Audience complains on social media after The Wiz Live! performance at BJCC

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - People are all over social media, demanding refunds and calling a weekend performance of the “The Wiz Live!” anything but whimsical.

Audience members wished they could click their heels three times to go home.

Some consumers even complained to the Better Business Bureau, saying they were duped into paying up to $70 for a low-quality production.

And now, the BBB is investigating.

“Ohhhhh Dorothy," was the reaction Quintara Hammonds wrote on her post after watching “The Wiz Live!” at the BJCC Saturday.

“I’m expecting Aston Kutcher to jump out and tell me that I’ve been punk’d,” said LaKeshia Crittenden. “I could not believe what I was seeing.”

Crittenden and her family drove from Selma to see the show. They even got a hotel for the night.

“I paid $60 per ticket and I purchased three tickets,” she said. “With the fees and everything I paid, it was right at $217.”

But she said for the quality of the performance and set, she paid way too much.

“What I ended up getting was something that my 13 year old and her class could have done,” said Crittenden. “They didn’t have a yellow-brick road, they didn’t have a Toto prop. They literally had a projector screen with a photo of the different scenes.”

We got a video link from the Better Business Bureau that showed an advertisement posted by American Entertainment Group. It includes footage from NBC’s live performance of “The Wiz.”

“I feel like these people probably travel to different cities, and scam people out of their money, and they’re gone, and you don’t know who they are,” she said.

AEG sent out a statement apologizing for any disappointment, saying while it promoted the show, AEG management and staff did not cast the performers, produce, direct or provide any artistical direction to the production. To read the full statement, click here.

Crittenden said she’s not asking for her money back, she just doesn’t want this to happen again.

“Someone needs to be held responsible for this,” she said. “If nothing is done, if it’s just swept under the rug, then they’re just going to go to the next city, and you’ll see it on Facebook again. They’ve charged you $60 for a ticket for a $5 performance.”

The BJCC sent us a statement saying it’s reviewing this performance in the ongoing commitment to insure those attending events at the BJCC have a memorable experience. You can read their full statement below:

The BBB wants to hear from you if you have a complaint.