carolyn-lazar

I have seen the original Broadway play and the original Judy Garland movie "The Wizard of Oz". I wasn't expecting to be as impressed as I was. Cynthia Erivo is the obvious star but everyone did an excellent job. I would gladly see it again. I was fortunate to see the IMax version which is larger than life. Not everyone is a fan of musicals, but the songs and the singing are excellent. Both Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth who originated the Broadway leads have cameos. The sets are imaginative. The costumes are creative. What really struck me is a moment at the end when Elphaba played by Erivo flies away and her cape is momentarily in the exact same position as the cover of the Playbill of the Broadway show. I doubt that many people caught that. It was a great tribute.

As a Jew I find this series to be astonishingly good and difficult to watch. The director only chose Jewish actors for the main roles which is significant. When I watch or read anything about the Holocaust I feel it in my bones. The book it is based on was written by the great-granddaughter of Nechuma and Sol. I know any Jewish actor playing a role in a script about the Holocaust would not be acting....they would be thinking it could have been them and still might be. Anti-Semitism is the oldest hatred in the world dating back 2000 years. The story is a biography about a real family that managed to survive intact. That is a miracle. A must see in my opinion.