WIZ Casting

Posted: 4/25/04 at 2:18pm

So I know I know we aren't casting directors, blah blah blah, if you don't wanna play don't play

who would y'all like to see in the roles!!?? suggestions..?

Dorothy - ???
Scarecrow - Darius De Haas
Tin Man - ???
Lion - Billy Porter
Aunt Em - Roz Ryan
Adaperle - Sharon Wilkins
Gate Keeper -
Wiz - Ben Vereen
Evilene - Jennifer Holliday, Lilias White
Glinda - Stephanie Mills

[DAME]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 2:21pm

Dorothy-Tamayra gray

[BroadwayBound06]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 2:30pm

Scarecrow: Michael Jackson

Posted: 4/25/04 at 2:32pm

Tamyara sounds fun! so you're going with an older teenage dorothy?

[DAME]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 2:35pm

Oh yes. And in person she appears even younger.

[Kavana]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 2:47pm

The movie and show were not the same right?
In the movie Dorothy was a Teacher in Harlem
The show she was on a farm.

Dorothy - Jennifer Hudson/Deborah Cox

Lion - Deborah Cox - did anyone see her on the Michael Jackson concert?

Scarecrow - Corey Reynolds

Evilene - Mary Bond D - (she scares me)

Tinman - André De Shields - the original Wizard???
Updated On: 4/25/04 at 02:47 PM

[DAME]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 2:53pm

Physically Jennifer Hudson is worng for dorothy. And Cox is a little too old.

Posted: 4/25/04 at 3:00pm

Who's Jennifer Hudson?

and no I didn't see the Michael Jackson Concert, what did Deborah do that you wanna cast her as Lion??

[Kavana]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 3:02pm

Jennifer Hudson was the latest kicked off American Idol...i could see her as Effie in Dreamgirls too.

Deborah was the lion in The Wiz tribute to Michael

[Kavana]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 3:03pm

Updated On: 4/25/04 at 03:03 PM

Posted: 4/25/04 at 3:07pm

lol what did she do that was so spectacular?!

[DAME]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 3:20pm

who?

Posted: 4/25/04 at 3:21pm

debrah as the lion, what did she do that made you wanna cast her as the lion in the bdway production, did she belt and growl the hell outta it, what was so special about her performance??

[King Stevos]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 4:08pm

Daphne Ruben Vega would be a great eviliene. and Chris Rock should be the wiz.

Dorthy should be the 16 yr old girl from this seasons American Idol, she would be great.

STEVOS

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 4:18pm

I agree with Ben Vareen as the Wiz and Corey Reynolds as the scarecrow. I think Heather Headley would be a really good Dorthy. I think LaToya from American Idol could pull it off too.

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 5:35pm

How bout Kimberly Locke from the 2nd season of american idol as dorothy....that girl can sing!~!

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 5:42pm

DeQuina Moore from Little Shop of Horrors should be Dorothy! I'd love to see her star in that.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 7:37pm

Dorothy- Tamyra Gray
Scarecrow- Corey Reynolds
Tinman- Darius De Haas
Lion- Billy Porter
Evilene- Mary Bond Davis

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 4/25/04 at 11:34pm

i wish billy would do it - but he won't
his ass needs to be back on broadway!

[Thetruth]

Posted: 4/26/04 at 1:47am

Kimg Stevos, I hope you're not talking about Diana Degarmo. She's terrible. My vote goes to Tamyra for Dorothy.

[Songsstresss]

Posted: 4/26/04 at 2:02am

I ADORE Diana Degarmo. Not sure if she could handle the role (although I know very little about this show. Also, is it written specifically for Dorothy in The Wiz to be played by a black performer?

[DivaMommy]

Posted: 4/26/04 at 2:21am

Lilias White would sing the crap out of Evilene! How about LaChanze for Glinda. I do like the idea of Tamyra Gray for Dorothy. And Darius DeHaas is genius for the Scarecrow! "I was booooooooooooooorn on the day before yesterday!"

I hope they update some of the orchestrations.

And, I saw a production a few summers ago that incorporated the "Pit Singers" into the show. It was fabulous.

I think this is such a fabulous show! Will they cast it all black? Does it have a stipulation like Once On This Island that it has to be all black when performed professionally?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/26/04 at 2:54am

"The Wiz" was originally conceived as a black version of "The Wizard of Oz" with an R&B/ gospel score. The entire original cast, composer, director, choreographer et al were black, as was the look and sensibility of the show. For example, the Yellow Brick Road was personified by four brothers with huge yellow afros, hip yellow costumes and large yellow canes (they acted as silent sentries on the journey and Dorothy, Scarecrow etc "eased on down the road" by dancing between and around them).

The revival apparently may include a multiracial cast, which potentially could undermine the whole purpose of the show if not handled properly. After all, if you want to have a white Dorothy, then why not just get the rights for the stage adaptation of the 1939 film version? I suppose it's not as crucial that the Lion, Scarecrow and Tinman be played by black actors since they are heavily made up anyway (although there was never a moment's doubt as to the ethnicity of the original cast's Ted Ross, Hinton Battle and Tiger Haynes). But, IMO, casting Dorothy, Aunt Em, The Wiz, perhaps even Evilene, et al with anyone other than black actors, fundamentally alters the show, and not for the better.

Updated On: 4/26/04 at 02:54 AM

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 4/26/04 at 8:12am

thank you margo!!!!!

amen

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 4/26/04 at 8:31am

Dequina Moore as Dorothy!!!

and, agree with leo, well said, margo!