So, I enjoyed The Wiz

I saw the show twice (more by accident), and a lot of the issues were fixed by the second showing, but this is my review of Opening Night:

I would also like to say that I was wrong in harshly judging Ashanti's casting, she was better than I expected. However, I must preface this by saying that I went in with very low expectations, and I came out very surprised.

My overall complaints were:
1) The opening montage, where the three friends, and the three witches mill around the farm dressed as regular people. The Wiz makes it very implicit that Oz is a real place, not a fever dream. This suggests fever dream.
2) The Choreography. Too much, too unfocused, too awkward. What worked for In the Heights does NOT work for The Wiz. (Or 9 to 5)
3) The Tornado Ballet was more of a Tornado Cluster****. It didn't come alive at all until the last few moments when the abstracted farm house broke apart and swirled around.
4) The movie version of "Brand New Day" is used in place of "Everybody Rejoice" (some minor changes, but still, a change I don't think worked...see below)

The opening of the show had a very "High School" feel to it, particularly with Ahsanti, however her lost expression and lack of connection really worked for the role. In The Wiz, Dorothy is a much more passive observer, a true little girl lost, and Ashanti conveyed it perfectly (However I hardly doubt it was intentional). Vocally I really liked her. I am really bothered by the complaints that she can't compete vocally with LaChanze, because she shouldn't have to. The roles require different things, and their ages/training/styles are different. I was actually really impressed with her performance of "Home." I just wish they hadn't given her the vocal leads in "Ease on Down the Road," and "Brand New Day."

LaChanze does an impressive job as Aunt Em/Glinda, even though I have major issues with that particular bit of double casting in general.

Tichina Arnold is basically playing her character from 10th Kingdom, only with less makeup. It's fine, and she rocks the joint. Her melting was beyond anticlimatic though (More on that later).

Dawnn Lewis was a serviceable Addaperle, doing exactly what is required of the role, nothing more, nothing less. A more capable actress could have turned it into something truly remarkable.

James Monroe Ingelhart and Christian White were both really good in their repsective roles of the Lion and Scarecrow. However, they did a reverse sexuality, Ingelhart's Lion was MUCH more butch than the script allows (It was fine, he was of the three the most solid, and one of the highlights) and White was more gay than the script allows (also fine).

Joshua Henry was fine as the Tinman, nothing special, and his singing was much better than his dancing. He vocally sold "Slide Some Oil to Me" but his dancing was lackluster (however the choreo could be blamed for that.)

The weakest link was Orlando Jones, however he was not as atrocious as I was led to believe. They brought "So You Wanted to Meet the Wizard?" down out of the upper tenor range to a baritone/bass range, and he had some major issues holding the world "Wizard." However his acting, and later performance of "Y'all Got It" made up for it.

The sets are pretty sparse, as is to be expected, most of it is done with varying types of lightbulbs, which really creates an interesting effect that I liked a lot.

The costumes on the other hand were...hit or miss. The main cast were fine, I had no particular issue with them. The ensemble on the other hand...Much of the ensemble looked like they were handed the rest of the Chicago costumes, or at least what they might have looked like before becoming underwear. While the Poppy costumes and Munchkin costumes were excellent, the Kalidahs (from the book) weren't so much menacing as they were looking like those dogs with dreadlocks. The flying monkeys didn't...fly, or even have wings...

There were some definite revisions, they cut the Wiz's version of "Beleive in Yourself," combing both versions into one for LaChanze. There was a random "preaching" monologue during "Y'all Got It" that I didn't remember being in the original. Some updates were done to the book (not many though), and really the changes weren't that terrible, just a little disappointing after how little they had revised Damn Yankees and Gypsy. One particularly nice change was during "What Would I Do If I Could Feel" was bringing in the other three friends during the last verse ala Steps of the Palace in the 2002 Into the Woods revival.

The biggest shock to me was using the film version of "Brand New Day" which gives Dorothy the vocal lead (Sorry hon, not your song, it's the Winkie's song), and they used the whole "stripping out of work clothes into your underwear" concept...apparently they felt that moment was too iconic to let go of...or something. It really didn't work though, and, like MANY of the production numbers, fell totally flat.

Also, I don't know if she forgot, or if Kail decided to throw it out, but there was no clicking of the heels last night.

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About like you'd expect, they just didn't do a good job of covering it.

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I saw it tonight and everyone I was with, as well as myself, thought it was pretty terrible. Definately the worst I've seen at Encores. Ashanti's performance can only be compared to that of Usher in Chicago.

Husk_Charmer, glad to hear you enjoyed "The Wiz" despite those complaints.

I saw the show Friday and thought it was much better than expected condsidering the negative comments that were left on here during the previews. Having seen the 1984 revival (with Stephanie Mills) as a child, then the 1993 revival (with Mills and original Wiz, Andre De Shields) and having heard a live recording of the original 1975 cast, my view of the Encores! version would be one based on a comparison of all four productions.

Before seeing the show last week, my favorite Dorothy would have been Stephanie Mills; my favorite Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion would all be the actors in the '93 revival; favorite witches would all be from the original cast; and favorite Wiz Andre De Shields. (Both Mills and De Shields were much better in '93 than they were in '75.)

After seeing the show this past weekend, the above still stands, with a couple of exceptions: I would hold Lewis's, Arnold's, and LaChanze's performances right up there with the original witches: Clarice Taylor, Mabel King, and Dee Dee Bridgewater. I would also say Orlando Jones's second act fairgrounds speech and song were stronger than Andre De Shields'.

The problem with Jones was his first act performance and, to be honest, I'm not sure if that's entirely his fault or if Thomas Kail is partly to blame. Whereas De Shields commanded his first act entrance with a forceful presence, Jones was completely lacking. Jones's opening song should have been spectacular and his interaction with the four should have been intimidating, such that you believe that he is indeed Oz the Great and Powerful, not Oz the Smooth and Sensual. Instead, he came off too laid back and delivered the song as if he were trying to charm the ladies with his suavity. It was all wrong and, again, I'm not sure if that was Jones's interpretation or Kail's direction, but we'll know soon enough when Colman Domingo takes over next week. BTW Husk, the "preaching monologue" was in the original. It's just that they integrated it more into the song "Y'all Got It!," probably to pick up the pace, which I think worked nicely.

Speaking of entrances, I think that's where Kail's direction pales in comparison to that of the director of the original, Geoffrey Holder. All the principal actors in the previous versions had pretty grand entrances. Here they were fairly weak (just walk ons, no effects for the witches or wizard), right down to the tornado. Whereas the beginning of the storm should have been exciting, it just started off uneventfully. Otherwise, I'd say it was just as effective as Holder's staging (sans the wind machine and sound effects), particularly the climax that Husk mentioned, which actually earned several rounds of applause.

Many of the script revisions were taken from the '93 revival, including the scene where the three friends reprise their songs after the Wiz gives them their tokens. It's just that this cast didn't always quite deliver those lines with the same tongue firmly in-cheek as they did in '93. Except for the scarecrow; Christian White must have watched a video of that revival because his performance was almost identical to that of Gary Q. Lewis's scarecrow.

Overall, I thought it was well done. I didn't mention anything about the 1984 revival, but really that one was the worst. With the top-billed actors replaced and adjustments made to the show's pacing, I would love to see this production transfer over to Broadway.

Updated On: 6/23/09 at 04:29 PM

Husk_Charmer,

I never meant to imply that this production should transfer as is. I just assumed that if it did, the production value would go up the way it did with Gypsy. They redid the costumes and sets when that production transferred to Broadway last year. What I meant was keeping this cast, with replacements for Dorothy and the Wiz. I would also rework Blankenbuehler's choreography, expand on Korins' set designs, particularly Emerald City and the Throne Room, and replace MOST, not all, of Tasewell's costumes.

I didn't have a problem with Kail's nods to previous Oz versions with regard to his inclusion of the principal cast in the opening scene and the striptease "Everybody Rejoice." Some of the costumes also tipped a hat to the original and film versions of The Wiz.

That's just me. In the end, if the show does transfer not everyone will be pleased with the final result.

Bar_None-

Ah, sorry, I misunderstood.

Like I said, my big issue with the opening montage was the way it alluded to Oz and made it come off as the fever dream. It's my least favorite part of the MGM movie, because Oz is supposed to be a real place.

I agree with you on everything else Sadly, BET will probably be the primary backers, and not know what does/doesn't need changing.

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The show looks pretty awesome but I saw a video of there choreography and its TOO much like the In The Heights choreography. but I love THE WIZ anyways!

^ If it transfers, probably. If it doesn't, I wouldn't hold my breath.

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I'm interested to hear if anyone else noticed there being no "clicking of the heels" lol. That would really bother me lol.

The movie version of "Brand New Day" is used in place of "Everybody Rejoice" (some minor changes, but still, a change I don't think worked...see below)

Huh?!!! "Everybody Rejoice" and "Brand New Day" are the same song. In the original production the song was credited as "Everybody Rejoice" and in the film version it was re-titled "Brand New Day" (Everybody Rejoice).

Maybe you meant that they used the musical arrangements from the film version as opposed to the arrangements from the stage production?

It's one of the standouts from the score and the only song not written by Charlie Smalls. It was written by Luther Vandross.

Updated On: 6/24/09 at 07:17 AM

A little minor correction for husk charmer. It was Dawnn Lewis in the 10th Kingdom not Tichina Arnold.

Im curious how did Tichina do with 'No Bad News'?

I just saw the matinee, and I really enjoyed it. The audience was crazy. Screaming, clapping along, yelling at the stage. It was like a rock concert. I went to the Talkback and there's a lot of transfer buzz, but they are going to wait until this run is over to discuss options. Orlando made it clear that he would want to transfer with it if it does.
The show was so much fun, and there will be a big audience for it if it transfers.