THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL- Page 28

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/23/15 at 12:22am

Ohjesuschrist. We get it. We get that it's staying true to the original. We get that - despite the modernization,  and older Dorothy, the new characters, the song interpolations, the gender switch of the title character, the new book, an actor who seems to think that want wanting to nail the character AND the performance is something more than what most sane people would consider the bare minimum, and every-flipping-thing else (up to and including the creepy as hell promo pictures with all that weird photoshopping) - it's staying true to the goddamn original. 

 

Updated On: 10/23/15 at 12:22 AM

[Alivis]

Posted: 10/23/15 at 8:17pm

teddy1996 said: "Yes. It starts off in a contemporary kansas. This will be very modern but will stay true to the original. 

I'm really hoping they don't mess up one of my favorite musicals."Contemporary Kansas?"  -that already worries me. I remember the movie and how they messed that up with a contemporary spin.I can't get the image of Dorothy and company easing on down pass piled up garbage bags in front of the NY public library. Who's insane idea was that? Please keep the land of Oz as a fantasy land and not a run down cityscape-as in the movie.

 

"

 

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/23/15 at 9:38pm

Part of the reason most productions took inspiration from the movie instead of the original stage show is that, though the movie wasn't necessarily good, the show's original vibe and feel wouldn't play the same way today because of a changing sociopolitical relationship between "African-American" and "black American."

Dorothy's Oz in the Broadway run of "The Wiz" was extremely late-1960s, early-1970s Afrocentric- a black city child's fantastical imagining of mythicized Mother Africa. The glorification and idealization of Africa as a "what could have been" black utopia was still quasi-relevant and idealistic in the Seventies, but quickly began to fade and ultimately fell entirely out of the public consciousness with the rise of genocide and civil war over so much of the continent. The unspoken meta-moral of "Sure, Oz/Africa is an organic, funky, dangerous, colorful and ultimately enriching place to visit, but home is home" feels a little different forty years later, when no one is really saying "maybe things would be different back in Mother Africa" anymore.

[teddy1996]

Posted: 10/23/15 at 11:13pm

According to amber riley (addaperle), she had heard that the set is very magical

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/23/15 at 11:55pm

Did she say if it was staying true to the original?

[teddy1996]

Posted: 10/24/15 at 12:08am

No. This woman who interviewed the cast told me that the original book will remain intact it is just a little revised. There is a new song written by neyo, elijah, harvey mason jr, and stephen ormeus. It is about the characters building the confidence to kill evillene. The humor is enhanced and it is more emotional. And you can't win is replacing born on the day before yesterday. They said that since the wiz is such an iconic musical, they are going to take it to another level for the 2015 audience. And neil did say that they are doing the broadway version. 

[ggersten]

Posted: 10/24/15 at 12:12am

But. will it be true to the original?

[teddy1996]

Posted: 10/24/15 at 12:29am

Yes it will. 

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 10/24/15 at 11:26am

teddy1996 said: "Yes it will. 

 

"

While I am genuinely excited for this, I have to say that NOTHING makes it sound like this is staying true to the original. It has an updated book, the pictures have a contemporary feel, it has new characters, there is a new song, and a song from the lackluster film. What exactly sounds true to the original here?

I hear you insisting that it will be true to the original, but you are the same person who insisted that Born the Day Before Yesterday  was going to be in this version. In fact, I think that was one of your arguments for this being true to the original, and that didn't pan out for you at all. 

[teddy1996]

Posted: 10/24/15 at 11:56am

It has a contemporary feel because it is a little modernized. It is not that modern but it is modern enough for it to be relatable to kids today. And they were originally going to use born on the day before yesterday but they decided to use you can't win because they want to honor michael jackson.

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/24/15 at 3:23pm

Really? Replacing Born on the Day Before Yesterday with You Can't Win? I work the night it is on and now probably won't even record it. I will see it whenever.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/24/15 at 10:27pm

Simple solution. Those that are not in agreement with the changes....don't watch it and get on with your lives. STOP WHINING!

[teddy1996]

Posted: 10/24/15 at 11:38pm

Thank you. I don't see what the big deal is. This is entertainment. It is suppose to entertain the audience. And it is only a few changes. They are not changing the essence of the wiz at all. It is only a few minor changes. Not major changes. 

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 10/25/15 at 12:36am

I'd argue a main part of the "essence" of the original was the 70's vibe, which is being deleted sooooooo

[teddy1996]

Posted: 10/25/15 at 12:55am

Maybe it will have a 70s vibe but a more updated sound. Cause the score was written in the 70s of course

[musicaljen]

Posted: 10/25/15 at 3:00am

The show will be criticized and comments on how bad it was will keep coming up.

Personally I can't help the feeling that these live broadcasts are stepping on toes. I cant understand why negative comments on a lot of Broadways shows are hard to come by, and when a broadcast happens this site is overflowed with hate.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/25/15 at 4:08pm

LOL

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 10/25/15 at 10:00pm

CarlosAlberto said: "Simple solution. Those that are not in agreement with the changes....don't watch it and get on with your lives. STOP WHINING!

 

"

Most are not complaining about the changes. I think a lot of people are just confused as to why teddy1996 keeps insisting it will be faithful to the original production despite the many changes being made. It will not be faithful to the original; It may try to keep some of the spirit of the original, but it will be a new adaptation for a modern audience. There is nothing wrong with that, so long as it is done well.

As I stated before, I am genuinely excited for this new production, but don't try to tell me it is good old fashioned homemade lemonade when it is really Brisk® in a can. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/26/15 at 7:08am

musicaljen said: "The show will be criticized and comments on how bad it was will keep coming up.

 

Personally I can't help the feeling that these live broadcasts are stepping on toes. I cant understand why negative comments on a lot of Broadways shows are hard to come by, and when a broadcast happens this site is overflowed with hate.

 

"

Because we want it not just to exist, but for it to be wonderful.....and, so far, it has not been.  

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/26/15 at 7:30am

Not liking this song substitution at all. "You Can't Win" has a negative lyric that says nothing about who the Scarecrow is or where he came from. Just that he has given up on life. "I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday" is an answer to Dorothy's question and tells you where the Scarecrow came from and how he came to be. It also puts a positive spin on the character ("this time, I'm gonna make it."   ) The movie adaptation sucked. There's no mincing of words about it. They got everything wrong, from concept to execution, and it failed on all levels. The more they try to emulate the film, the less faith I have that this will be a decent production. Not only do I cringe at the idea of seeing a depressing and depressed Scarecrow yet again, his makeup in the ads is disturbing. He looks like the love child of Freddy Kruger and Beetlejuice. And Dorothy looks like a confident city girl heading to the mall for a shopping spree. Ugh. Trust the story people. It's "The Wizard of Oz." You can adapt it all you want and pay tribute to it, but you can't make it better. So don't try.

 

I think a lot of people don't realize that the original stage version of "The Wiz" is in many respects a more faithful adaption of the source material than the MGM classic film. The film version of "The Wiz" threw so much of it out and decided to be "smarter" than the source material. They fell flat on their faces. I had hoped these producers understood to keep a distance from the poor creative decisions in the movie, but I guess not. Maybe someday we'll see a legitimate TV or film version of the original stage musical "The Wiz." This isn't going to be it, however.

 

Honor the material. That's all you have to do. The Scarecrow doesn't need to be a lost character who thinks "he can't win." Stupid. And we don't need a new song from Ne-Yo that boosts the characters' confidence to kill Evilene. There is already a confidence-boosting song called "Be a Lion." It's beautiful and comes at a great spot dramatically in the show. So we'll get a SECOND song that does the same thing, right as they go off to kill the witch? Even the MGM movie knew not to do that. If you notice, the last full song in the classic film is "If I Were King of the Forest." From that point on, after they see the Wizard, the movie essentially becomes a non-musical action film. No more songs. Because the pacing and the drama are more important. That's why they cut the reprises of "Over the Rainbow" and "Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead" in addition to "The Jitterbug." So this production of "The Wiz" is going to add a song precisely where it isn't needed, with a song that does what another song in the show already does: boost confidence for the main characters. Ugh!

 

I can understand making some edits and doing a bit of a revised book to get rid of some of the '70s dated references or language, but when you swap the Scarecrow's song to that miserable self-pity ditty that Michael Jackson sang (well enough) in the film, you alter his character. That's not smoothing edges, that's changing course. It didn't work before, and it won't work now. The movie is one big soggy Kleenex full of boo-hoo, and it has nothing to do with the tone of the original story or the tone of the original stage adaptation of "The Wiz." Okay ... I've ranted enough. Yes, I'll watch it, but I'm already hating these unnecessary changes. My hopes of a faithful adaptation for TV are gone.

Updated On: 10/26/15 at 07:30 AM

[teddy1996]

Posted: 10/26/15 at 9:12am

There is a possibility that the scarecrow might be singing both you can't win and born on the day before yesterday. They never said they were cutting that out other than the fact that he is singing you can't win

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/26/15 at 9:25am

I think he is singing the lyrics to You Can't Win to the tune of Born on the Day Before Yesterday.  It feels very true to the original. 

[ggersten]

Posted: 10/26/15 at 9:45am

Maybe Teddy think that as "You Can't Win" was a song that was cut from The Wiz at some point prior to Broadway, that is what makes this "true" to the original - although wasn't the original song not sung by the Scarecrow.  

Otherwise, I agree with what Best12Bars wrote. 

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 10/26/15 at 10:15am

I WANT TO KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE TO THE ORIGINAL OR NOT. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!!! 

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/26/15 at 12:03pm

"You Can't Win" was originally written for the Broadway show to end the first act, sung by the Winkie slaves held prisoner in Evilene's castle. It didn't work, so they cut the song.