Next year: 40th Anniversary of THE WIZ- Page 2

[morosco]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 11:30am

Lillias as Dorothy.

[Starship]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 11:52am

I've been hoping for revival of this production for some time. It's a colorful show with some great music and casting opportunities.

Leslie Odom Jr. as Scarecrow
Dulé Hill as Tin Man
James Monroe Iglehart as Cowardly Lion
Lillias White as Evillene
Kecia Lewis Evans as Aunt Em/Glinda
André De Shields as The Wizard

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 11:56am

I agree that Em/Evillene doesn't work...but I think Lillias would amaze on "Feelings...", my favorite song in the show.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 12:04pm

Mine, too. And Tasha Thomas's performance of it on the album is one of my all-time favorite anythings.

It's so sad that she died so young.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 12:05pm

Morosco, those pics are wonderful--thank you for sharing! I actually never knew she'd played the part.

Those big eyes full of wonder! I bet that worked like gangbusters.

[Brick]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 12:24pm

I love this score so much and I find looking at the pictures and video from the original production is much the experience of looking at archival from the original production of JC SUPERSTAR, in that the original production was so much more wildly imaginative than any production I've ever seen.

The score could use some updating, I will say. I've always thought it would be great to have a hip-hop star producer take a crack at it. Many songs could stay the soulful ballads they are, but I think it would be great it could feel contemprary, too.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 12:26pm

LOVE those pics of Lillias!

I'm trying to find the cast for that last production with Stephanie that played in Harlem in the early 90s?

The Aunt Em/Glinda was phenominal...I remember tearing up in the beginning of the show!

And, Stephanie was as bright and wide eyed as ever.

I think that if Lillias was given "Feelings We Once Had" it would last 15 minutes...which'd be okay with me!

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 1:02pm

I saw the original production on Broadway and cast 3 times. Actually talked to Stephanie Mills before a matinee. She was sitting outside of the theater eating a p&j sandwich.

Regarding the post about the original sets loking 70's, well, it was the 70's. I would love a revival of this show with an unknown discovery as Dorothy. JMO

Updated On: 7/1/14 at 01:02 PM

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 2:11pm

Uncageg, that's a great story!

[dreaming]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 2:21pm

I'd love to see Stephanie Mills as Glinda in a bit of 'stunt casting'. I don't know the show well outside of "Home," "Ease on Down the Road" and "Everybody Rejoice". I like the above picks a great deal. I just thought I'd throw out the idea of Mills being in a revival.

[Starship]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 2:27pm

How glorious would it be to see Aretha Franklin play Evillene. Bring back André as The Wiz, Stephanie Mills as Glinda, and you've got yourself an all-star cast. Updated On: 6/27/14 at 02:27 PM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 2:59pm

Good luck getting Mills to sing what's in the score. She still has a great voice, I love the cast recordings of The Wiz and Children of Eden, but she has the "every note on the page is meant to be a major scale" pop syndrome.

[smallvillefan16]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 11:07pm

I think Tiffany Evans would be great for Dorothy. It would be interesting if they went with someone like Zendaya for Dorothy.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/27/14 at 11:27pm

I want Macy Gray to play the Lion.

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 6/28/14 at 1:05am

I think you're joking, but I actually really love that idea ^.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/28/14 at 6:04pm

"I think you're joking, but I actually really love that idea ^."

No I'm serious. I think she has such a distinctive voice. I think there are better choices for Dorothy, Auntie Em, Glinda and Evillene, but I think Macy could have a ball with the lion's role.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 6/30/14 at 6:40pm

I love the idea for a revival of the original Geoffrey Holder production. When I was a kid I wore out the "Tornado" music from the Original Broadway Cast Album. That is one funky track!

I love all the suggestions that some of you have come up with...and I'm loving the pics and videos!

Thanks for reminding me what a great little show this is!

[alterego]

Posted: 6/30/14 at 11:23pm

I'm with you best12bars and I'll fly in from Australia to see it!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/1/14 at 1:26am

I, personally, would be all for a modified version of the original production.
I love the original designs, but think that for a modern audience, the execution would need a touch more polish. I also feel that studying the full run of the original Broadway production and each of the subsequent tours of the original production and conflating elements together would be best since the production did evolve over the years.. It also wouldn't be entirely bad to examine and perhaps use certain elements from the 84 revival, also directed by Holder and heavily inspired by the original production.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 7/1/14 at 9:13am

^ Might also be wise to take some cues from the 1993 revival Faison directed and choreographed which played the Beacon Theater. All it took was a little (to quote Stephen Holden's Times review) "infusion of contemporary slang and choreography [...] to bring it up to date." Play with it a little bit, but don't lose the essence.

Also, take your cue from every single review of the show, to date, ever, and do something about the damn sound design. Every reviewer going back to 1975 has always commented on the overall sound of the show, and it has never been favorable.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 7/1/14 at 12:16pm

What is SO tricky about The Wiz is that it is SUCH a product of it's time...
You can get away with it as a period piece though.

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/1/14 at 1:18pm

I don't know that I would call it a period piece. It has a great score that I think would stand up well today. Plus, it is The Wizard of Oz.

Reginald, I actually chatted with he for a short while about the show and she told me she wanted to see the show I was on my way to but couldn' t. I had dropped my cousin off at the theater to see The Wiz and I was seeing Annie. Oh, and she was wearng " the dress"!

Updated On: 9/14/14 at 01:18 PM

[Replacement Cast]

Posted: 7/1/14 at 1:34pm

I saw the original -- my first B'way show. Great production and clever staging (tornado, yellow brick road.) Amazing talent too -- Battle, Bridgewater, DeSheilds, Thomas, King, Ross. I also saw the tour years later with Lillias as Dorothy. I knew then that she was going to be a star!

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 7/1/14 at 2:14pm

Can I put in a vote for Quincy Jones' orchestrations from the movie? They were one of the few redeeming features and I would love to hear those replicated on a stage.

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/1/14 at 8:52pm

His orchestrations were the best thing about that movie. I a tually went through two copies of the soundtrack.