"The Wiz Live!" Reviews

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 12/3/15 at 11:37pm

USA Today loved it, 3.5 stars! http://usat.ly/1XLVGiR 

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/3/15 at 11:41pm

Rave from Newsday

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/the-wiz-live-review-happy-version-of-classic-delivers-a-win-1.11191354

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/3/15 at 11:45pm

Mixed-to-Positive from Variety

Grading on a curve, “The Wiz” ranks as the most satisfying of NBC’s three efforts – an accomplishment, since it’s hardly on a par with “The Sound of Music” on the honor roll of classic musicals. Yet for a story that begins with a house falling out of the sky, this third attempt to ease Broadway into primetime was again marked by a sense that, in this format, it’s very difficult to completely bring the house down.

http://variety.com/2015/tv/reviews/the-wiz-live-review-nbc-mary-j-blige-queen-latifah-shanice-williams-1201651164/

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 12/3/15 at 11:48pm

Mixed from New York Post (who loved Mary J. Blige by the way)http://nyp.st/1NtWhA7 

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/3/15 at 11:49pm

Very Positive from The Wrap

https://www.thewrap.com/the-wiz-live-review/

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 12/3/15 at 11:51pm

THE WIZ WAS NBC'S BEST LIVE MUSICAL YET -  TIME MAGAZINE

 

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/4/15 at 12:11am

Pretty much a Rave from The Associated Press, although he does mention the slow start and some poorly written jokes.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/review-wiz-live-real-heart-playfulness-35570677

Updated On: 12/4/15 at 12:11 AM

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 12/4/15 at 12:13am

Hypothetically if they take this show to Broadway they can use pull quotes from these reviews no?

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/4/15 at 12:15am

I would think they'd be used to build buzz and promote the related revival before the opening night reviews.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/4/15 at 12:34am

I wonder what theatre critics would say about this.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/4/15 at 12:55am

Mark Kennedy and Elizabeth Vincentelli ARE prominent theater critics. 

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/4/15 at 1:24am

The Hollywood Reporter is basically another Rave. Calls Williams "revelatory." Has some issues with Latifah's vocals.

 

The biggest winner in The Wiz Live! is, of course, NBC, which would have been hard-pressed to find audience enthusiasm for another live musical if this one tanked. Suddenly, after this show of ambition, there's actually cause for excitement. The big loser? Fox, which announced and cast and scheduled Grease Live! when it only had to top Sound of Music and Peter Pan. Well, the bar is raised.

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/wiz-live-tv-review-845725

Updated On: 12/4/15 at 01:24 AM

[edcrum]

Posted: 12/4/15 at 7:22am

Wonder if this (and Grease) will be shown in the UK? Sound of Music Live  was not well received over here. I'm sure The Wiz and Grease would be. 

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 12/4/15 at 4:15pm

Link to review and 54 photographs 

 

The Wiz Live eased on down the road Thursday, the best-attended Broadway try-out in history. Next year, director Kenny Leon is planning a Main Stem transfer of the production, although it’s unclear who will be in it: The NBC broadcast was so full of stars it could have been called We Are The Wiz.

If they can’t keep the entire dream cast, let’s hope Broadway will at least be able to retain what was best about the show, especially Paul Tazewell’s colorful and clever costumes, Tin Man Ne-Yo’s swoon-worthy r&b singing, The Cowardly Lion David Alan Grier’s clowning, and the Wicked Witch Mary J. Blige’s….everything; her too-brief powerhouse performance made me regret she had to melt.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/4/15 at 4:19pm

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/12/05/arts/television/wiz-wizard-oz-nbc-review.html?_r=0

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/4/15 at 4:22pm

The Times review actually gets at some really interesting reasons I find the film version moving, almost accidentally and despite its many weaknesses. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/4/15 at 4:43pm

I found that interesting that the reviewer got that out of the movie.

 

I was also glad that the "What had happened was" line was addressed in the review.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 12/4/15 at 9:17pm

As a long time Mary J. fan I'm glad the reviews are loving her and she proved all the haters wrong.

[Dave19]

Posted: 12/5/15 at 7:36am

I think that girl who sings "home" sounds very amateurish.

 

 

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/5/15 at 8:00am

She has a name and there are several threads for BWW opinions. 

[Hamilton22]

Posted: 12/5/15 at 11:19am

"I think that girl who sings "home" sounds very amateurish."

 

Um are you deaf? There's is nothing amateurish about her voice. Home is an incredibly hard song to sing especially because it's at the end of the show and dorothy has already sung so much.  Shanice (She has a name btw)  owned every minute of that song. 

And for the love of God, please don't go into your little " Film actors don't know how to act through song/ Les mis is bad" shtick. 

You're a broken record.

 

.

.

[Dave19]

Posted: 12/5/15 at 3:54pm

I have no idea who she is and if she is a film actor or not. I just don't think her singing is acceptable.

Only the high note at the end sounds professional. The rest does not.

 

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/5/15 at 3:59pm

How did you restrain yourself from calling her "that black girl"?

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/5/15 at 4:01pm

I was about to compliment him on not making any explicitly racist comments in this particular thread. 

[Showface]

Posted: 12/5/15 at 4:02pm

Viewers and critics were tweeting and saying that she was brilliant, moving, and that she's a star.

 

But...that's amateurish, I guess.

Updated On: 12/5/15 at 04:02 PM