THE WIZ: 2015 NBC LIVE MUSICAL — Page 45

JM226 said: "*cue Teddy barging in to claim it's still "true to the original" or with a stupid video*

"

Don't make fun of me

Don't make fun of me

I'm not. I'm criticizing you because you're super annoying.

Let me play devil's advocate a little about the costumes. I think the TV broadcast would have received a pretty harsh backlash if they had gone with designs containing some of the original elements. For instance, giving Addaperle a costume that invokes a bag lady or the Tin Man a costume made up of trash can/beer cans would almost certainly result in complaints that the costumes are racist. Yes, they are consistent with the original musical, but I don't think that explanation would mollify people today.

I am not sure how the producers and designers can be true to the original's efforts to give an urban take on the Wizard of Oz story, and simultaneously avoid claims that the show is stereotyping its characters. It may just not be possible today to do the Wiz without going for a completely different look.

The sets have a more theatrical staging than the other live musicals.

Mr. Nowack said: "I don't think anyone is complaining about them trying to make it have a different look, just wishing it was a look more inspired by the original Baum material (as the OBC was) as opposed to the cutesy generic Oz that many adaptations have used.

"

That's not how I've understood the posts. And frankly, it's hard for me to see the OBC costumes being more true to the original Baum material than these costumes. I just looked at some of the Denslow illustrations and just don't see it. Addaperle's OBC costume looks nothing like the Good Witch of the North's costume (white dress and white hat). Evillene looked nothing like the Wicked Witch of the West, who had three pigtails and an eye patch. Glinda wears all white silk and no jewelry since it would not be able to compare to her beauty. None of the Wiz OBC costumes were remotely similar to the Baum descriptions or the original illustrations.

Ugh those sassy mall crawlers are something else, aren't they?

I honestly don't mind the costumes. I mean, I would've preferred a more ugly, witch look for Evillene, but then again, what big time female singer is going to sign on for a role that's going to require her look incredibly ugly? Especially someone like a Mary J. Blige. The other costumes could look better, but that's not my problem with the teasers so far.

Overall, it looks slick and clean and far better than SOM or PP. But to me, it just looks like every other professional version of The Wizard of Oz, but with a black cast. This might as well just be ALW's The Wizard of Oz. With the way they're promoting it, I wouldn't be surprised if most people tuning in thought it WAS The Wizard of Oz retitled "The Wiz" to seem more "contemporary."

I get why they wanted to play it safe when it came to the design elements, but I don't know how it'll survive on Broadway since there's nothing special or unique about it. I'm sure a lot of its target demographic have seen a nice production of The Wizard of Oz at one point or another and I don't see why The Wiz would get theater go-ers dollars when you have more interesting, unique, artistic things playing next door.

On the other hand, I could see why they didn't use a more African inspired approach. For starters, it most likely would've raised a lot of controversy from people saying they were inaccurately portraying black culture or that NBC was trying to exploit or appropriate it. I could also see the old, white executives at NBC not being on board with shelling over cash for something they didn't think their "white audiences" could "connect to."

Nonetheless, Mary J. Blige is an incredible vocalist, Queen Latifah is so engaging and marvelous, and both Ne-Yo and Elijah have pipes, so I will definitely be tuning in. And c'mon, Stephanie Mills???? I would tune in just for her.

Overall, The Wiz is my favorite musical but I'm not expecting NBC to blow me away. However, I'm not going to pretend like it most likely won't be an enjoyable thing I can drink my cocoa to.

Updated On: 11/20/15 at 07:21 PM

Starship.... Meryl Sreep in In To the Woods?

New promo featuring queen latifah singing one of her songs and shanice singing home: http://www.nbc.com/the-wiz-live/video/check-out-the-allstar-live-event-of-the-season/2941127

ggersten said: "Well, that promo did not impress me. The live performance should - hopefully will - have more edge. What I remember most of So You Wanted to Meet the Wizard live and on the OCR was the energy and almost threatening tone. Latifah, here, was too smooth. But that may change by December 3. And Ms. Williams is just belting the end of "home" without the feeling behind it - but, at the end of a long show, I am hopeful she will find that feeling.

"

Munchin land looks a little strange to me. And the munchkins look strange too. It would have been better for munchkin land and the munchkins to be blue just like the original broadway musical. And the silver slippers look cheaply made. And shanice sounds great but once this goes live, she will kill this.

Ok so either they're cutting out major portions of the score or this is just a horrible soundtrack album?? I had the same reaction when the NINE film soundtrack listing was revealed. Doesn't bode well...

Also hate the new promo. They used two of the most powerful numbers in the show and reduced them to limp noodles. UNIMPRESSED

No "Who Do You Think You Are" and no "Rested Body." I would have rather heard one of those over a new song not written by Charlie Smalls. Glinda has so few songs to begin with I can't believe they're not using "A Rested Body." And I hope the reprises of "Ease on Down the Road" are just left off the recording and not cut.

Hamilton22 said: "You guys are so funny. None of you have seen even 2 minutes of this thing and already you're damning it to hell. lolz

But you dont know if they are not using who do you think you are and a rested body or not. Maybe those songs are in this but they didn't make the soundtrack. And the reprises of ease on down the road are left off the recording but they remain in this. "

Those damming it are no worse than you, who keeps praising it to high heavens.

You are the one insisting that no songs would be cut. You make just as many assumptions with even less evidence. At least CATSNYrevial has an official track list to base a hypothesis on.