Wizard of Oz

🎭 Event Review

📍 Quick Facts
• Event Type: Musical Theatre
• Location: Martha Cohen Theatre, Werklund Centre, Calgary
• Duration: Approximately 2 hours
• Ticket Info: Tickets required

The Yellow Brick Road has officially taken over downtown Calgary, and it is one colourful, wildly creative trip to the Emerald City.

Geoff and I were delighted to find ourselves Somewhere over the Rainbow for the musical stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s timeless classic, The Wizard of Oz.

When a tornado sweeps young Dorothy Gale over the rainbow, she lands in the magical land of Oz. Joined by a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion, Dorothy sets off on a grand adventure down the Yellow Brick Road to try find the mysterious Wizard of Oz – the only one who can send her back home to Kansas. But the Wicked Witch of the West has other plans for her.

Parking was, as usual, easy for a theatre inside the Werklund Centre, with access through Calgary’s +15 keeping us out of the December elements. It was our first time at Martha Cohen Theatre, and we were immediately charmed by how small and quaint it was inside.

Our tickets were Mezzanine Centre: Premiere Circle seats 8 & 9, giving us some extra legroom, but I can assure you that there are no bad seats to be found in this house. The furthest seat is only 39 feet (12 metres) from the stage, so even the back row feels remarkably close to the action.

We were seated directly behind the sound booth and, us being exactly who we are, struck up a grand conversation with the technician working the event that evening. We regret that we didn’t get this person’s name, as they were not only very pleasant and generous with their time, but they also invited us to come back and visit the sound booth again for the production of Come from Away. I think our accents gave us away on that one.

Right from the opening scenes, the visuals were spectacular for this visual artist. An aqua-lit backdrop paired with a bare-bones farm set immediately caught my eye, setting the tone for a show that was simple yet richly coloured. All throughout the production, the backdrops paired with bright, vibrant costumes to ensure every scene popped against the intimate, three-quarter-circle seating of the theatre.

Instead of leaning into predictable, high-tech digital projections, the design team chose to tap into the community. The entire Land of Oz was built out of recycled household items donated by Calgarians. In particular, the Emerald City was visually stunning, with water bottles used to extend the sheer size of the glittering metropolis, while the witches’ castle featured industrial, edgy borders crafted from metal rims and spokes from bicycle wheels. It truly made the performance feel more homey and ‘green’.

The singing and music were nothing short of world-class, and the dancing was pure joy. The physical theatre work did a fabulous job of defining the characters. The Scarecrow moved with an astonishing, elastic flexibility that perfectly captured a straw creature. The Tin Man’s rigid, rusted transitions were perfectly mechanical, making his sudden bursts of tap-dancing joy even more delightful. The Cowardly Lion struck an ideal balance between painfully shy and boisterous. All of this added to the core of the musical without saying a word.

As a dog lover, I have to admit the adorable dogs who played Toto stole the scenes every single time. They didn’t miss a single cue and completely won the hearts of the audience the second they trotted onto the stage.

It was a very well-done and simply adorable family experience, full of wit, heart, and charm — especially when you consider it was Alberta Theatre Projects’ first full musical production since 2012.

This wasn’t a rigid, note-for-note copy of the 1939 film. It was a highly theatrical, joke-heavy version designed to keep both kids and adults thoroughly entertained. The comedic timing was sharp, leaning into playful pop-culture nods and physical humour.

We did find the timing of this Wizard of Oz production to be strange, as it was scheduled a week before Christmas, but it was not Christmas-related content. Considering that I am a huge Wizard of Oz fan, this was still a must-attend event for us.

This magical musical, complete with a scheduled New Year’s Eve sing-along performance, is rooted in friendship, bravery, and ‘finding your place’; it truly appeals to all ages. So click your heels together three times and say it with me: ‘There’s no place like home.’ After all, there’s no place like our Calgary home, and there’s no show in Calgary quite like this one.

📊 Scorecard

• Organization and Flow: 4.5/5
• Engagement & Content: 5/5
• Location & Venue Comfort: 5/5
• Value for Money: 4.5/5
• ⭐ Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars