THE WIZ Previews- Page 6

[KitKatBoy24]

Posted: 4/13/24 at 2:31pm

Caught this show this week and was extremely disappointed. This is the worst show of the season. The set design is awful/non existent. The few pieces they did bring on looked extremely cheap and ugly. The costumes were also unappealing and cheap. The lighting was fine, I guess. The sound mix was terrible and it was often hard to hear the vocals over the orchestra unless they were really in their most powerful range. The choreo was all over the place and never really thrilled me, which made Brand New Day a big let down.

The cast has incredible vocals (when you can hear them) but the acting was just awful. Dorothy and Scarecrow especially suffered during the book scenes. Also, this updated book doesn’t do them any help. It was cringey.

I really thought hearing this music live would justify the ticket, but honestly it was just disappointing and I’d recommend skipping this show. If they can’t act, the song won’t be effective. 

[mariansmith]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 3:23am

When The Wiz first hit Broadway in 1975, it was a vibrant and revolutionary reimagining of L. Frank Baum's classic, presented through the lens of African American culture. Opening on January 5, 1975, at the Majestic Theatre, the show was an instant sensation, blending soul, funk, and a unique narrative style that resonated deeply with audiences. Despite initial doubts about its viability, The Wiz triumphed, earning seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and running for an impressive 1,672 performances. Its success marked a significant moment in Broadway history, showcasing the immense talents of Stephanie Mills as Dorothy and a dynamic cast who brought this re-envisioned Oz to life.

Updated On: 4/17/24 at 03:23 AM

[QueenTwinnied]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 4:12am

Mama, kudos for saying that. For spilling. 

[Malinda5000]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 1:41pm

Mariana Smtih said: "When The Wizfirst hit Broadway in 1975, it was a vibrant and revolutionary reimagining of L. Frank Baum's classic, presented through the lens of African American culture. Opening on January 5, 1975, at the Majestic Theatre, the show was an instant sensation, blending soul, funk, and a unique narrative style that resonated deeply with audiences. Despite initial doubts about its viability, The Wiztriumphed, earning seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and running for an impressive 1,672 performances. Its success marked a significant moment in Broadway history, showcasing the immense talents of Stephanie Mills as Dorothy and a dynamic cast who brought this re-envisioned Oz to life."

Actually… The Wiz was NOT an instant hit back in 1975.

The critics were not kind to the all black remake of The Wizard Of Oz. They actually posted closing notices soon after opening night in January 1975.

It wasn’t until the great Geoffrey Holder decided to make a commercial with the original cast singing “Ease On Down The Road” … that’s when ticket sales soared and the public started going to the Majestic Theater in droves and I was one of them….and well…the rest of course is history.

 

Updated On: 4/17/24 at 01:41 PM

[Tevin Three]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 9:52pm

YvanEhtNioj said: "CurtainsUpat8 said: ""For today's audiences, this production may be just fine."
This sums up 80 percent of Broadway Shows in one sentence. Our standards have dropped so low. I have been going to Broadway for 50 years."

I think they are banking on the fact that this is a classic to my fellow black people. the average black american grew up with The Wiz and doesnt know good theatre (no shade). They are counting on the fact that black people will see this REGARDLESS because..it's The Wiz. The only other musical with that power is Dreamgirls."

The average Black American does not know good theatre? Oh, really? As opposed to average Americans of other races who flock to mediocrity in droves? How feverishly do you genuflect as you pretend that the banality you see all over Broadway is brilliant? Do you judge the sea of nonblack tourists at TKTS buying tickets to bad shows by ethnicity? Would you dare to ever type, "The average White American does not know good theatre"?  

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 4/20/24 at 9:32pm

Easily one of the worst things I’ve ever seen on Broadway. I fled at intermission.

[Sauja]

Posted: 5/3/24 at 7:39am

I don’t want to spend much on this given how brutal word of mouth is, but…it’s still The Wiz, so I do want to go. Can anyone speak to how partial the view is from the partial view seats all the way to the sides of the orchestra?

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 5/3/24 at 9:22am

Sauja said: "I don’t want to spend much on this given how brutal word of mouth is, but…it’s still The Wiz, so I do want to go. Can anyone speak to how partial the view is from the partial view seats all the way to the sides of the orchestra?"

 

How do you feel about Cleveland?

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 5/3/24 at 9:39am

I saw the original production of The Wiz.  It was the first Broadway show I ever saw. I had played the album over and over and over. I loved the score!  However.... that original production looked cheap as well.  Parts of it was bordering on silly. The acting was over the top. Stephanie Mills sang beautifully but she was a terrible actress.  The sets looked cheap. It was a disappointment to me, even though now I am sure happy I saw it.   I am sorry to say, it suffered from some of the same issues this production does.

[silent]

Posted: 5/8/24 at 7:45am

The younger stars of The Wiz slayed the red carpet at the Met Gala this week. 
 

Anna Wintour attended opening night of The Wiz last month. 

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 5/8/24 at 7:50am

Be warned. Dorthy, Tinman and The Wiz were out last night. 

[TBone]

Posted: 5/8/24 at 1:37pm

I saw the show Sunday night and everyone except Deborah Cox was in. I enjoyed the u/s but thought all of the other leads sounded pretty tired. 

[troynow]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 10:26am

True. And Wayne Brady departs June 8.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 1:52pm

troynow said: "True. And Wayne Bradydeparts June 8."

 

I figured he was leaving sometime in June. He starts to film the next season of Let's Make a Deal at the end of June. I'd assume Alan Mingo Jr. will take over the role?

 

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 5/12/24 at 11:08am

This show made me sad. Mostly sad for the performers who are so talented, yet are stuck in a production that looks SO cheap, even some community theatres would be embarrassed by it. I was hoping folks on this board were exaggerating but wow, every time a new scene began I was taken aback by just how terrible everything looked. I truly wonder how much work Hannah Beachler (Scenic Design) and Sharen Davis (Costume Design) actually did on this show. If I were them, I’d be too embarrassed to have my name attached to this. There wasn’t a single thing on that stage that was visually appealing. The costumes were as cheap as they come. My jaw dropped seeing the cast in tie-dye sweat suits during Brand New Day. It was giving elementary school talent show. The set pieces were shockingly bad, including the AI rendered images on the LED screen. I keep hearing people excuse the poor set design by saying “Well, it’s a tour, so the set couldn’t be that elaborate.” BS. Plenty of shows have great sets on tour. Hell, I saw the non-equity tour of THE WIZARD OF OZ 8 years ago, and that looked 10 times better than this. I mean……they couldn’t even have Glinda fly??? NO stage magic at all? Where was the creativity? What was the vision for this show? I just wanna know how things went so wrong.

The changes to the book were hit and miss. Something that I think Harvey Fierstein got right with his adaptation for THE WIZ LIVE is Dorothy still not wanting to be in Kansas even after Aunt Em sings The Feeling We Once Had. Having her join in and sing with Aunt Em didn’t make sense to me. If things are resolved between her and Aunt Em by the end of that song, then why does she need to go to Oz? What lesson is she really learning from being there? I appreciated the way that Amber Ruffin tried to tie Evillene into the stories of how the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Lion became the way they are, but it didn’t quite work for me, especially at the end. The ending completely takes away the whole “You’ve had brains, heart, and courage all along” message that THE WIZARD OF OZ in almost every other iteration conveys. Also, I HATE how they make The Wiz himself such an unrepentant dick. Such a strange choice. And his “throne” was so poorly designed it made me laugh. 

I could go on, but why continue to beat a dead horse. I’d been hoping for a revival of this show for so long. It’s such a shame that this is the production we got. Maybe in another 50 years someone will get it right. As a Black performer who wanted to love this production, I was completely let down. This WIZ is a low down dirty shame.

[MagicalMusical]

Posted: 5/13/24 at 6:04pm

Thanks for your review, seaweedjstubs. I wanted to see this, and it's interesting to know how they tried to tie Evilene in, and I had heard the book was improved, but it sounds like it was mostly hurt instead of helped. I still may buy a cheap ticket fort this. I don't know. I may just wait to save my money for Death Becomes Her. I wish we got a good Wiz revival instead of this. Good thing I own the Wiz Live!

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 10:14am

Confirming Wayne Brady's departure - his final performance will be June 12 and he'll be replaced by Alan Mingo, Jr after that.

Updated On: 5/17/24 at 10:14 AM

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 10:17am

He’s over it 

[QueenTwinnied]

Posted: 5/17/24 at 12:52pm

His character gets so little time on stage I'm not shocked he's departing so early. Probably not the most fulfilling role. 

Alan Minjo Jr. was excellent when I saw him on tour. 

Updated On: 5/17/24 at 12:52 PM

[MezzA101]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 10:44am

NYT: Wayne Brady and Nichelle Lewis on Striving for Excellence in ‘The Wiz’

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/27/theater/wiz-wayne-brady-nichelle-lewis.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vE0.YBVf.VWClBY7Fytrf

[ACL2006]

Posted: 5/27/24 at 11:30am

WldKingdomHM said: "He’s over it"

doubtful. he starts filming the next season of Let's Make A Deal end of June.