We go deep with Phillip Johnson Richardson on the real stuff behind a Broadway glow up. He opens up about being a young Black man showing vulnerability onstage, the pressure to be perfect, and how identity, belonging, and mental health shape the work.
THE WIZ National Tour Tickets to Go On Sale in Little Rock
The tour of The Wiz will play four performances January 8-10 at Robinson Center.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz
Tickets for the Little Rock, Arkansas engagement of The Wiz will go on sale Monday, November 2nd at 10am for 4 performances, January 8-10, 2026 (Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2pm & 7:30pm, Sunday at 1pm).
Fresh off its landmark 50th Anniversary Tour, The Wiz returns with a new national tour, bringing the groundbreaking musical to audiences from coast to coast. This next chapter continues to celebrate the timeless story, unforgettable music, and electrifying theatrical magic that have inspired generations of theatergoers.
This iconic, culture-defining reimagining of The Wizard of Oz changed the face of Broadway - from its iconic score packed with soul, gospel, rock, and '70s funk to its stirring tale of Dorothy's journey to find her place in a contemporary world.
Featuring a book by William F. Brown and a Tony Award-winning score by Charlie Smalls (and others), director Schele Williams (The Notebook), award-winning choreographer JaQuel Knight (Beyoncé's “Single Ladies,” Black is King), writer of additional material by Tony-nominated and Emmy-nominated writer and TV host Amber Ruffin (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Late Night With Seth Meyers”), Joseph Joubert (music supervision, orchestrations, & music arrangements), Allen René Louis (vocal arrangements, music arrangements), and Emmy Award-winning music director and Grammy Award-winning writer, Adam Blackstone and Terence Vaughn (Dance Music Arrangers) conjure up an Oz unlike anything ever seen before. A dynamite infusion of ballet, jazz, and modern pop bring a whole new groove to easing on down the road.
The Wiz design team includes scenic design by Academy Award-winning Hannah Beachler (Black Panther, Beyoncé's Black is King and Lemonade), costume design by Emmy Award-winning and two-time Academy Award-nominated Sharen Davis (Ray, Dreamgirls), lighting design by Barrymore Award-winning Ryan J. O'Gara (Thoughts of a Colored Man), sound design by Jon Weston (Parade), video and projection design by Daniel Brodie (Motown the Musical), original wig design by Charles LaPointe (MJ the Musical) and original make-up design by Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche (The Piano Lesson). The production also includes 'Everybody Rejoice' music and lyrics by Luther Vandross, as well as the 'Emerald City Ballet' with music by Timothy Graphenreed.
Based on L. Frank Baum's children's book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, The Wiz takes one of the world's most enduring (and enduringly white) American fantasies and transforms it into an all-Black musical extravaganza for the ages.
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THE WIZ. COMPOSER: Charlie Smalls. LYRICIST: Charlie Smalls. BOOK: William F. Brown. SOURCE: L. Frank Baum’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) DIRECTOR: Geoffrey Holder. CHOREOGRAPHER: George Faison.
This week we're celebrating Black History Month with a musical so groundbreaking, it has a tornado! Broadway legend (AIN'T MISBEHAVIN, CATS), and Cowardly Lion, Ken Page joins us to discuss the history, artistry, and sheer belief that brought about the musical THE WIZ.
"Ease on down the road..." This week Jess & Andrew take a look at "The Wiz The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" They chat about Jess' relationship with the show from high school, whether or not the trio of heroes would survive without Dorthy, and of course-- the muppets.
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