A couple of neat pictures from the original production of THE WIZ- Page 2

[Luvinbroadway]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 9:31am

Those are great..it is still one of my favorite cast recordings.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 10:07am

This was my intro to the theater. The commercials (this and Shenandoah "Freedom, freedom...") for the tour in Philadelphia are a part of my childhood...and the album was always on my turntable.

Geoffrey Holder was a phenom, imo. Though he never repeated the success, what he accomplished with this show was stunning. I finally saw a tour a few years later with the most of the original designs...they were wonderful. His direction and George Faison's choreography were magical.

I also saw his '84 revival with different designs, also by Holder...the witches all had afros instead of the spikey cornrows...and I adored it again (I'll never forget how great the Aunt Em was..."The Feeling We Once Had" is one of my favorite forgotten show songs.)

I saw it again at the Beacon later in the 80s (I think) with Stephanie again...like Carol Channing, she kept returning to the role that made her famous.

Stephanie Mills, in her 30s, only grew with the part...not literally, tho, she is so TINY!

I wish we had more magical music from Charlie Smalls...he died far too young.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 10:12am

I wish they had included the song "Yall Got It" on the OBCR. That's one of my favorite songs from the show.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 10:16am

?? I have "Y'all Got It" on my recordings (my first was an 8-track...yes!)

I always wish "A Rested Body is a Rested Mind" was included...it's in the vocal selections, tho.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 10:22am

Edit: It is on the OBCR. There is another song that they didn't put on the recording and now I am blanking out.

Ah! It's "Who Do You Think You Are?" I love that song. They sang it to "The Wiz".

Here is a website for the show that I stumbled on trying to remember the name of the song.

http://www.thewizthemusical.com/

Updated On: 1/23/08 at 10:22 AM

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 10:35am

That's right..."Who, Who do You Think You Are?" is also not on the OBCR.

I wonder if it was recorded and just not added (along with the Wiz' "If You Believe") or was never recorded in the studio.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 10:41am

Not sure. I remember it and most of the words from the recording I made when I first saw it. Some of the lyrics are "We see you now, for what you are, tell me how does it feel?(How does it feel?!!)

I also went digging around and found a Jazz interpretation of some of the songs by "The Onus". There is a song included called "If I had A Dream". It is not listed as being in the original production. Wonder if it was a song that was cut? That website I posted has a video section from the Tony Awards that year. And it says this about the the talk of a TV re-make:

"There was talk about a television remake in 1999. Sherie René Scott had been rumored to play Glinda in a reimagining that would have a score augmented by songs by Andrew Lippa."

Updated On: 1/15/08 at 10:41 AM

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 11:02am

Great site, btw...I see that the Beacon Theater production was in 1993...I guess that means I saw it in the 70s, 80s and 90s...time for a 00s production!!

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 11:18am

Love this design pic by Holder:

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 11:22am

Oh, the memories of this show and the music.

I saw the original cast back in 75. That same year I saw CHICAGO with Chita, Gwen & Jerry (at the 46th Street Theatre now the Richard Rodgers Theatre) and the original cast of A CHORUS LINE (at the Shubert Theatre).

I was 10... and already a seasoned Broadway aficionado since I was 7 years old.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 11:33am

I was 14 and it was my first Broadway show.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 11:48am

the vids on that site are great...Tony acceptances by the winners (how handsome is Ken Harper?!) I love how Harper and Brown each thank Stephanie, who wasnt nominated.

[morosco]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 11:57am

Here's an absolutely wonderful clip of Stephanie singing "Home" on a talk show presumably during the productions original run. Amazing talent with remarkable stage presence.
Stephanie Mills - Home

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/15/08 at 12:09pm

Wasn't the London Run the version that had the Lion dressed as a football player, and the Wiz flew off in a helicopter?

Yes, there was a TV version with Sherie Rene Scott planned, it fell thru, as was the Brandy/Queen Latifah version (and most of the Kansas scenes ended up in "Muppets Wizard of Oz" a few years later).

Sadly, I know that the only real return we'll get will be a remount of the 80s revival, since not all of the Original was solely Holder's work.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/23/08 at 10:43am

Husk---I was young when I saw it, and I didn't know "first national" from "second national" back then.

Based on "The Wiz" web site that your friend runs, I'd say it was second national. Many of the same principles listed.

Although, I saw Annie Jo Edwards as Evilene (she played "Venus" in the film Bullets Over Broadway) and Lilias White was in the chorus!

[Jonny boy]

Posted: 1/23/08 at 3:00pm

I guess some of the cast in this latest revival, from la Jolla was given the a t-shirt from the original production, and a friend in the show gave me his!! I still need to figure out how I want to display it=-)

[Dancin Thru Life]

Posted: 1/23/08 at 3:08pm

So glad to see the WIZ chatter on here!

It was my first Broadway show too, in grade school!

I've used "HOME" for auditions and showcases countless times. I love playing those starting chords on the piano and getting fired up for that message!

[Dancin Thru Life]

Posted: 1/23/08 at 3:12pm

By the way.....who's the third person in that video that runs over to Stephanie after the song?

It's obviously a Sammy Davis Jr.- hosted television special, with Liza...and is that....LUCY ARNAZ????

I can barely make it out on this screen.

Thanks!

[morosco]

Posted: 1/23/08 at 3:43pm

Didn't Lillias eventually move up into the role of Dorothy?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 1/23/08 at 4:04pm

It's not Lucie, but I think it looks more like Chita!

[RetroBoy]

Posted: 1/23/08 at 4:16pm

Thanks for sharing those great photos guys! And you're ABSOLUTELY right Rentaholic2, Retro is hip!
Updated On: 1/23/08 at 04:16 PM

[ULCard]

Posted: 1/23/08 at 4:27pm

Definitely seems that a revival would be good since there have to be many people who either never saw it before or were too young to remember much of it. Lots of shows would be appreciated now from the older days.

[morosco]

Posted: 1/23/08 at 5:29pm

I too think that's Chita on the YouTube "Home" video.

[BwayLeadman]

Posted: 1/23/08 at 5:53pm

there always seem to be talks in bringing it back but it never happens

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/23/08 at 5:55pm

I know Lillias covered the role, but I think before it closed she'd moved on to DREAMGIRLS.

I'd like to see her in a revival as Aunt Em maybe. And I still say Anika Noni Rose would be perfect.