The Wiz
The dazzling Tony Winning musical returns with a brand new staging for the 21st century!
Why see The Wiz?
Coming to an Emerald City Near You!
The seven-time Tony-winning hit, "The Wiz," is back with a brand new tour the first in 40 years! The soul, gospel, funk, and R&B-fused reimagining of Frank L. Baum's "The Wizard of Oz" is taking to the road on the second leg of its tour in a brand new production directed by Schele Williams, presenting William F. Brown and Charlie Smalls' vibrant musical for the 21st century. With additional material by Amber Ruffin and choreography by Jaquel Knight, join Dorothy, Toto, Tinman, Scarecrow, and Lion as they boogie down the Yellow Brick Road in search of heart, knowledge, courage, and home!
What Is The Story Of The Wiz?
It's the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but not quite as you know it. Written by Charlie Smalls and William F. Brown, The Wiz reimagines the story of Dorothy and Co. with an entirely African-American cast and a score infused with infectious gospel and soul. The show's best-known numbers are 'Be the Lion' and 'Ease on Down the Road'.
Originally debuting on Broadway in 1975, The Wiz won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, and was later adapted into the cult movie of the same, which starred Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
Key Information
Run Time
Two hours and 20 minutes with one interval
Dates
Finished Oct 22, 2023
Cast
- Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy
- Alan Mingo Jr as The Wiz (selected dates)
- Wayne Brady as The Wiz (selected dates)
- Deborah Cox as Glinda
- Melody A. Betts as Aunt Em/ Evillene
- Kyle Ramar Freeman as the Lion
- Phillip Johnson Richardson as the Tinman
- Avery Wilson as the Scarecrow
Further cast
Maya Bowles, Shayla Alayre Caldwell, Jay Copeland, Allyson Kaye Daniel, Judith Franklin, Michael Samarie George, Collin Heyward, Amber Jackson, Olivia Jackson, Christina Jones, Polanco Jones, Kolby Kindle, Mariah Lyttle, Kareen Marsh, Anthony Murphy, Cristina Rae, Matthew Sims Jr, Avilon Trust Tate and Keenan D. Washington.
Creative
Book by William F. Brown
Music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls
Additional material Amber Ruffin
Directed by Schele Williams
Choreographed by JaQuel Knigh
Music supervision, orchestrations, & music arrangement by Joseph Joubert
Reviews
Customer reviews
26 reviews, average rating: (4.0 Stars)
Mike
Just A Great Fun Time
Everyone could sing beautifully, choreography was top notch and it doesn't play like you expect. There was enough new material to feel fresh but also had classic moments to make you feel comfy. The Principle cast each got moments to shine and shine they did. The Witches particularly were surprisingly good with some pipes!!! Glinda & Evilene can blow.
We were roaring and cheering and giving a standing ovation at the end. What a show & so much fun!! ... Read more
G. Brown Woodford
The Wiz
I saw the Wiz in Cleveland and it was FANTASTIC. The voices were OUTSTANDING. I was willing to see it again with my son who was in town the week I went to the show but he left early to return to Georgia. While I appreciate the Michael Jackson's version but I am happy to see it was move back to Kansas. The news usually shows people of color in a negative light. This show shows multi talented people in a different and heart warming light. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the joy.
... Read more
Mae
Revisiting Childhood through the Wiz
The Wiz opened this Tuesday in Cleveland at Playhouse Square as a second stop before heading to other cities and then opening on Broadway. It feels like a treat to see a show pre-broadway. I am avid theater goer and lover so I thought I'd share my thoughts.
Here are a couple of notes :
1. If you are in Cleveland and you are seeing the show during the week be sure to go to the Buzz session that starts at 6:30. Its background information truly helps set the stage for the show.
2. Try to find and watch both The Wizard of Oz original movie and The Wiz movie with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson to get more context. It will truly help you understand how awestruck I was with this revival.
3. This show is completely diverse in the fact that the show was written and performed by an all African Americans.
4. This show is an adaptation of a well known plot told in a way that uses relatable comedy, and a spectacular delivery to captivate audiences.
Now let’s get into it:
What I loved:
Show Updates:
The script, music, and dancing were all updated to make the show more relatable. I absolutely loved how the choreographer and music director did an amazing job making everything feel contemporary. I love how the different types of dance were used. The is an amazing mix of ballet, jazz, hip hop, and modern within the choreography. The music and dance helped push the musical forward and really drove home the intentionality of its attempt to help the audience feel as though it is a musical that was written in 2023.
Artistry:
This show is all about the majestics of how theater combines color, costume, and music as a living and breathing art form. It is a true example of how all of the aforementioned things come together to create works of performance art. The use of color in reference to costume and set design was absolutely captivating.
Dance:
Whether they were main characters or in the ensemble. The actors and actresses were all astonishing singers and dancers. The way that the show personified the tornado, the yellow brick road and poppies truly added depth to the show.
Vocals:
I was pleasantly surprised to see Deborah Cox hit the stage as Glinda. I truly hope this play develops her character and she is integrated more into the show. She has a lot to add to the Wiz and I felt she was not utilized enough.
Nichelle Lewis(Dorothy), Deborah Cox (Glinda), Melody Betts(Auntie Em/Eviline), Avery Wilson (Scarecrow) and Kyle Freeman (The Lion) gave show stopping and hand clapping, vocal performances that gave me goosebumps while leaving me on the edge of my seat.
Nichelle Lewis reminded me of a young Whitney Houston and her ability to evoke emotions during a song is a true treat. Once again, I must reiterate, that everyone’s singing and dancing, was amazing but the actresses and actors that I named stood out in particular.
Casting: I absolutely love that the entire cast had different age groups and body types. Each body type was celebrated and utilized whether you were old or young or whether you were thin or curvy. What a wonderful way to promote inclusivity!
What I felt had some opportunities for growth and development:
Script and Character development:
I would have loved to see more chemistry between Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man and The Lion. There was some stiffness during the show especially in their dance scenes. I have to admit that the dance movements during the Yellow Brick Road always seemed forced or maybe just slightly off. Throughout the show, they never seem to get their timing right. I am not sure if that is a character chemistry issue or they just need more repetition of those movements. I have to also say that there were several moments where the line delivery was wooden, it truly felt like they were reading lines and forcing it. I am not sure if that is because there could stand to be a bit more script development for a more fluid conversation amongst characters or if it is just the way the characters are delivering their lines.
Script Development:
There were several moments during the show where the script and the lines felt very forced. There were also moments that the script did not flow like a natural day to day conversation amongst friends and acquaintances. In my opinion, that is the difference between calling a show great or just good. Ensemble
Side Note: I have said this before but I will say it again , I would have loved to see more Glinda. (But I digress)
Ensemble development:
Timing during dance numbers seemed to be off. I could be wrong, but there were moments in which ensemble dancers seemed to miss their timing. It was more apparent in certain scenes such as the poppies and the Oz Club scene.
Positive Actions I observed:
I saw lots of production team members floating around so I am hoping they are pushing the envelope to develop this into the amazing show that I know it is. I don't believe I've seen the final version of this show and I hope to go see it on Broadway when all of the tweaking is complete.
Overall: The show is a delight with plenty of laugh out loud, toe tapping and hand clapping moments. I’m looking at my busy schedule to see how I can fit in another visit just before the show leaves Cleveland to see how it moves forward with the production team’s notes.
Overall;
This is definitely one to go see. If you love wonderful music, the use of color, beautiful costume and set design, artistry and laughter with a wonderful message to search within to find yourself… do yourself a favor and buy a ticket if you’re in Cleveland. If you are not in Cleveland and it Eases down the road to your city, go see it. ... Read more
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