Never Work with Children or Animals

Terry Byrne at the Boston Globe really liked the Wheelock Family Theater's production of The Wizard of Oz. Of course, that might be an overdose of the cutes:

All four friends are nearly upstaged though, by Toto, played by second-grader Sofia Pilar Villafane with just the right amount of spunk and enthusiasm. Although she is adorable, and just the right size to be picked up by the Commander of the flying monkeys and by the Cowardly Lion, she never overdoes it, punctuating songs with little barks, while understanding her role as loyal friend.

As a corrective dose of reality, the review also includes these comments from the audience:

Dalice Rodriguez, 8, who was there with her brother Johann, 5, tapped along to the beat of “Jitterbug” and later said the dancing in that number was her favorite. Toto, however, was her favorite character, while Johann preferred the Tin Woodman, not because of his sensitive soul, or his dancing, but because “he had an ax.”

Someone needs to discover Axe Cop.