The Wizard of Oz

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:01pm

I know Wicked is doing verrrrry well on Broadway. I also know The Wiz did very well back in the 70's. How do you think a full out, multi-million $ production of The Wizard of Oz (The stage version, with all the MGM songs) would do on Broadway? I know many High Schools across the country perform the show (currently owned by Tams-Witmark). I also know there was a nat'l tour a few years ago that did very well. I'm interested to hear your opinions. Updated On: 8/13/04 at 01:01 PM

[judy_in_disguise]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:02pm

I would LOVE that.
I think it would do quite well, it is a classic.

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:04pm

Well you see, I'm interested in going to school to become a producer and director and that is my dream show lol. I know it sounds stupid but, we all have our dreams. I was just wondering if you think the public would come

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:06pm

Any other opinions...?

[JC14]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:06pm

I think it'd be overkill.

[LilMiZBroADwaY23]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:09pm

The Wiz did well? I thought that was a TOTAL flop. Plus I saw it, I wanted to cry.

But, I think it would do okay. But I'd still like Wicked better.

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:09pm

Yeah, that's interesting...I think some people would compare it to the movie and point out all it's differences, which you're right, might kill it

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:11pm

Oh I don't know. I wasn't alive back then lol. But from what I hear, it won 7 Tonys and ran for a few years...maybe I'm wrong. I know they want to revive it and are interested in using Anika Noni Rose as Dorothy

[mesmerized24601]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:11pm

I can say i would go see it. I have loved WOZ forever. And if your interested in GOING to school and its your dream show i think it will be enough in the future to make it not overkill.

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:12pm

Thanks

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:13pm

The Wiz ran for four years and won seven Tony awards including Best Musical. Hardly what I'd call a flop.

I saw a stage production of The Wizard of Oz and it was ok, but the film is so memorable and beautifully done, no stage version could do it justice, so the whole thing seemed inferior and unnecessary.

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:16pm

Yeah...it might be one of those things...like you love it or you hate it

[LilMiZBroADwaY23]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:17pm

I also know The Wiz did very well back in the 70's.

Are you talking about the movie, with Michael Jackson? Because that's an actual movie, The Wiz.

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:19pm

Oh no no no...I was talking about the stage show. Yeah, the movie wasn't very good. I didn't like how they set it in New York instead of in Oz. Oz is supposed to be colorful and stuff, they just made it look dirty. I didnt like it

[Phantom487]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:21pm

I think it would do great... but they'd need to wait a while. There was just the production for like 4 years in a row at Madison Square Garden with Mickey Rooney, Jessica Grove and Eartha Kitt.

[LilMiZBroADwaY23]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:21pm

That movie was just plain bad. My friends and I are sitting there, wanting to cry our eyes out and/or shoot ourselves.

But I was supposed to perform Dorothy in our dance classes version of 'Ease on down the road'

But the Wiz, bad, bad, bad all together.

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:26pm

Also (if you think it would do well) who do you think you'd make a good cast? Let's just say it was happening now. I know it wouldnt be done (if ever) anytime soon with the MSG production just a few years behind us. But who do you think would make a good dorothy, scarecrow, wizard...and I wouldn't say Idina Menzel lol as the Wicked Witch cuz mind you, The witch is old and ugly and doesnt sing too much in The Wizard of Oz lol.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:30pm

The Wiz was a brilliant reconceptualization of the classic story using all African-American talent. The movie got a bit off track, but I liked its use of New York as a setting keeping in the spirit of viewing something familiar in a new and different way. If the show is staged well, it can be thrilling and fun. Otherwise, it can seem trite and dull (which I have witnessed).

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:31pm

The Wiz did very well. It played the Majestic and then moved over to The Broadway. I saw it 3 times and met Stephanie Mill before a matinee. I hear Anika is not going to do the revival. I think they should wait awhile (several years!)for The Wizard of OZ. I agree it would be overkill.

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 1:39pm

The show was first done in London. It was produced by The Royal Shakespeare Company. It featured all the MGM songs. The screenplay was adapted by John Kane. They also added in "The Jitterbug" number, which was cut from the film. I think it ran over 1000 performances so....but that was back in the 80's so yes, I think you're all right, we'd have to wait awhile. Plus with Wicked still running and talk of reviving the Wiz... Broadway would just become one big Oz and all the shows would probably close so not for awhile...thank you to everyone, it was greatly appreciated. You can still give me your opinions though if you have more

[timote316]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 2:49pm

The WOZ would be a big hit, IMO, granted its halfway decent. As long as the show isnt a complete waste of time because its so bad, it'll probably make some money do to its name. And, I agree, doing it now would be overkill. I just don't think Broadway could handle Wicked, The Wiz and WOZ all at the same time.

[JMVR]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 2:58pm

Dear Derek2: First of all, best of luck in becoming a producer. I believe that the success of a good production of the Wizard Of Oz (hopefully yours) would depend greatly on timing.

Let's say you open in a season when Beauty and the Beast has closed, Disney has no major familiy show and Wicked has ceased to be a sold-out affair. Maybe you could then capture all those family audiences and make a buck. If however, you open in the same year when, say Disney opens "Little Mermaid" or "Mary Poppins" and you have B&B and Lion King plus Wicked against you, it would be hard for your show to make a profit, especially since it is bound to be a very expensive production.

I did see the US Touring show and thought it was good, although the Munchkin scene always is hard to stage because we all expect to see hundreds of little people, not a dozen kids or adults in trick costumes. There was also the Madison Square Garden production with Mickey Rooney as the Wizard, listen to the CD to maybe get some ideas of how a stage version would sound.

[Seany]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 3:02pm

In the production I was in, we had over 50 very talented children as the munchkins.

But to be on topic more...I think a production of Wizard of Oz would be very successful, yet might be better as a limited engagement thing.

Updated On: 8/13/04 at 03:02 PM

[Derek2]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 3:06pm

Thanks everyone for all your opinions and support

[Jussoc]

Posted: 8/13/04 at 4:06pm

Being in the show I can say that it was a hell of lot of fun. One of the best parts about that if the show were to run professionally would be that you could do so much with it. Because the show has been adapted so many times over the years and because everyone knows the show it would make it very easy to get away with a few changes to keep it interesting.
Also because the show has been around for so long the actors would be very able to create fantastic characters based off of the develops of the same characters in past productions.
In my opionin the only thing you would have to change would be some of the more childish humor and jokes, so that you could create a more diverse audience for the show.