THEATER TALK: WICKED movie is a hit; Lancaster Opera has WIZARD OF OZ; WITCH at Road Less Traveled is a lush production; SHYLOCK at A.R.T. gets serious, ROTTEN and SHAWSHANK continue (see listings)

This week on Theater Talk, Anthony is eager to talk about WICKED the movie, but first we mention WITCH, handsomely presented at Road Less Traveled Productions, and also SHYLOCK, a very dark story about prisoners at Auschwitz being forced to present THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. For lighter fare, THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES has some new faces on the O'Connell & Co. Mainstage. And THE WIZARD OF OZ is presented at Lancaster Opera House. See listings. For 32 years (as of November 2024), Theater Talk has been appointment listening on WBFO, featuring the insights of theater critic and historian Anthony Chase, who joins Peter Hall for a five-minute weekly broadcast at 6:45am, 8:45am, and 5:45pm Fridays on 88.7 WBFO with a podcast available on wbfo.org. NOTE: Theater listings are included with the podcast. As part of BTPM (Buffalo Toronto Public Media), their beat is primarily Buffalo theater, but Broadway, The Shaw Festival, The Stratford Festival, and Chautauqua are covered as are other relevant art forms for the stage, including ballet and opera.