20/20 - White high school doing "The Wiz"

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 10:52pm

Is nobody watching this? It's fascinating.

It's a nearly all White school putting on a production of the Wiz.

The one African-American staff member tells the most talented African-American singer that she cannot be Dorothy, she should be Evilene, because she's fat?

The skinny, no-talent African-American gets to be Dorothy just because she's thin?

Yikes.

If I was producing a nearly all-white production of "The Wiz" in Kentucky, and the best singer was an overweight girl, I'd cast her. As DOROTHY.

Anyway,

Isn't is interesting that ABC devoted two prime time hours to musical theatre?

Yay for that!

[TimeSquare3]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 10:55pm

That is the school of a member here........

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 10:55pm

I've been half watching it but dvr'd it so I can watch in detail later.

But I'm not as impressed with it as you seem to be. But yay for the exposure!

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 11:06pm

At least two members, TimeSquare, counting myself. And there is already a thread on this in the OT board.

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 11:06pm

At least two members, TimeSquare, counting myself. And there is already a thread on this in the OT board.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 11:12pm

Trekkie2, you were a part of this?

Yay for you!

I'm not going to proffer opinions about this special, other than to say how cool is it that 20/20 devoted TWO HOURS to a musical theatre production?

Nine shows are closing on Broadway in January.

But this special gives hope.

Musical Theatre is the ONLY indigenous American art form.

And these kids in Kentucky are promulgating the form.

Excellent.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 11:14pm

Nine shows are closing on Broadway in January.

Thirteen. Nine just on January 4th.

[aliciag]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 11:14pm

I was definitley a part of The Wiz at my high school and I was the only African-American in the show. Me and my friends basically look back and laugh because it was a hilarious experience. And I was only in the ensemble (I was just a freshman).

I definitley agree though, if you have a girl who can sing the part give her the darn part!!!!

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 11:14pm

Ziggy... Uh... IT WAS VIRGINIA. NOT KENTUCKY.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 11:17pm

Trekkie --

Yikes, my bad.

VIRGINIA, not Kentucky.

Regardless, you GO FOR IT. New York is always New York.

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 11:20pm

where in virginia?? do you know?

[TimeSquare3]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 11:23pm

No....... the kids that go to the school have NO idea where. They all wait at a bench & get thrown into a van without windows and taken somewhere.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 11:31pm

I watched it! I love theatre and all, but they sure made a lot of fuss about a high school show.

The Dorothy understudy was soooo whiney. I didn't think that the heavier black girl was that good of a singer--her voice was sort of straining. I thought that Glinda was the best singer.

My school put on The Wiz and we had zero black kids in the production.

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 11:34pm

I'm sorry.

This 20/20 special is INCREDIBLE.

ABC used TWO HOURS of prime time, to tell this story.

Whatever one thinks, about the casting, about the fact that a nearly all-white school did "The Wiz", here's the thing.

ABC devoted TWO HOURS of prime time on this subject.

Honestly, isn't that cool?

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 12/15/08 at 11:39pm

All I can say is I wish MTV could focus more on real kids like these instead of those Hills nitwits who've fallen ass-backwards into notoriety.

[PlayhouseBeauty]

Posted: 12/16/08 at 12:21am

I watched the whole two hours and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think they casted each role very well, even the role of Dorothy. I know some people on here thought the more heavy set girl should have gotten the part but I didn't like her voice as much as I did the other girl who got the part. I think the clips of the production that they showed were wonderful. Where I went to High School we did not have a strong theater program. We actually just did The Wizard of Oz and it was a whole big deal for the lead to have a hair mic. lol. So it was nice to see a High School that had such high standards for there theater program. Good Job Westfield High!!!!

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/16/08 at 12:23am

I thought that Dorothy was good. That note she belted at that one point was solid.

Also, I really liked some of the costumes!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/16/08 at 12:39am

Where I went to High School we did not have a strong theater program.

Apparently they didn't have a very strong English program, either.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/16/08 at 1:04am

Foster, whether that's the schools fault, or societies is anyone's guess.

I wish MTV would have optioned John Hill's series about "Show Choirs." Lord knows I would have Tivoed that!

[bwayguy22089]

Posted: 12/16/08 at 2:02am

I, for one, LOVED the girl who played Evilene. I thought she did a great great job. The entire thing was great

[PRFRMR20]

Posted: 12/16/08 at 2:30am

I did think it was "good for theatre" that it had such prime-time exposure (though I don't know if this would give theatre a positive light to a layman's eye, or just a negative catty theatre one...?)

The three most noteworthy things to me:

1. Without a doubt, Nick and the white girl who didn't get Dorothy (can't remember her name) were the most talented people in the special and presumably in the school. Though I am not for favoritism, it is extremely unfortunate for them how "screwed over" they were for their senior year show.

2. Those Butler twins (I believe Jade's mom and aunt) the vocal coaches... I thank God they weren't involved in my high school theatre department! The clip of them singing with/OVER the girl playing Glinda and Jade was the most hilarious and horrible thing ever!! They were showing off!! That takes line reading to a new level.

3. Really early on when Ms. Butler (once again...) is singing a song to show the soul of The Wiz, but really to show off, everyone starts clapping but they are clapping on 1 and 3! It is sort of shows the epitome of the shows ridiculousness when the "white" school claps on the on-beat.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 12/16/08 at 7:59am

Pianolin, the school is in Northern Virginia. Near Dulles Airport (outside DC) I used to teach part time there.

I thought those women singing over Glinda was ridiculous as well, PRFRMR20.

Rude and conceited!

[NY_Broadway2]

Posted: 12/16/08 at 9:02am

Well I think that looks definitely play a big part in casting a show and, even if you are more talented than somebody else, if you don't look right for a role then you won't be cast. The one girl looked like Evilene was supposed to look and the other girl looked like Dorothy. I also think it's funny that a predominately white school chose to do The Wiz. But the director himself said he wanted to keep Dorothy black and some of the other characters because it was essential to the production.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/16/08 at 9:08am

^Yes, looks DO matter. And it's not about being the most talented...but about being the most "right".

Additionally, if the director openly states that he wanted to keep Dorothy as black, there is no problems with it. (I didn't watch the show closely, I was multitasking!)

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 12/16/08 at 9:09am

You'd be surprised how many high school directors type cast. I've seen shows were clearly the most talented girl who happened to be fat/not conventionally pretty/ non-white was relegated to a supporting or even a cameo role due to not being what the director considered the right "type". I mean HIGH SCHOOL? I was lucky to go to a high school where type wasn't an issue to my drama teacher. But its so sad to see these talented kids stuck in the back when they should be GROWING while the mediocre thin white pretty girl takes the lead. Not that there aren't plenty of productions were the thin white pretty girl isn't amazing as well, but when it's clearly a case of looks over talent my blood boils. High school is not real life.