• Twitter
• Facebook



Submit

February 5, 2012 - Michael played his last performance as the Wizard at the London Palladium

The Critics on Michael: The Independent ***** "Michael Crawford, who is genuinely charming in a clutch of roles, a nattily rhymed catalogue song from Professor Marvel about the wonders of the world, replete with slideshow and a somewhat pre-emptive moral that home is best." The London Evening Standard **** "The Wizard himself is played by Michael Crawford - with warmth " The London Times **** "Crawford brings vulnerability and humour" BroadwayWorld "Michael Crawford topped all (high) expectations and was given many moments to shine with comedy, heart and his signature vocal talent." Herald Tribune "Crawford (is) charming and quite delightful" Bloomberg "Crawford in fine form" The Los Angeles Times "Crawford displays his skill as a master showman"

Michael completed his run as the Wizard in Andrew Lloyd Webber's new production of THE WIZARD OF OZ at the London Palladium on Sunday, February 5, 2012. The show began previews on February 7, 2011 and opened on March 1, 2011 to lots of rave reviews!

His performances were great and he received Standing Ovations throughout his run!

Talking about the show, Michael said that it was "Such a fun show. We had little tiny children coming and having the same fun their grandmothers were having and I loved that. Certainly I know that I believe in exactly that kind of magic. You couldn't play the Wizard otherwise, could you?"

Here's a brief excerpt from the London Times about Michael taking the part: "And now Lloyd Webber had come calling again. A quarter of a century after changing Crawford's life by casting him as The Phantom of the Opera, he was offering him a supporting role. In a revival. But then again, oh my gosh, what an exciting revival. What's more, Lloyd Webber promised him that he would be tweaking the opening and the ending and adding four new songs that he had written with Tim Rice - including one for each witch and one for the Wizard. It would be a new proposition. Still, Crawford asked for time to make up his mind. He had just started a summer holiday that would involve six weeks of travelling around Europe before meeting his family at a villa in Sicily. He spent the whole time dwelling on all things Oz.

He downloaded the books on to his computer and watched the film. He thought about how he might play the part, which also includes playing the Wizard's Kansas correlative, Professor Marvel, and several fanciful guises that the Wizard adopts - and whose voices Crawford slides in and out of as he talks about them. He thought about the ways in which the Oz characters are all aspects of the Kansas characters, the way the film suggests that "home is where the heart and soul is, where true love comes from". And then he spent ten days in Sicily vacationing with his family, including his grandchildren.

"It was the longest I'd spent with them," he says. "I bonded with them. And they said they'd never seen me work. They'd seen Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em on the DVD, they'd seen the TV version of Barnum, they had seen the clips of Hello, Dolly! that Pixar used in WALL��E - Oh, I got enormous street cred for that! - but not much else." So he made up his mind. He would do 'OZ'. (His grandchildren have now seen the show and loved it! Happy ending for all.)

Members can check the Member's Only Area for photos from the stage door, member only events and videos!