The Wiz - Cast Recording

Worth getting. I had it on tape and just got in on Cd slightly used for about 6 bucks on Ebay.

I think it is worth getting. It is a great combo of drama and soul. I love the score and hope it is revived. The performances are all top notch and again, the score is the main star. At least, in my opinion.

Definitely get the cd. I really disklike the show itself, but the musical is absolutley wonderful.

I pretty much echo what Jason says. If you could combine Stephanie Mills (of the OBC) and pretty much everything else from the film soundtrack, you'd pretty much have the ideal recording.

The OBC, for the record, doesn't include three major songs heard on Broadway -- "A Rested Body" (sung by Glinda), "The Emerald City Ballet" and "Who Do You Think You Are?" (sung to the Wizard).

I prefer the OBCR to the movie. Mainly becasue Diana Ross plays Dorothy. Favorite tracks on the Movie Soundtrack - The Emerald City Sequence. But the OBCR, for me, is my favorite. Have seen the show 3 times with Stephanie Mills. Ross can't hold a candle to Ms. Mills. I do agree with the orchectrations on the Movie Soundtrack. Q is the best!

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Yes, the movie orchestrations are far superior, but they normally don't have 80 piece orchestras for Broadway shows.
The Broadway orchestrations are undeniably 70's but that is part of their appeal to me.

Stephanie Mills is a far superior Dorothy than Diana Ross, and if Clarice Taylor's delicious Addaperle doesn't get the chance to show off her hysterical line-readings on the cast album, at least her droll "He's the Wizard" offers a little taste of one of my favorite performances of the decade.

Mabel King is excellent here as in the film, even if there is a short cut in her terrific show stopper, "No Bad News". Hinton Battle has a far better song to sing that Michael Jackson did as the Scarecrow, and Tiger Haynes' two Tinman numbers both come through very nicely, even if one misses the snazzy dance arrangement for "Slide Some Oil to Me" in the film.

Ted Ross IS the Lion, and "Be a Lion" has always been this album's highlight for me, with both Stephanie and Ted singing beautifully while breaking hearts.

The distinctive Andre DeShields does well with two songs cut for the film, with "Y'all Got It" particlarly appealing (but the cheesy fade-out at the end of it has always bugged me).

Dee Dee Bridgewater gets to sing the famous "If You Believe" and proves why she is one of jazz music's bright lights. It's a shame her other number, the seductive "A Rested Body Is a Rested Mind" was not recorded. Another song in the show that was omitted on both the cast album and from the movie is the lively but unneccessary "Who Do You Think You Are?" sung to the humbug wizard by the four friends.

Tasha Thomas' heartfelt "The Feeling we Once Had" gets things off to a nice start, but again is marred by a questionable fade-out at the end. The dance number "Tornado" is one of the great 70's arrangements and will have you whirling around your living room.

I say get the cast album. Stephanie Mills will show you how "Home" should be sung, and the familiar story will still grab you with wonderful songs and performances all around.

One quibble: The tracks practically run into one another with no more than a nano-second between songs. And for such a visually rich production (the eye-popping original sets and costumes were practically the stars of the show) it's a shame there aren't more photos.

Hope this helped.

I hope he has all of her recordings now...they are all terrific, tho many very dated (nostalgic to me)

...and back to the Wiz, believe it or not, my favorite track, which was cut for the movie, is "The Feeling We Once Had", Tasha Thomas...the lyric is kinda sappy, but love it.

I always wondered if they recorded it with Theresa Merritt who played Aunt Em, and decided it didnt work. So much of the movie didnt work, including a grown Dorothy.

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I would recommend the OBCR. When I listen to the soundtrack it only reminds how much that movie sucked! I saw the broadway show a number of times and was so let down by the movie that I want no reminder of how they trashed such a good show. Yes, Lena Horne was brilliant but on the whole not a good experience.

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