THE WIZ- Not going to broadway??????

[DAME]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 11:27am

So.. has anyone heard anything? It doesn't seem to be picking up the expected excitement of a broadway transfer. Anything official yet?

Updated On: 10/30/06 at 11:27 AM

[ShuQ]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 11:34am

Nothing official but word of mouth says it's still likely...and who says it's not picking up excitement? It extended.

[sondhead]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 11:40am

It's a fantastic production. I would be shocked if it didn't transfer. It's a super-cute production and with Dreamgirls and Wicked hot right now, seems like an easy choice.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 11:55am

Curtains is also transfering and there isn't much talk bout it, so I wouldn't count it out just yet.

[DAME]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 11:56am

Well good. i am glad to hear.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 12:02pm

The Wiz has been in the works for years and with the type of budget spent on the show at LaJolla, I would bet that a transfer is planned....

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 12:03pm

I hope it transfers : ) I look the pics I've seen of it.

[DAME]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 12:06pm

"The Wiz has been in the works for years and with the type of budget spent on the show at LaJolla, I would bet that a transfer is planned...."

That is why I was asking. I live in Los Angeles and we are not getting any hype or fuel on the show. With all the previous shows from LaJolla which have transfered we have heard something.

Updated On: 10/30/06 at 12:06 PM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 12:14pm

I have heard PLENTY about this show...

[JarNerdAV]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 12:15pm

I saw it in La Jolla a few weeks ago. It's close, but not quite ready for transfer yet, IMO. It needs at least one major recast (primarily it needs a more dynamic Scarecrow, the current one is vocally inferior and just not dynamic like the rest of the leads), some tweaking with the technical aspects, and some major re-working of the book: the show just feels rushed--transitions are awkward and Act 2 seems to climax way too early--resulting in a way overlong denouement. I hope it does transfer after some work is done. I also hope they don't put the Yellow Brick Road in the audience if they do. It was a major distraction, very clunky and it caused many problems with the sound whenever they were out there. One thing I definitely hope they keep is the actor playing Toto. He stole the show (and was HOT to boot).

[DAME]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 12:18pm

broadwayguy2,
I am not talking about from your mother or from your friends.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 12:24pm

hahaha. I have plenty from friends, but plenty from people online who are not friends as well. lol.

[DAME]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 12:32pm

Cool. I guess I should have been more specific. I meant more in the lines of official coverage ( Not including promotion and fluff pieces). In any event.. I go next week.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 12:57pm

From what I hear everything is "set" for a transfer, meaning they have the backing lined up but there is some hesitation: partly because the reviews weren't stellar in San Diego, partly because the reality of opening it on Broadway (next to the smash WICKED) is a little scary, and partly because they don't have a great theatre available for it. Supposedly they really want the Circle in the Square space now that the St. James is probably going to go to YF sooner than thought, which would literally make it stand next to WICKED - which could be cool - or a little dangerous.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 1:03pm

The Belasco or the Cort could also be a good venue for teh show.. if not the Longacre.

[DAME]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 1:06pm

MB;
i hope they don't rush it if it is not ready. And could they make any money in Circle In The Square? That doesn't make sense.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 1:12pm

Spelling Bee is still doing strong business, I don't see why it would close.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 1:13pm

I think Broadway needs at least one more "Black box" type theater, like the Circle in the Square or a "thrust" stype stage.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 1:16pm

I think Circle in the Square is probably the theatre that best fits the design of the show as it currently stands at La Jolla. It would have to be redesigned fairly substantially for a theatre as conventional as say the St. James. I'm not sure what the weekly running cost would be for the project on Broadway. Since most of the score is synth, they might actually prefer going into a theatre with a smaller union musician requirement. I'm sure there are lots of considerations like that which would have to be weighed and solved before it came in to NYC.

Opening the show at The Belasco would be a disaster for a musical that would need the tourist trade to make money on Broadway.

[DAME]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 1:18pm

How about the Studio 54 space then? And I agree.. the Belasco and the Cort would be disastrous.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 1:30pm

Studio 54 is now run by the Roundabout and I doubt they would lease it out, they've got that theatre booked solid for the next three years!

I suppose if TIMES or SPRING AWAKENING don't find an audience, THE WIZ could take either of those theatres in the spring.

[JarNerdAV]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 1:43pm

I think it is a safe bet that The Times will end sooner rather than later. Reviews and word of mouth seems to be worse than Lennon. That being said, I do not think the in the round aspect added anything to the show (except more seats). If anything, it was a distraction watching bored preteens in the on-stage seating yawn and squirm through the show. I hope they do reconfigure it for a more traditional set-up.

[DAME]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 2:47pm

Care to share more thoughts on the show since you have obviously seen it?

[JarNerdAV]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 2:57pm

I don't have time to write a full review right now, but these are my random thoughts in an e-mail to a friend the day after I saw the show:

"I thoroughly enjoyed "The Wiz" but it's definitely not Broadway ready. They've bit off a lot and not all of it works, but there's a lot of great ideas up there. The book needs a lot more work--I don't think the media-world concept really comes together completely. A lot of the new jokes fall flat too. One of the other main technical problems is with the sound--the mixing of the vocals was faulty--making some of the singers really seem weak.

Performances were mostly good. Titus was great as the Lion. It was obvious he really enjoyed what he was doing. I liked Nikki James as Dorothy, but her voice wasn't as strong as it should be. Some of that was mic/mixing problems. Mahogany (can't remember his real name) was strong as Tin Man. The Scarecrow was the weakest singer in the foursome and probably should be replaced with somebody as dynamic as the other two. I liked Valerie Pettiford as Aunt Em/Glinda, but the costume designer should be fired for putting her in a gown that showed off her legs, or at least have put some hose on her--she has the biggest, ugliest varicose veins I've ever seen on anybody on stage--especially when she's supposed to look beautiful and glamorous. Evilene was very good, but again, some mic mixing problems made her voice not sound as strong as I think it really was (I was in the second row so I could hear her actual voice better than over the speakers). Her role really needs to be beefed up if they plan to take this to NY because right now she's kind of wasted. Heather Lee as Addapearle was okay, but I kept thinking that she's doing a Carol Kane impersonation, so they should get the real Carol Kane who would do it so much better. We loved (the human) Toto the best. He had no lines, but he gave one the most powerful performances in the show."

As I said, these were random thoughts and probably not anymore informative than what I've already mentioned above, but I thought I'd share since you asked.

Updated On: 10/30/06 at 02:57 PM

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 5:08pm

Chances of the show going to Broadway are not looking good at this point. There are no appropriate available theatre available at this time. When a theatre does open up, the Wiz will be competing with other shows for that space- shows like Billy Elliot and Curtains, to name just two. The Opposite of Sex (the re-worked version) and Sister Act are also aiming for a Broadway theatre.

The show has not been consistently selling out. Friends went on a Sunday matinee and were able to easily get $20 rush tickets. The Playhouse is not a large theatre, so this does not bode well for Broadway ticket sales.