"The book by Winnie Holzman (based on Gregory Maguire's smashing novel) is a truly clever piece of work. It offers us the backstory to the witches of Oz — good and wicked — as well as filling us in on where the ruby slippers came from, how the Tin Man and Scarecrow wound up like they did, etc. But it's also a serious exploration of the nature of friendship, as well a cautionary fable about the danger of governments who rule by fear. All of this is also captured by Stephen Schwartz's tuneful score, which knows when to soar with inspiring pop anthems or when to make you smile with its musical and lyrical cleverness."--Richard Ouzounian