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The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

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#2

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 7/8/11 at 1:59pm

Stephanie Mills *was* in serious consideration to reprise her Broadway role. This was when it was a lower budgeted production that was being produced by Motown Productions.

Miss Ross got wind of it and she contacted Berry Gordy, who told her she was too old for the part. Since Miss Ross doesn't take no for an answer she got Rob Cohen from Universal involved. Cohen loved the idea and got in contact with Berry Gordy and convinced him to cast Diana and in turn Universal would co-produce the film with Motown.

This afforded them a much bigger budget than intended, financial security and a big star in the lead to assure box office success.

We all know how *that* turned out.
#3

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 7/8/11 at 2:07pm

Too bad Lena Horne didn't have the push that Diana Ross had. Lena wanted to play Evillene but they made her play Glinda instead (and Lena's son-in-law was the director of the film!!).
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#4

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 7/8/11 at 2:29pm

I saw Ms. Mills 3 times in "The Wiz". All three times were thrilling. Needless to say seeing and hearing her sing "Home" live gave me goosebumps. And she changed it up each time I saw it. Each time was more thrilling. I actually got to chat with her before a performance when it moved to the Broadway Theater. She was sitting on the fire escape in her costume eating a PB&J sandwich. She was very nice.

They had to drag me almost to see the movie. Casting Ross was a travesty.
Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder

Updated On: 7/8/11 at 02:29 PM

#5

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 7/8/11 at 8:05pm

At the time I saw the original production of THE WIZ, it was the worst musical I had ever seen. Even hating it as I did, I found Stephanie Mills the only reason for it to exist. The film is simply the same rotten show, with no reason for its existence. Just a freak show, from start to finish. Of course, I've seen way worse musicals since I originally saw THE WIZ.
#6

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 7/8/11 at 10:04pm

I actually finished watching the movie last night, and I have to say that Diana's version of Home really wasn't as dreadful as I expected and I was surprised at the way she belted some of those notes, as shaky as they may have been at first. Still, Stephanie's version is just Earth shattering and I consider it quite a Tony snub, same as Chita Rivera not being nominated for West Side Story. If they ever revive The Wiz, I hope they'll find a fresh new face to play Dorothy, I feel like Home presents a fabulous oppurtunity to turn a young hopeful into a Broadway star overnight.
#8

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 7/9/11 at 12:42am

Where is Ms. Mills, now? She hasn't seemed to make a movie, record, or do a show in decades. How is she making a living? It's not like "Home" gets tons of spins on radio to give her royalties. (I'm a radio person. Never played it, and can't think of the last time I even heard it.)
"There is no use trying," said Alice; "one can't believe impossible things." "I dare say you haven't had the practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." --Alice in Wonderland
#9

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 7/9/11 at 3:38am

Mills is brilliant (The Medicine Song, anyone?) But I would never wish this atrocity on her, and she prob would have been a bit lost in the "all star" cast. Such a tremendously wrong headed movie.

Mills has done a few gay prides in North American I know. She seems to be doing well. (Controversially with her Pride stuff she also performed for the Pope a bit back)
#10

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 7/9/11 at 9:08am

I know she recently got married...but that was in like 07 (still recent, right?) She and Melba Moore were supposed to tour in a musical about civil rights, but I don't think it ever happened.
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#11

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 7/9/11 at 5:04pm

Here she sings on the Mike Douglas (or Merv Griffin?) show. The way she sings the song with such passion and honesty is magnificent.

Also notice that at 1 min and 30 sec in it looks like she responds to a sour note played by a horn player.

(btw I remember seeing a touring company of The Wiz in the late seventies and a young girl named Lilias White was playing Dorothy.)
Home
#12

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 7/9/11 at 5:13pm

@EricMontreal: When Mills was being considered for the role the movie was going to be a much more faithful rendition of the stage show. It was only when Ross and Universal stepped in that it was re-worked the way that it was and over blown.
#14

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 7/9/11 at 7:02pm

I wonder why we haven't seen Stephanie in any of those "Broadway Leading Ladies" -type shows on PBS. She would really stop the show with Home, today. Maybe she didn't want to do it, or maybe they didn't bother to ask her.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
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#15

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 7/9/11 at 7:21pm

Didn't Stephanie play Sarah in one of the productions of Ragtime (Chicago, I think)?

The Wiz was my 3rd Broadway show, and I definitely remember seeing her at the performance I saw.
Hey Dottie! Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany
#20

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 8/11/15 at 6:25pm

Interestingly, Roxy, I feel like the MAME musical film is otherwise quite good...especially with the addition of Robert Preston as Beauregard Burnside. Unfortunately, picking Ball was just so awful that it brought the whole product down. One of the biggest blunders in casting history.

But hey, it preserved Bea Arthur's iconic Vera Charles...

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#22

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 2/6/22 at 7:35pm

Stephanie Mills is a living legend and has MANY hit records. Home is played and listened to all the time but she has bigger hits than Home. If you use social media and actually tried to find her you would see that she's on social media and is still touring and doing concerts that sell out almost every night. She did her first to shows last month one in New Jersey and the second in her Hometown Brooklyn, and she turned the house OUT. In a few days she will be touring with Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight.

#25

The reason Stephanie Mills should have been in The Wiz movie.

Posted: 2/6/22 at 11:50pm

Briken4L said: "Stephanie Mills is a living legend and has MANY hit records. Home is played and listened to all the time but she has bigger hits than Home. If you use social media and actually tried to find her you would see that she's on social media and is still touring and doing concerts that sell out almost every night. She did her first to shows last month one in New Jersey and the second in her Hometown Brooklyn, and she turned the house OUT. In a few days she will be touring with Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight."

Was this a response to lovepuppy's question at #8 of where Mills is now? If so, did you really bump an old thread that hadn't been commented on since 2015 to lecture someone about a comment from 2011?

Updated On: 2/6/22 at 11:50 PM

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