Theater

“Wicked”: Toto, we’re not on Broadway anymore. Powered by a cast of show-tune specialists and a $14-million budget, songwriter Stephen Schwartz’s mega-musical prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” opened in fall 2003 and became Broadway’s biggest hit since “The Producers.” The road show approximates most of the Broadway version’s gadgetry (minus a few bells and whistles). But what this production, like the original, can’t do is put together a cohesive 2 1/2 hours of musical comedy. There are a few catchy tunes and a number of genuine laughs, but this revisionist trip down the yellow brick road is a long and bumpy ride.

-- James C. Taylor

Ends Sunday at the Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. (213) 365-3500.