Posted: 10/22/15 at 11:49pm
Neil Meron announced tonight at the Wiz Live event that the musical is 100% intending to come to Broadway in Fall 2016 with the NBC staging. He talked for a while about it, and they sort of hinted that Shanice Williams will be back to play Dorothy.
Updated On: 10/22/15 at 11:49 PM
Posted: 10/23/15 at 1:15am
can the revival also cast Shanice from 1991's I Love Your Smile. Shanice & Shanice in The Wiz
Posted: 6/2/16 at 11:35am
Not sure if it's happening or not but it's up on Telecharge, which seems to hint at the fact it is indeed happening.
https://www.telecharge.com/Broadway/The-Wiz/Overview
Posted: 6/2/16 at 11:41am
There was a panel discussion / performance reuniting several major cast members and creatives from the TV special yesterday in Los Angeles. I wonder if the topic of the planned Broadway production came up....
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-Cast-of-THE-WIZ-LIVE-Reunite-for-Panel-Discussion-Live-Musical-Performances-20160602
Posted: 6/2/16 at 11:56am
maybe this will replace SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE as it seems to DOA?
Posted: 6/2/16 at 12:04pm
I think this is a huge mistake. After seeing the televised live event it was clear that the structure of the story and the script itself (with a really unsuccessful revision by Harvey Fierstein) is just not sophisticated enough for Broadway in 2016. Also the staging and choreography (if they in fact are going to transplant the tv version to the stage) is just bland...it wasn't the least bit as creative as the original. They used men in gold glittery suits to represent the yellow brick road (that's theater), the televised live event did not (in my opinion and i may be in the large minority) have a drop of what I consider to be theatrical thinking in it.
That aside, I'm not sure it's possible to put the Wizard of Oz on Broadway at all these days. We know the story, we have the movie, and its structure is just too old fashioned to really captivate audiences. Wicked (say what you want about how good/bad you think it is) works because it's using what we love (all the elements of Oz) and is telling us the untold story. The Wiz revival, although it has GREAT music, will not be able to steal any of Wicked's audience. Unless they are planning to pack this with stars to grab ticket buyers attention I just don't think it will work.
L. Frank Baum wrote dozens of Oz stories....if they want to do Oz, why not tell another chapter that we aren't so familiar with.
Posted: 6/2/16 at 4:46pm
I am in complete agreement with you. I loved it the one time I saw it in 1975 (not enough to have ever wanted to see it again, though), but the recent production was very static and that had nothing to do with its being on TV. It just wasn't good. Also, the early songs were really bad...even Ease on Down didn't sound good. I don't think today's audiences would have patience. Also, we really have enough shows that children can attend...so it won't benefit from that, as it did 40 years ago.
Posted: 6/2/16 at 4:57pm
The question we all asked last fall is still on the table: who would pay these prices to see an entertainment -- not anyone's idea of a bona fide classic -- that's already aired on TV and is available for viewing? They might've run the show two years, recast with stars, then done the TV broadcast. Not the reverse. Broadway costs too much for this 1980ish idea.
Posted: 6/2/16 at 5:29pm
I think Paramour's success, makes this project's prospects much higher.
Updated On: 6/2/16 at 05:29 PM
Posted: 6/2/16 at 7:17pm
^ agreed. And if they get some of the stars to reprise their roles from the NBC performance mixed in with new stars, that would be a coup. I would still love to see Janelle Monae in this, but I don't know if she'd take one of the three witches.
Posted: 6/2/16 at 7:39pm
Just rematched the live special On Demand this past weekend and oof was it creakier than I remembered.
That being said, I think most of its failings were from its ludicrously stagebound setup.
Posted: 6/2/16 at 7:53pm
The TV version was garbage- and it will be very expensive to run if they do it on Broadway- those dolls will not be working for scale. Some great music but horrible book....it was of it's time. If they do it- good luck.
