Posted: 10/15/15 at 2:00am
I didn't say the show was like minstrelsy, I said that the production I saw was minstrelsy. It's the only evening of theatre I've had where I was actually angry, and it was because the production seemed to be nothing but "hey, these characters are black! Isn't that funny!?"
Posted: 10/15/15 at 2:09am
Well that's not an issue with the show, but with the foolish theatre company you saw.
I think THE WIZ has as much right to be remembered and performed and loved as any show, or any other adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz. Though obviously the music is the thing and if it isn't your style it will never work for you.
Posted: 10/15/15 at 6:05pm
I spoke with one of the members of cirque du soleil on Instagram and he told me that rehearsals are going great and they are working very hard to make sure that this will be amazing.
Posted: 10/15/15 at 6:34pm
I have a funny feeling, this production might very well wow the haters.
Posted: 10/15/15 at 9:01pm
This could be NBC'S best live musical to date. The amount of talent and effort the whole cast and crew have really shows how dedicated they are to this. They just need to practice this to the grave and make sure they get this right by December 3
Posted: 10/15/15 at 9:43pm
teddy1996 said: "This could be NBC'S best live musical to date. The amount of talent and effort the whole cast and crew have really shows how dedicated they are to this. They just need to practice this to the grave and make sure they get this right by December 3"
OK. I think this is gonna be great but calling it the best live NBC musical to date is not saying much considering how utterly rotten the other two (particularly that PETER PAN travesty) were.
I am genuinely excited about this one though. I hope it's a great success creatively and in terms of viewership.
Posted: 10/15/15 at 11:24pm
If you ate going to say the best ever, you have a whole lot of competition across more than dix decades of television. The 1950s and 60s had a ton of live musicals on NBC, and some of them were truly great, while others were clunkers.
Posted: 10/16/15 at 12:44pm
i have so much faith in this. I hope this truly is better than the sound of music live and peter pan live. the cast and crew are working very hard to make sure that this show is going to be amazing. they are very dedicated to this. amber riley who plays addaperle says that shanice embodies the role of Dorothy and she is a joy to watch. she also says that the set is supposed to be amazing and magical. my excitement for this is real
Posted: 10/16/15 at 1:21pm
Phyllis Rogers Stone said: "Carrie Underwood worked hard, too.
Yes, she made wood look animated.
Posted: 10/16/15 at 1:32pm
CurtainsUpat8 said: "I don't want to rain on anyone's parade here, but The Wiz is a terrible musical. It has some good songs, but the concept and the book are horrible. I don't see why people are talking about this months ahead. These costumes are ok but they aren't going to save a terrible show. I saw the original and it was awful. I saw the movie and it was awful. What makes anyone think that this dated, weird take on The Wizard of Oz is going to work on TV? And all this hype is just insane. " Well guess what buddy...This show is NOT FOR YOU, If it doesn't speak to your vibrations, keep it moving. Melanated people do not have many musicals and many have never seen a Broadway musical. Goes back to the movie, The white audiences may not have liked the film, But the blacks, WE LOVE IT and this will be the highest rated show since NBC started gifting these shows. COME BACK WHEN THE RATING ARE POSTED lmao HOTEP
To make this into something about Race is insane. I don't like The Wiz because it's a poorly written show, not because it's a black show. It does have some wonderful music and some music that is going to sound awfully dated. It's a mixed bag. If you wanted to pick a black musical... I would rather see a wonderful production of "Raisin' or "Ain't Misbehaven".. or even the black version of "Guys and Dolls". The Wiz is lame. So why is white Harvey Firestein rewriting a black musical? That is a better question. You should be up in arms about that. Isn't there a black writer than could have done that? I am sure there are plenty of really great ones! Too bad they didn't use them.
I thought Peter Pan was awful last year, and in retrospect The Sound of Music was much better than Peter Pan, which was unwatchable.
I do however wish them the best, and I admit I may be wrong! Let's see what happens. I just know the Broadway version was really cheap looking. There were about six munchkins in awful costumes. It had a whole 70;s vibe which was really awful. I hope they can get the 70's out of the new version.
Posted: 10/16/15 at 1:56pm
In your opinion.
Posted: 10/16/15 at 2:58pm
It had a whole 70;s vibe which was really awful. I hope they can get the 70's out of the new version.
Ummmmm...it was the 70's, which kind of makes it great. However, I think at least from the photos, they are trying to update this as much as possible. I am most definitely looking forward to this, they can really only improve upon the terrible, and very tough to get through Sidney Lumet film. I am also so ecstatic for Elijah Kelly. I came across Hairspray the other night and his number is really one of the best musical numbers I have seen on the screen in a long time. Hopefully, he knocks it out of the park.
Posted: 10/16/15 at 3:00pm
I've loved The Wiz ever since I stumbled across the OCR and begged my mother to let me buy it. And when I begged her to take me to see the original tour (I did a lot of begging as a kid), I loved it even more--and so did she. I didn't care for the movie (poor Mom actually went and sat in the car rather than see it through), but I recently saw concert versions at both 54 Below and at SummerStage, and I love it still. Neither of the latter made use of the book, of course, and I don't doubt there's lots of improvements to be made there. But the structure is sound (duh, it's The Wizard of Oz).
I'm very excited for the broadcast.
Posted: 10/17/15 at 3:57am
Phyllis Rogers Stone said: "Carrie Underwood worked hard, too.
"
She should have worked harder at thinking that she ain't cut out for the role and subsequently saying No to NBC's offer.
Posted: 10/17/15 at 8:35am
"I agree that the character make-up and costumes look a little frightening whether intentionally or unintentionally. The poster would look better if they weren't all screaming."
They are REJOICING.
Updated On: 10/17/15 at 08:35 AM
Posted: 10/17/15 at 2:55pm
craig zadan and neil meron says that the new book is incredible. they said that harvey kept the original structure of the musical but he added characters and made it more emotional. he also enhanced the humor
Updated On: 10/17/15 at 02:55 PM
Posted: 10/22/15 at 9:27pm
I saw the q&a and they said that the scarecrow will be singing you can't win from the movie instead of born on the day before yesterday. And there is a new song written by ne-yo, elijah, harvey mason jr, and stephen ormeus. It is sung by dorothy, tinman, scarecrow , and the lion and it is about building the confidence to kill evillene. And they said that they are trying to take this to a whole new level to the 2015 audience. Neyo says that not only they want to nail their characters, they want to nail their performances so the fans wouldn't be let down.
Posted: 10/22/15 at 9:52pm
This fan has already been let down by all the tinkering with the book and score.
Posted: 10/22/15 at 9:57pm
The only differences between this and the musical is that there will be added characters and enhanced humor and more emotion. And you can't win will replace born on the day before yesterday. And there is a new song written for the main characters. They are staying true to the original it is just a little revised.
Updated On: 10/22/15 at 09:57 PM
Posted: 10/22/15 at 10:17pm
CATSNYrevival said: "This fan has already been let down by all the tinkering with the book and score.
"
I can understand being apprehensive, but to be let down this early on seems a bit over the top. At this point, it seems you have already decided not to like it. Now it is a self fulfilling prophecy in the making. If I were you, I'd skip it altogether and save yourself the disappointment.
Posted: 10/22/15 at 10:48pm
I may very well decide not to watch it. If Peter Pan was any indication of how much respect and trust these two men have in the material they choose then I think it's a safe guess that we're just going to get more of the same this year.
Posted: 10/22/15 at 10:57pm
In the talk back did they talk about these new characters that have been added? I am curious how the new characters effect the story if they plan to stay true to the original.
Also did they say if the story starts in Kansas and will the music still have a 70's vibe or a more updated sound?
Posted: 10/22/15 at 11:46pm
I'll write a full report on this tomorrow. My computer keeps crashing. Biggest thing was confirmation of Wiz Revival coming to broadway fall 2016.
Posted: 10/23/15 at 12:07am
Yes. It starts off in a contemporary kansas. This will be very modern but will stay true to the original.
