The Wiz

For other uses, seeThe Wiz (disambiguation).

The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"is amusicalwith music and lyrics byCharlie Smalls(and others) and book byWilliam F. Brown.It is a retelling ofL. Frank Baum's children's novelThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz(1900) in the context of contemporaryAfrican-American culture.It opened on October 21, 1974, at theMorris A. Mechanic TheatreinBaltimore,and moved toBroadway'sMajestic Theatrewith a new cast on January 5, 1975.

The Wiz
The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"
Original Cast Recording
Music	Charlie Smalls Timothy Graphenreed Harold Wheeler George Faison Luther Vandross
Lyrics	Charlie Smalls Zachary Walzer Luther Vandross
Book	William F. Brown
Basis	The Wonderful Wizard of Oz byL. Frank Baum
Productions	1974 Detroit tryout 1974 Philadelphia tryout 1975Broadway 1976 US tour 1978Film 1984 Broadwayrevival 2022 Mexico City 2023 US tour 2024 Broadway revival 2025 US tour
Awards	Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award for Best Original Score

Stephanie Mills(pictured in 2017) played Dorothy in the original 1975 Broadway musicalThe Wiz.

The 1975Broadwayproduction won sevenTony Awards,includingBest Musical.It was an early example of Broadway's mainstream acceptance of works with an all-Black cast. It has had revivals in New York,London,San Diego,and theNetherlands,and a limited-run revival was presented byEncores!atNew York City Centerin June 2009. A big-budgetfilm adaptation of the same namewas released in 1978, withTed RossandMabel Kingreprising their roles. A live television production of the stage version,The Wiz Live!,was broadcast onNBCon December 3, 2015, with an encore presentation on December 19 of the same year.

Production history

Development and Broadway

The idea for the musical originated with producer Ken Harper. He replaced the original director,Gilbert Moses,withGeoffrey HolderinDetroitduring out-of-towntryouts.As cast memberAndré De Shields,who played thetitle role,later wrote, "It was Geoffrey's masterful people skills and embrace of magical realism that metamorphosedThe Wizfrom caterpillar to butterfly. "

The originalBaltimorecast includedStephanie MillsasDorothy Gale,Stu Gilliamas theScarecrow,Tiger Haynesas theTin Man,Ted Rossas theCowardly Lion,andButterfly McQueenas the Queen of the Field Mice, but in a much smaller role.Renée C. Harrisstayed on as understudy for the role of Dorothy, as did McQueen for the role ofAddaperle.

The production was choreographed byGeorge Faison,withscenic designerTom H. John, costumes by Geoffrey Holder,lightingbyTharon Musser,and orchestrations byHarold Wheeler.Faison and Holder both wonTony Awardsforchoreographyandcostume design,respectively at the29th Tony Awardsin 1975.

The show had a pre-Broadwaytryout at theFisher TheatreinDetroitin November 1974,and at theForrest TheatreinPhiladelphiafrom December 11, 1974, through December 21, 1974.After drawing mixed critical reviews, producer Ken Harper considered closing the musical after its Broadway opening night. One source attributes its turnaround success to a publicity campaign that included a TV commercial featuring the cast singing "Ease On Down the Road,"a song that proved so popular that it was released as a single recorded by the disco groupConsumer Rapport;The single hit theBillboardSoul Singles chart,peaking at No. 19 and the Hot 100, peaking at No. 42.

William F. Brown,who wrote thebook,gave a more specific explanation in 1993: "20th Century-Fox,the musical's major investor, put in another $100,000 to keep it going and everyone agreed toroyalty cutsuntil the production's cost—about $1.1 million—was recouped....By the eighth week, we were selling out. "

The Broadway production moved to theBroadway Theatreon May 25, 1977, and closed on January 28, 1979, after four years and 1,672 performances.

Along with other musicals includingPurlie(1971) andRaisin(1974),The Wizwas a breakthrough for Broadway, a large-scale big-budget musical featuring an all-Black cast. It laid the foundation for later African-American hits such asBubbling Brown Sugar,DreamgirlsandSophisticated Ladies.

National tours and later revivals

The musical toured the US in 1976and during the tour,Kenneth Kamal Scott(then billed as "Kamal" ) replaced André De Shields as the Wiz,Renn Woodswas cast as Dorothy but departed the tour after playing only a couple of cities because during the show's engagement at theAhmanson TheatreinLos Angeles,the 19-year-old performer was recruited for a featured part in the movie production ofHair.Renee C. Harris (who was in her very early 20s) took over as the tour's Dorothy and continued leading that company for a couple of years playing many engagements in cities across the country. At this time, the production also featuredBen Harneyas the Tin Man and Ken Prymus as the Lion. Prymus was known to audiences for his featured role as Private Seidman in the movieM*A*S*H(1970) where he sang "Suicide is Painless".Both men were subsequently featured in other Broadway shows and were as replacements in the Broadway production ofAin't Misbehavin'.Harney also originated the leading role of Curtis Taylor Jr. in the Broadway debut ofDreamgirls.When Harris eventually departed the company, the tour continued with Deborah Malone in the role of Dorothy. There was also a second national touring company which was a scaled down production. This second tour opened with Malone reprising her role as Dorothy, who was later replaced byLillias White.

A revival ran on Broadway at theLunt-Fontanne Theatrefrom May 24, 1984, through June 3, 1984, closing after 13 performances and 7 previews. Directed by Geoffrey Holder, the cast featuredStephanie Millsas Dorothy. It then ran inLondonat theLyric Hammersmithfrom December 11, 1984, through February 2, 1985.A planned 2004 Broadway revivalwas not produced.

In August 2015, George Faison presentedThe Wiz: A Celebration in Dance and Music,performances of the original songs and choreography in honor of the Broadway hits 40th Anniversary at Summerstage inNew York City.A number of members of the original Broadway cast returned for this celebratory run. ActressPhylicia Rashad,a munchkin and swing in the original production, co-hosted the performance with George Faison. André De Shields reprised his original role as the Wiz;Dee Dee Bridgewater,Tony Awardwinner for her role asGlinda,reprised her original role; Evelyn Thomas reprised her original role as the Tornado and Ebony Jo-Ann who played Addaperle in the Broadway revival of the production reprised her role as well. Singer-songwriter Wallace Gary joined the cast as the Scarecrow. Damien L. Sneed acted as the musical director and conductor ofThe Wiz: A Celebration in Dance and Music.

From 1996 to 1997 there was a US concert version tour withTasha Scottas Dorothy,Grace JonesasEvillene,Peabo Brysonas The Wiz, andCeCe Penistonas Glinda. The cast also featuredTony Terryas the Tin Man and Romelda Benjamin asAunt Em.

A North American tour, directed by Schele Williams with new material byAmber Ruffin,launched in the fall of 2023 in Baltimore with plans to transfer to Broadway for a limited engagement in spring 2024.The Broadway revival opened at theMarquis Theatreon April 17, 2024 with previews beginning March 29, 2024.The production concluded its limited engagement on August 18, 2024 after 18 preview performances and 142 regular performances.The tour will then resume performances beginning February 2025.

Other productions

An Australian production forJ. C. Williamson Theatres Limitedplayed inMelbourneandSydneyfrom January–October 1976; starring Andrea Frierson (Dorothy),Victor Willis(Tin Man), Freddie Paris (Lion), Chuck McKinney (The Wiz) and Robert Ellis (Scarecrow). Upon his return from Australia in late 1976, Victor Willis joined the cast of the original Broadway production.

Flymonkey Productions (London) ran two shows. The first one was in 2000 which received great reviews and a second was run the following year in 2001 receiving exceptional reviews from the London press. Both productions were run at theHackney Empire.The 2001 show was particularly notable because it was the last show to be performed at the Hackney Empire before the theatre closed its doors for refurbishment. Both shows were directed by Jamie Hinde; musical director Steve White (both shows); production manager Andy Barnes (both shows); choreography by Suzannah Howlett (2000) and Juliet Vibert (2001, also appeared as a dancer in both shows). The production starredTamsier Joof(both shows);Rustie Lee(both shows);Sharon D. Clarke(2000),Victoria Wilson-James(2001), and Kat Boyce ofMTV(both shows).

A production ran at theLa Jolla Playhouse,San Diego,from September 26, 2006, through November 12, 2006, receiving good reviews and extending its run by three weeks. It was directed byDes McAnuff,who, with Harold Wheeler, orchestrator of the original Broadway version, revised the musical for contemporary audiences. It starredNikki M. James(Dorothy), E. Faye Butler (Evelline) andDavid Alan Grier(The Wiz), and featured sets by Robert Brill.

Dodger Productions holds US rights to revive the musical, whileJoop Van den Ende'sStage Entertainmentholds the European rights.Stage Entertainmentmounted a full-scale production at the Beatrix Theater inUtrecht,Netherlands, in 2006. The production was directed by Glenn Casale and choreographed byAnthony Van Laastand featured sets byDavid Gallo.

New York City Center'sEncores!Summer Stars series production ran June 12 through July 5, 2009. The production was directed byThomas Kailand choreographed byAndy Blankenbuehler.It starredAshantias Dorothy,Tichina Arnoldas Evillene,Dawnn Lewisas Addapearl,Joshua Henryas the Tin Man,James Monroe Iglehartas the Lion,Orlando Jones(succeeded byColman Domingo) as The Wiz, andLaChanzeas Aunt Em and Glinda.

A major British revival of the musical was produced in 2011 by theBirmingham Repertory Theatre(however performed at theNew Alexandra Theatredue to The REP's refurbishment)in a co-production with theWest Yorkshire Playhouse,re-locating Kansas to present dayBirminghamThis production was directed byJosette Bushell-Mingo,with choreography byPaul J. Medford.

The first German-speaking production was produced inLinz,Austria in the new Musiktheater Linz,directed and choreographed by Kim Duddy.

The Fiddlehead Theatre Company, in the historicStrand TheatreinDorchester, Boston,Massachusetts,mounted a production, directed by Stacey Stephens, Fiddlehead Theatre Company's associate producing artistic director, in February 2015.

A production ran atThe Munyfrom June 19–25, 2018. It starredNathan Lee Grahamas The Wiz,James T. Laneas Tinman,Darius de Haasas Lion,Demetria McKinneyas Glinda, and newcomers Danyel Fulton and Jared Grimes as Dorothy and Scarecrow, respectively. It was directed by Denis Jones and choreographed byCamille A. Brown.

TheHope MillTheatre,Manchestermounted a production that ran from November 24, 2021, until January 16, 2022,with the cast includingTarik Frimpongas the Scarecrow. The production was recorded and streamed as an encore production, and performances from it were broadcast by theBBCas part of Big Night of Musicals by theNational Lottery.

A Mexican production ran from June 2023 to September 2024 at Teatro Hidalgo inMexico Cityfor over 200 performances. Produced by Juan Torres and directed by Ricardo Díaz, the show was choreographed by Pablo Rodríguez. Set design was by Oscar Acosta. The show starred Lucero Mijares in her theatre debut as Dorothy, Oscar Acosta as the Tin Man, Juan Fonsalido as the Scarecrow, Felipe Alvarez as the Lion, and Jair Campos as the Wiz.

Plot

Prologue

TeenagedDorothy Galelives with herAunt Em,Uncle Henry,and dog,Toto,on their farm inKansas.Though her work there keeps her busy, she often gets distracted in her boredom with farm life, choosing instead to play with Toto and dream of someday seeing far-off lands. Aunt Em, however, has little patience for her daydreaming, believing that dawdling is contrary to their way of life. After an argument, Aunt Em apologizes to her for an unintentionally hurtful remark. She explains that she only scolds because she wants Dorothy to be the best she can be, and fears that she will not be prepared for the responsibilities life will soon put upon her. Aunt Em loves her dearly and hopes they will always be as close as they were when she was younger ( "The Feeling We Once Had" ).

Act I

When an approaching storm turns out to be atornado,Dorothy takes shelter in the farmhouse as Aunt Em and Uncle Henry do so in thestorm cellar.As the tornado hits the farm, the house, with Dorothy inside, is lifted into the air and flies for miles, with the wind represented by dancers ( "Tornado" ). The house finally comes to rest with a bump in the middle of a field covered with flowers. There Dorothy is met by theMunchkins,all of whom are dressed in blue, and Addaperle, theGood Witch of the North,who tells her that she is in theLand of Oz.Furthermore, her house has fallen on Evamean, theWicked Witch of the East,and killed her, freeing the Munchkins from her evil powers. Dorothy, distressed and confused, wants only to return home. With her magic unable to take Dorothy beyond the country boundaries, Addaperle decides Dorothy's best chance for assistance is to follow theYellow Brick Roadto theEmerald Cityin the centre of Oz, to see the great and powerfulWizard of Oz,or "The Wiz" for short ( "He's the Wizard" ). She gives her Evamean'ssilver shoes,and tells her not to take them off before she reaches home, for they hold a mysterious, but very powerful charm that will keep her safe.

Dorothy sets off down the Yellow Brick Road, full of doubt and fear at what lies ahead ( "Soon As I Get Home" ). Stopping to rest by a cornfield, she is startled when ascarecrowhanging on a pole strikes up a conversation with her ( "I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday" ). He tells her of his longing for brains so that he can be like other people, and she invites him to accompany her to see if the Wizard can help him. ( "Ease On Down the Road#1 ").

The Yellow Brick Road leads them into a great forest where they discover aman made of tin,rusted solid. They oil his joints ( "Slide Some Oil To Me" ) and he tells them how Evamean put a spell on his axe so that it began to cut off parts of his body. Each time it happened, a tinsmith replaced each missing part with one made of tin until he was entirely made of it. The one thing the tinsmith forgot was a heart, and he has longed for one ever since. Dorothy and the Scarecrow invite him on their journey to see the Wizard with the hope that he may give him one ( "Ease On Down the Road #2" ).

They continue following the Yellow Brick Road deeper into the forest, where they are attacked by a largelion( "I'm a Mean Ole Lion" ). However, he is quickly revealed to be a coward hiding behind bravado as Dorothy stands up for her friends. When he learns where they are going, he apologizes and asks if he may accompany them to ask the Wizard for some courage. They agree and the trio becomes a quartet ( "Ease On Down the Road #3" ), but face a new danger when they are attacked by an evil gang of witch-like beings calledKalidahs( "Kalidah Battle" ). After a great fight and harrowing escape, they stop by the road to rest. The Lion is embarrassed by his cowardice in the battle, but is comforted by Dorothy's kind words ( "Be a Lion" ).

Seeing a green glow in the distance, they continue their journey to the Emerald City, and wander into a field of poppies who blow opium dust on them. Dorothy recalls that Addaperle warned her of these poppies, and runs from the field as fast as she can with the Scarecrow and Tin Man behind her. The Lion is overcome by the dust and begins to hallucinate ( "Lion's Dream" ). He is dragged from the field and returned to his friends by the Mice Squad who police the area.

Marching up to the gates of the Emerald City, they are met by theGatekeeperwho insists they must all be fitted with a pair of green tinted glasses that are locked on to prevent them being blinded by the dazzling sights. They enter the city and look about in awe at the richly dressed people that inhabit it ( "Emerald City Ballet" ). The haughty and condescending people laugh and ridicule this odd group for wanting to see the Wizard until they see that Dorothy is wearing Evamean's silver shoes. They are promptly shown right into his palace.

Once in the throne room, they are assaulted by a great show of lights, smoke, and pyrotechnics as the Wizard appears in several forms before them ( "So You Wanted To Meet the Wizard" ). They each plead their case to him, the Tin Man doing so in song ( "What Would I Do If I Could Feel?" ). He agrees on one condition: they must kill Evillene, theWicked Witch of the West.With their goals seeming further out of reach than ever before, they sink to the floor in tears.

Act II

Evillene rules over the yellow land of the west, enslaving its people, the Winkies. She is evil, power hungry, and ruthlessly determined to get her hands on her sister's silver shoes, so that she may increase her power and rule over all of Oz ( "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News" ). Receiving word of Dorothy and her friends approaching, she sends herWinged Monkeysto kill them ( "Funky Monkeys" ). Catching up to them in the forest surrounding her castle, the monkeys dash the Tin Man against rocks until he falls apart, and rip the straw out of the Scarecrow, leaving both of them helpless. Seeing Dorothy's silver shoes, however, they dare not harm her. Instead, they carry her to Evillene's castle along with the Lion. While searching for a way to get the shoes from Dorothy, Evillene forces her and the Lion to do menial chores around her castle. She takes delight in torturing the Lion before Dorothy, threatening to have him skinned unless she hands over the silver shoes. Angered by this, she picks up a bucket of water and throws it over Evillene, who melts until only her magic golden cap remains. Her spell on the Winkies is lifted, and they show their thanks by restoring the Scarecrow and Tin Man to top condition, and reuniting the group ( "Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day").

Returning to the Emerald City, they see the Wizard (now a booming voice that seems to come from the very air). He reneges on his promise, and the Lion knocks over a screen in anger. Behind it stands a bewildered man who claims to be the Wizard. He shows them the elaborate mechanical effects used to create his illusions, and tells them that he is really a balloonist fromOmahanamed Herman Smith who traveled to Oz by accident when his hot air balloon drifted off course. The Ozians had never seen such a sight and proclaimed him Wizard. Not wanting to disappoint them, he assumed the role and had a great city built. He then had everyone in it wear green glasses, and in time, they came to believe it was green.

Furious, the group confronts the Wizard on his deceptions ( "Who Do You Think You Are?" ), but he points out that the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion already have the things they seek as shown in their behavior on the journeys they have made ( "Believe In Yourself" ). They remain unconvinced, so he creates physical symbols of their desires and they are satisfied. He proposes that Dorothy can return to Kansas the way he came, and offers to pilot her in his hot air balloon. He addresses the citizens of the Emerald City in person for the first time in many years, telling them of his imminent journey, and leaving the Scarecrow in charge ( "Y'all Got It!" ). Just as his speech reaches its climax, the balloon comes free from its moorings and rises quickly into the air, taking Dorothy's hopes of getting home with it.

Just as the group despairs of finding help, Addaperle reappears in a flash of light, suggesting that Dorothy askGlinda, the Good Witch of the South,for assistance. She transports them to Glinda's castle in the red land of the south, where they are warmly welcomed and invited to rest after their many trials ( "A Rested Body Is a Rested Mind" ). Glinda is a beautiful and gracious sorceress, surrounded by a court of pretty girls. She tells Dorothy that the silver shoes have always had the power to take her home, but like her friends, she needed to believe in their magic and in herself before it was possible ( "If You Believe" ). She bids a tearful goodbye to her friends, and as their faces fade into the darkness, she thinks about what she has gained, lost, and learned throughout her journey through Oz ( "Home"). Clicking her heels together three times, she finds herself transported back to Kansas in an instant. As an overjoyed Aunt Em and Toto appear, and she runs to hug them, she knows that she is back home at last.

Motion picture and television adaptations

Main articles:The Wiz (film)andThe Wiz Live!

Motown Productionsacquired the film rights toThe Wizin 1977 and signed Stephanie Mills in anticipation of having her star as Dorothy in the film adaptation. Motown singer and actressDiana Rossasked Motown CEOBerry Gordyto cast her instead, but he declined, feeling that the then-33-year-old Ross was far too old for the part. However, she contactedRob CohenofUniversal Pictures,who offered to have them finance the film if she were to play Dorothy, at which point he acquiesced.

The resulting film version ofThe Wizalso starred former Motown starMichael Jacksonas the Scarecrow,Nipsey Russellas the Tin Man,Richard Pryoras the Wizard, jazz singerThelma Carpenteras Miss One (the name "Addapearle" was not used for this production) andLena Horneas Glinda. Ted Ross andMabel Kingreprised their roles of the Lion and Evillene from the Broadway production respectively.Sidney Lumetserved as director, working with screenwriterJoel Schumacher(who used none of William F. Brown's stage script) and music supervisorQuincy Jones.The film was a critical and commercial failure, performing poorly at thebox officeand severely panned by critics, who branded the casting of Ross instead of Mills as Dorothy a disastrous blunder.

In 1998, following their TV-movie production ofCinderella(1997), producersCraig ZadanandNeil Meronbegan pre-production on a TV-movie adaptation ofThe WizforThe Wonderful World of Disney,which was to star a then-unknownAnika Noni Roseas Dorothy. The project fell through due to Universal still having the film rights to adaptations ofThe Wiz,and the production was shelved.The O.Z.,a hip-hop re-adaptation ofThe Wonderful Wizard of Ozwith an all-Black cast that was to use original music rather than adaptThe Wiz,was then planned byFOXand directorChris Stokesin the early 2000s.WithBrandy,Queen Latifah,Patti LaBelle,Busta Rhymes,andLittle Richardamong its planned cast,the telefilm ultimately went un-produced; FOX instead became a co-producer onThe Muppets' Wizard of Oz(2005), starring Ashanti as Dorothy and Latifah as Aunt Em.

Eleven years later, following the production of two live musicals forNBC–The Sound of Music Live!(2013) andPeter Pan Live!(2014) – Zadan and Meron announcedThe Wiz Live!as their next production (NBC, by this point, having purchased Universal Studios).NBC's live performance of the stage show aired on December 3, 2015.Stephanie Mills, who originated the role of Dorothy on Broadway, played Aunt Em.An open casting call for the role of Dorothy took place on June 6, 2015.In July 2015, Queen Latifah was cast as the Wiz andMary J. Bligewas confirmed to play the role of Evillene.In addition,Beyoncéwas offered to play Glinda, but no deal was made.The following month,David Alan Grierwas cast as the Cowardly Lion, and newcomerShanice Williamswas chosen to play Dorothy.Uzo Adubaplayed Glinda andAmber Rileyportrayed Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North.Other principal cast-members includedElijah Kelleyas the Scarecrow,Ne-Yoas the Tin Man, andCommonas the Bouncer, the gatekeeper of the entrance to Emerald City.

Instrumentation and chorus

The orchestra calls for 2 keyboards, 2 guitars, electric bass, drums, percussion, 2 trumpets, trombone, 2 woodwinds and a 5-piece chorus (4 male and 1 female). The first keyboard is played by the conductor. One guitarist plays lead while the other guitarist plays rhythm. The first woodwind player doubles on tenor and alto saxophones and flute while the second one doubles on tenor, alto and baritone saxophones and flute.

Cast

Role	Detroit	Broadway	US Tour	Film Version	Broadway Revival	US Tour	Concert Tour	Encores!	US Tour	Broadway Revival
	1974	1975	1976	1978	1984	1992	1996	2009	2023	2024
Dorothy Gale	Stephanie Mills		Ren Woods	Diana Ross	Stephanie Mills		Tasha Scott	Ashanti	Nichelle Lewis
Scarecrow	Stu Gilliam	Hinton Battle	Valentino	Michael Jackson	Charles Valentino	Garry Q. Lewis	Kameko Hebron	Christian White	Avery Wilson
Tin Man	Tiger Haynes		Ben Harney	Nipsey Russell	Howard Porter	Eugene Fleming	Tony Terry	Joshua Henry	Phillip Johnson Richardson
The Lion	Ted Ross				Gregg Baker	H. Clent Bowers	Gerald Atkins	James Monroe Iglehart	Kyle Ramar Freeman
Glinda	Dee Dee Bridgewater			Lena Horne	Ann Duquesnay	Toni SeaWright	CeCe Peniston	LaChanze	Deborah Cox
Aunt Em	Tasha Thomas		Dee Dee Bridgewater	Theresa Merritt	Peggi Blu		Romelda Benjamin		Melody Betts
Evillene	Mabel King		Ella Mitchell	Mabel King	Ella Mitchell		Grace Jones	Tichina Arnold
The Wiz	André De Shields			Richard Pryor	Carl Hall	André De Shields	Peabo Bryson	Orlando Jones Colman Domingo	Alan Mingo Jr.	Wayne Brady
Addaperle	Clarice Taylor		Vivian Bonnell	Thelma Carpenter	Juanita Flemming	Ebony Jo-Ann	Rikki Valentino LaFontaine	Dawnn Lewis	Allyson Kaye Daniel

Notable replacements and understudies

Broadway (1975-1979)

• Dorothy:Renée Harris(u/s),Arnetia Walker,(u/s)
• Scarecrow:Gregg Burge
• Tin Man:Ben Harney,Ralph Wilcox(u/s),Victor Willis(u/s)
• Lion:Michael Leslie,Ken Page,James Wigfall,Victor Willis(u/s)
• Aunt Em:Dee Dee Bridgewater(u/s)
• Glinda:Phylicia Rashad(u/s)
• The Wiz:Carl Hall,Victor Willis(u/s)
• Evillene:Theresa Merritt,Ella Mitchell,Irene Reid,Tasha Thomas(u/s)
• Addaperle:Butterfly McQueen(u/s)

1st and 2nd US Tours (1976, 1992)

• Dorothy:Sharon Brown(u/s),Renée Harris,Lillias White(2nd Tour)
• Lion:Ron Taylor

3rd US National Tour (2023-2024)

• The Wiz:Wayne Brady

Broadway Revival (2024)

• The Wiz:Alan Mingo Jr.

Songs

Act 1

1. "Overture" - Orchestra
2. "The Feeling We Once Had" – Aunt Em
3. "Tornado" - Company
4. "Which Where, Which What, Witch Why?" - Addaperle (cut from pre broadway tryouts 1974)
5. "He's the Wiz" – Addaperle and Munchkins
6. "Soon as I Get Home" – Dorothy
7. "I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday" – Scarecrow
8. "Ease on Down the Road#1 "– Dorothy and Scarecrow
9. "Slide Some Oil to Me" – Tin Man
10. "Ease on Down the Road#2 "- Dorothy, Scarecrow and Tin Man
11. "Mean Ole Lion" – Lion
12. "Ease on Down the Road#3 "- Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion
13. "Kalidah Battle" - The Company
14. "Be a Lion" – Dorothy and Lion
15. "Lion's Dream" - Lion and Poppies
16. "Emerald City Ballet (Psst)" - Company
17. "So You Wanted to Meet the Wizard" – Wizard
18. "What Would I Do if I Could Feel" - Tin Man

Act 2

1. "Entr'acte"
2. "No Bad News" – Evilene and Winkies
3. "Funky Monkeys" - Company
4. "Wonder Wonder Why" / "Don't Cry Girl" – Dorothy and Lion(cut from pre broadway tryouts in 1974, and only appeared in 1983 revival)
5. "Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day"– Company
6. "Who Do You Think You Are?" – Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion
7. "Believe in Yourself" – Wiz
8. "Y'all Got It!" – Wiz and Company
9. "A Rested Body" – Glinda and Company
10. "Believe in Yourself" (Reprise) – Glinda
11. "Home/Finale "– Dorothy

All numbers composed by Charlie Smalls save for the following: "Tornado" is composed by Timothy Graphenreed andHarold Wheeler."Emerald City Ballet (Psst)" is composed by Graphenreed andGeorge Faison."Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day" is composed byLuther Vandross.The song "Wonder, Wonder, Why" was added for the 1984 Broadway revival, but is not part of the current licensed score.

Critical reception

In his review of the 1984 revival,Frank Richwrote: "What madeThe Wizsurprisingly moving the first time around was that its creators found a connection betweenBaum's Kansas fantasy and the pride of urban Black Americans. When Glinda, the good witch, musically instructed Dorothy to 'believe in herself,' she seemed to be delivering a broader inspirational message.The Wizwas hardly a great musical in 1975, but it had something to say, and it said it with verve and integrity. It's depressing to watch a once-fervent expression of Black self-respect and talent be spilled on the stage as if it were a trunkload of marked-down, damaged goods. "

In their review of the 2006 La Jolla production,Varietywrote: "'The Wiz' remains a collage of contemporary slang and imagery, but La Jolla's is a multicultural collage in which Baum's themes speak to the broadest possible audience. Unquestionably, the humor and the heartbeat of the piece remain African-American at their source, but the overall effect is pluralistic and inclusive. In the truest and most positive sense of the phrase, McAnuff's show is color-blind. Every alteration from the 1975 original, inspired by the central multicultural concept, is salutary. Brown's almost wholly rewritten script is tart and funny at last. Smalls' score—supervised by musical director Ron Melrose and original orchestrator Harold Wheeler—sounds fresh and contemporary".

As criticPeter Filichiawrote in 2015, "Arguably more impressive isStephen Sondheim's opinion. Whenever he's asked for a favorite show that he didn't write, he immediately saysThe Wiz.What?! With all its false rhymes?! 'Because,' he always says, 'it's the one show which makes you feel better when you come out of it than you did when you walked in.' "

Recording

The Wiz The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard Of Oz"
Cast recordingby Various Artists
Released	1975
Recorded	1975
Genre	R&B,soul,pop
Length	45:03
Label	Atlantic SD 18137
Producer	Jerry Wexler
SinglesfromThe Wiz The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard Of Oz"
"Tornado" Released: 1975

The Original Cast Recording forThe Wizwas released in 1975 on theAtlanticlabel, produced byJerry Wexler.While well received, the album omits several key songs from the musical that were not recorded for the album- such as the show's overture, dance and accompaniment music. The "Tornado" instrumental was released as both a 7 "single and a 12" extended single, while the show's musical arranger Harold Wheeler co-produced a cover of "Ease on Down the Road" with studio groupConsumer Rapportthat became a charting single in 1975, peaking at #42 on theBillboardHot 100.

In 2017, the original Broadway cast recording ofThe Wizwas selected for preservation in theNational Recording Registryby theLibrary of Congressas being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Track list

Side one

1. "Prologue"
2. "The Feeling We Once Had"–Tasha Thomas
3. "Tornado"(instrumental)
4. "He's The Wizard"–Clarice Taylor
5. "Soon As I Get Home"–Stephanie Mills
6. "I Was Born On The Day Before Yesterday"–Hinton Battle
7. "Ease on Down the Road"– Hinton Battle, Stephanie Mills,Ted Ross,Tiger Haynes
8. "Slide Some Oil To Me"– Tiger Haynes
9. "I'm A Mean Ole Lion"– Ted Ross

Side two

1. "Be A Lion"– Stephanie Mills, Ted Ross
2. "So You Wanted to See The Wizard"–André De Shields
3. "What Would I Do If I Could Feel"– Tiger Haynes
4. "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News"–Mabel King
5. "Everybody Rejoice"– Stephanie Mills and Company
6. "Y'all Got It!"– André De Shields
7. "If You Believe"–Dee Dee Bridgewater
8. "Home(Finale) "– Stephanie Mills

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result
1975	Tony Award	Best Musical		Won
		Best Book of a Musical	William F. Brown	Nominated
		Best Original Score	Charlie Smalls	Won
		Best Featured Actor in a Musical	Ted Ross	Won
		Best Featured Actress in a Musical	Dee Dee Bridgewater	Won
		Best Direction of a Musical	Geoffrey Holder	Won
		Best Choreography	George Faison	Won
		Best Costume Design	Geoffrey Holder	Won
	Drama Desk Award	Outstanding Musical		Won
		Outstanding Actress in a Musical	Stephanie Mills	Nominated
		Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical	Ted Ross	Won
			Hinton Battle	Nominated
		Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical	Mabel King	Nominated
		Outstanding Director of a Musical	Geoffrey Holder	Nominated
		Outstanding Choreography	George Faison	Won
		Outstanding Music and Lyrics	Charlie Smalls	Won
		Outstanding Set Design	Tom H. John	Nominated
		Outstanding Costume Design	Geoffrey Holder	Won

See also

• The Wizard of Oz(adaptations)—other adaptations ofThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz

External links

• ​The Wiz​(1975)at theInternet Broadway Database
• ​The Wiz​(1984)at theInternet Broadway Database
• The Wiz:a virtual coffee table book
• The Wizplot and production informationat GuideToMusicalTheatre.com
• "Cast members discussThe Wiz,based on L. Frank Baum'sWizard of Oz",an October 20, 1978 episode ofWGBH'sSlices of Black Theatre
• The Wizcollection, 1974–1979Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library.
• Charlie Smalls scores forThe Wiz,1974Music Division, The New York Public Library.