A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
morosco
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
morosco
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
#2re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 6:32pmGroovy
#3re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 6:46pm
Here are a few more from the national tour (with the original designs):
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#4re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 6:53pm
I saw it on Broadway 3 times with Stephanie Mills. The 1st time was with the original cast. Loved it!
Also, I had a nice chat with Stephanie Mills one day before a performance. I was on my way to see Annie (I think) and she was sitting outside eating a PB&J and I stopped and talked to her for a bit about the show. She was still pretty much a kid and was really nice.
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#5re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 6:56pmI wish I had been able to see the tornado dance sequence live, from what everyone has told me, it sounds thrilling. Wonder how the revival will fare on Broadway.
#6re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 6:58pmThe tornado was quite cool. All that fabric zig zagging across the stage.
#7re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 7:00pm
I remember the tornado very well too.
You can see the "eye" of the storm (even though tornadoes don't technically have eyes the way hurricanes do)... the "eye" of the storm is dancing on top of Dorothy's house in Morosco's first pic.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#8re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 7:01pmTotally Afro-tastic!
#9re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 7:03pm
They should just revive it with the original designs and staging.
I think people would go crazy for it.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#10re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 7:04pm
I know I would (from what I've seen and accounts from my older friends).
I really wish that TV version with Anika Noni Rose, Sherie Rene Scott, and Brian Stokes Mitchell had happened 
#11re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 7:12pm
sally1112
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/13/04
#12re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 7:17pm
Awesome.
Those pictures make Wicked look like a piece of crap!
#13re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 7:18pm
Three weeks?
Try four years and three weeks.
With Clay Aiken in Spamalot, all of Broadway is singing a collective "There! Right! There!" -Me-
"Not Barker, Todd is the only person I've ever known who could imitate Katherine Hepburn...in print." -nmartin-
#14re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 7:18pmThe '80s revival flopped. The original was a hit!
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
nmartin
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/3/05
#15re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 7:24pmI've never forgotten the tornado or Eveline. Wonderful!
#16re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 7:35pmWhat's the word on the revival? Is it dead again?
bwayguy22089
Broadway Star Joined: 12/16/06
#17re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 9:22pmNo offense lol, Wicked and The Wiz don't have anything to do with one another (other than their location). I think the majority of people will agree (even those who don't like the actual show) that the sets and costumes are very cool. As are those in The Wiz. Both are genius when it comes to their design aspects.
Mr. Tuttle
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#18re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 9:33pmThe revival/revisitation/regurg isn't happening.
#19re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 10:06pm
I am still looking forward for the LaJolla Revival of this show at San Francisco...
"Home" is one of my favorite song.....I hope this happens.....
J*
husk_charmer
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/06
#20re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 10:13pm
Wasn't the Eye also designed to look like the CBS eye?
And besty- is that the second national? I didn't think the first national had the painted flowers during the Yellow Brick Road sequences.
Rentaholic2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/14/04
#21re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/14/08 at 10:22pmI think that it's been long enough since the original production that a revival of the Wiz would be most successful if it simply embraced its mo-town roots. It seems like the current revival is trying to modernize the show and make it appeal to a modern audience. But if it just celebrated it's 70s funktasticness, I think people would go crazy for it, like best12bars said. Retro is hip.
#22re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/15/08 at 6:56amThe eye was indeed the CBS logo, one of many little in-jokes the director/designer put into the show. And the tornado sequence *was* incredible, all the more because it was just black fabric and nothing more. No special effects, no offstage smoke pouring into the orchestra pit -- just a few dancers and some black yardage. Really shows what one can do with only a few things if one brings imagination to the table.
alterego
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/03
#23re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/15/08 at 7:07amhusk_charmer I was thinking the same thing. Something happened to some of those designs between Broadway and a Second National Tour.
#24re: A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ
Posted: 1/15/08 at 7:22amSadly London has only ever had one production of 'The Wiz'. Staged at the Hammersmith Lyric for a Christmas season in 1984. A stunning production with great stageing with some names from the 80s pop/dance scene. It was strongly tipped for a West End transfer but it never happened. Its been done in one or two regional theatres such as Sheffield and Leicester since then, but not to great critical success.
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