Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz NJ Reviews and Tickets

86%

(169 Reviews)

Positive

93%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Entertaining, Great singing, Delightful, Great acting, Must see

About the Show

Paper Mill Playhouse's new musical chronicles Judy Garland’s early career from vaudeville baby to MGM teen star in the making, and features such classics as “Over the Rainbow” and “You Made Me Love You.”

From the show:

Before she burst onto the big screen as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland was a young vaudeville trouper named Frances Gumm. In this highly anticipated new musical chronicling Garland’s early career from vaudeville baby to MGM teen star in the making, the road to Oz is paved with adversity. At its heart a story of love between a father and daughter, featuring such legendary songs as “Over the Rainbow,” “You Made Me Love You,” and “Everybody Sing,” Chasing Rainbows is a poignant coming-of-age tale about “the little girl with the big voice,” who went on to become one of the world’s most beloved entertainment icons.

Member Reviews (169)

Entertaining, Old fashioned, Great singing, Great music, Classic

See it if you enjoy 1920's-30's music. A jukebox of beautiful tunes with many updated lyrics. A tame/safe telling of Judy's early life. Great staging.

Don't see it if you expect the bluntness and grit of the "Judy" movie. Read more

Delightful, Light, Entertaining, Interesting story, Great singing

See it if You are interested in Garland. I didn't know too much about her life before OZ so it was interesting. Loved Margherita as Ethel Gumm.

Don't see it if If you are expecting drama. Theres a tiny bit but this is a pretty lighthearted musical.

Masterful, Delightful, Enchanting, Exquisite, Ambitious

See it if A really great show that takes you back to yesteryear. Very insightful about her amd oz. And its details.

Don't see it if If you do not like old fashion type of shows.

Entertaining, Old fashioned, Great choreography, Great singing, Cliched

See it if you want to see a really well done, very old fashioned, MGM type musical

Don't see it if you need something original for your theater dollar Read more

Seemed to last forever, Cliched, Banal

See it if you want to see a talented cast performing in a weak script.

Don't see it if you have seen the film Judy - the young Judy is good in this play, but the book needs work and some of the choices of songs were odd. Read more

Entertaining

See it if Ruby Rukos and her right side profile nails it.

Don't see it if Some technical and theatrical rough spots.

Love letter to judy garland, Fluffy, "lovely"

See it if you are a fan of Garland or Oz.

Don't see it if you want a strong book - pretty straight-forward life story. Songs all sounded the same.

Ambitious, Cliched, Great singing

See it if You enjoy well sung songs, great production values and terrific performances.

Don't see it if You want something fresh or new. However factual it may be, act 1 is essentially the same as Gypsy. The 2nd act is similar to Funny Girl.

Critic Reviews (14)

"Judy Garland Bio ‘Chasing Rainbows’ The biopic with Renée Zellweger is a perfect set-up for this new musical about Judy Garland's early years."
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"Judy Garland Finally Gets a Happy Ending in 'Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz': Garland's rise to fame as 'the girl next door' at MGM is onstage at Paper Mill Playhouse."
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"'CHASING RAINBOWS: THE ROAD TO OZ' at Paper Mill Playhouse-An Exhilarating New Musical Theatre Production"
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"'Chasing Rainbows' is a lively, intelligently entertaining, 1930s jukebox musical. It is very well written, choreographed, directed and performed."
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"Whether you are fans of the Judy who...went down the yellow brick road in the 1939 classic, or of the incomparable adult superstar...this delightful new musical is clearly calculated to bring waves of laughter, an occasional tear and mostly appreciative applause. It does."
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"Overflowing with classic songs that are wound in and around the young MGM star's rise. it is in daddy's eyes and voice that we are being truly gifted by this musical. Max von Essen as the troubled father,..steals the show from under those Ruby shoes, giving the most nuanced portrayal on that big wide stage."
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