AKA “Dottie”, played by Regan Sims) unknowingly takes some ketamine.  Dottie and her hopelessly horny dog Toto are then transported to the magical land of… ahem, “Jizz”.  Dottie causes a commotion when she drops her jumbo-sized backpack on the Wicked Witch of the Upper East Side. With the blessings of the Mayor (special guest actor Francis Legge), it’s “off to see the Wizard”!…

As you may have guessed by now: With its crazy, colorful characters navigating through cat cafes, coffee shops, and the circus known as the New York City subway system, this adaption couldn’t be more winkingly knowing. (Personally, I believe that the subway system deserves all the lampooning it can get.) Being inspired by New York City, the cocksure Scarecrow (Lily Ali-Oshatz) is now harassed by pigeons instead of crows, and one of the Oz canon’s most iconic lines now becomes “Bedbugs and roaches and rats… Oh my!”.   Directed by Madeline Wall, the show is smart brainy yet unafraid to be patently ridiculous at times, daring courageous, and has a lot of affinity heart for the Oz legacy.  Yes, we have all of our familiar characters: Dorothy, The Good Witch of Washington Heights (Mastromatteo again),Tin Man (Diego Velazquez), Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion (Jonathan Nathaniel Dingel-El), The Wizard (Blake Williams), and the Wicked Misunderstood Witch (Rachel McPhee)… and, true to the 1939 movie, these characters have real-life counterparts in the so-called “real” world: The Wicked Misunderstood Witch of the Upper West Side has an alter ego in a stale and bitter capitalistrix selling stale and bitter but overpriced coffee.  The Wizard, similarly, has a “real world” counterpart who looks and talks a LOT like Elon Musk… Of course, the show has no shortage of Wicked jokes, some of them so smartly subtle that only the most dedicated Oz-philes will get them.  The show even explores some of those long-running fan theories: Was G(a)linda really as “good” as she presented herself in the 1939 movie?  Was there some lesbionic attraction between the two power-witches?  But forget about “wicked” versus “good”; There are bigger challenges, like “the millennial pause” versus “the Gen Z stare”.  Now THAT’S what I call a showdown!

Written by Robert K. Benson, the script of this Wizard of Oz is snappy and clever, with a seemingly infinite supply of wickedly wonderful one-liners and creative touches.  Instead of flying monkeys, we now have flying Labubus.  The Scarecrow is stuffed with fashion magazines and discarded fortunes from fortune cookies… and periodically, the fortunes provide clues to help our protagonists on their journey.  The songs are delightfully subversive: Adult lyrics aside, many of these songs play like the best songs that DIDN’T show up on the Wicked soundtrack!  The same way the Oz franchise has ALWAYS been political, the script does indeed inject some modern-day political jokes into the story.  Some of them are subtle, but most of them… well, not so much. And that’s a GREAT thing!  No current talking point is off limits!  In between jokes about green genes jeans and the Wizard pulling out a chainsaw, one absolutely delicious joke speaks about “allies” who are only allies when it suits them. (We won’t name names, but KC, are you listening?!) And wow, what a cast!  I did not research the casting choices before seeing this production… but I must say that if I had to reimagine Dorothy as a free-spirited, plucky, street-smart yet still idealistic heroine for an Oz-meets-New York City fantasy in 2025, Regan Sims’ Dottie would be what comes to mind.  All of the cast is wonderful in their roles.  Gifted in comedy, they deliver every campy line, facial expression, and stage direction with zany gusto.  A special shout-out goes to Rachel McPhee, who steals the show as pop culture’s favorite villain-who’s-not-the-real-villain.  She really masters that iconic wicked witch laugh in a truly over-the-top, super-campy performance.  Finally, kudos must be given to the hardworking Kendall Perry, who gave piano accompaniment throughout the whole show.  

As a lifelong fan of all things “Oz”, I surrender (Dorothy…) to this show!

R & R Productions’ The Wizard of Oz is written by Robert K. Benson and directed by Madeline Wall.  The show stars Matt Mastromatteo, Regan Sims, Lily Ali-Oshatz, Rachel McPhee, David Hernandez, Stephanie Marrow, Diego Velásquez, Jonathan Nathaniel Dingle-El and Blake Williams. Original Music by Gabriel Spector and Lily Ali-Oshatz.  Musical direction and accompaniment by Kendall Perry. Costume design by Maryellen DeVivo.  Stage management by Lyndsey Barratt.

The Wizard of Oz continues: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, December 6, 4:00 p.m. Sunday, December 14, 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 16, and 4:00 p.m. Saturday, December 20 at Parkside Lounge, 317 E. Houston, NYC 10002.  Tickets are $35 general admission in advance, $40 at the door, premium seats range from $45-$75.  Runtime is 90 minutes.  For tickets and more information, visit www.nycpanto.com (or https://www.parksidelounge.nyc/the-wizard-of-oz-pantomime-tickets)
(Photos by Michael Russell and Jed Ryan.)