The Wiz Revival (1984 AND when will there be another?)

[Joshua Rosenthal]

Posted: 8/28/20 at 8:10am

Can anyone who saw The Wiz on Broadway, especially the infamous 84 revival tell me what it was like? Also, there is a full bootleg of the revival and I noticed that it sounds like some, of not all, of the songs are sped up, even the overture. Anyone know why this is? The dialogue seems normal paced so I dont think its an edit issue. Also, who wants a revival when Broadway comes back? And what dream cast do you have in mind? <3 Thanks!

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 8/28/20 at 9:22am

I would love to see a revival. It was in the works after The Wiz Live aired, but it obviously never happened further. I think Hailey Kilgore would be great, or they can do another nationwide casting call.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/28/20 at 12:41pm

For me, the TV show a few years back confirmed what I already felt: that the Wiz was of its time and is badly dated.  There were quite a few seriously dead spots as well...for me the first half hour was lethal.

I doubt we will ever see a full-scale revival of the Wiz on Broadway again.  

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/28/20 at 1:57pm

I've seen that bootleg and the quality is kind of incredible considering the age.

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 8/28/20 at 7:51pm

Why did they play a short amount of time? Was this always the plan? 

[Joshua Rosenthal]

Posted: 8/29/20 at 12:55am

Yeah. I’m also impressed that they managed to get the whole thing in pretty good quality for the time being I assume and a good shot. From what I remember the camera doesn’t jostle a whole lot really.

[Joshua Rosenthal]

Posted: 8/29/20 at 1:00am

Well I read somewhere that the show was actually on tour and it has made a pit stop on Broadway. I don’t know whether or not this pit stop was an actual pit stop or if it was like “we’re on tour, now let’s stay on Broadway” and/or if they had another cast go on the tour before, during or after the Broadway revival started. Also, the movie had just come out relatively recently so perhaps people weren’t too eager to see the show since it was already making its way via tour and film? I may be wrong with some of this info it’s just what I remeber reading somewhere. I was born way after this so I have no personal input. Hope I helped with this!

[A Director]

Posted: 8/29/20 at 3:57am

Jarethan said: "For me, the TV show a few years backconfirmed what I already felt: thatthe Wiz was of its time and is badly dated. There were quite a few seriously dead spots as well...for me the first half hour was lethal.

I doubt we will ever see a full-scale revival of the Wiz on Broadway again."

Please give some examples to support your statement about The Wiz being badly dated.

 

[Ledaero]

Posted: 8/30/20 at 5:05pm

There is a Wiz Revival that is trying to be produced. It was developed at the MUNY a few years back, rewriting a lot of the book and rearranging the score to make the show work better. I got to work on a production last summer at Music Circus that used many of the new arrangements and they are excellent. They were holding off on a Broadway transfer until William Brown passed so that they didn't have to be as concerned about royalties/rewrite concerns, and since he passed last summer I expect that the revival will go full speed ahead with trying to get to Broadway once everything reopens. We'll see what'll happen with the estates, but that's what I know.

[A Director]

Posted: 8/30/20 at 7:52pm

Ledaero said: "There is a Wiz Revival that is trying to be produced. It was developed at the MUNY a few years back, rewriting a lot of the book and rearranging the score to make the showwork better. I got to work on a production last summer at Music Circus that used many of the new arrangements and they are excellent. They were holding off on a Broadway transfer until William Brown passed so that they didn't have to be as concerned about royalties/rewrite concerns, and since he passed last summer I expect that the revival will go full speed ahead with trying to get to Broadway once everything reopens. We'll see what'll happen with the estates, but that's what I know."

Your comments give the impression William Brown didn't know about the changes.  This article and others about the MUNY production say he knew. As for royalties, his estate would have something to say the matter. https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Amber-Ruffin-to-Contribute-New-Material-for-The-Munys-THE-WIZ-20180514

 

[markypoo]

Posted: 8/30/20 at 8:08pm

There was also a production that played - I think - the Beacon Theatre in '93 that also had a brief run. Don't know any more details.

[temms]

Posted: 8/30/20 at 9:30pm

Those tour tempos are insanely fast. An actor I was discussing it with once pointed out that it's a pretty long show with a lot of book, and a lot of music not on the album so it was probably always faster in the theatre than on the album, otherwise it would be nearly a 3-hour show. It makes sense, especially if the tempos gradually crept up over the years which I suspect they did. But yeah, it's crazy.

I thoroughly reject the notion that THE WIZ or many other shows are "dated" - they are of their era. I would so much rather see a WIZ that embraces what it is and does it as a '70s soul/Motown score. Use the "Shaft" wah-wah pedal wherever it's marked in the score. Don't modernize the grooves. Keep the riffing stylistic to the period. I did a production that way and the response was over-the-top terrific. People complimented the brilliant concept, which was to not change it but for some reason we've decided that when it's the '70s we have to "fix" it.

[Joshua Rosenthal]

Posted: 8/31/20 at 6:38am

temms said: "Those tour tempos are insanely fast. An actor I was discussing it with once pointed out that it's a pretty long show with a lot of book, and a lot of music not on the album so it was probably always faster in the theatre than on the album, otherwise it would be nearly a 3-hour show. It makes sense, especially if the tempos graduallycrept up over the years which I suspect they did. But yeah, it's crazy.

I thoroughly reject the notion that THE WIZ or many other shows are "dated" - they are of their era. I would so much rather see a WIZ that embraces what it is and does it as a '70s soul/Motown score. Use the "Shaft" wah-wah pedal wherever it's marked in the score. Don't modernize the grooves. Keep the riffing stylistic to the period. I did a production that way and the response was over-the-top terrific. People complimented the brilliant concept, which was to not change it but for some reason we've decided that when it's the '70s we have to "fix" it."

But in The Wiz Live! and in school productions, the tempo is normal. As for the length of the show, it’s actually shorter that your average show, clocking in at about 2h5 minutes. I agree that there is some music not on the album, which I wish wasn’t true. Especially in terms of the overture. It’s so beautiful and amazing and I wish the OBCR had the full one instead of the short “Ease on Down the Road” prologue instead. Thankfully there exists a recording of the original production I think from opening night in YouTube if the sings including the full overture. The ‘84 one is of course much faster. It is crazy how it’s sped up so much. Like a lot of it. I like how it works for the song “So You Wanted to Meet the Wizard” though. 
 

yeah I don’t think that the show is dated either. I’m terms of the music, also no. While I’m open to seeing a modernized production even in terms of music (more so than the live broadcast version), I feel as though the Motown 70s sound is timelessly appropriate for the show, the songs still being great to listen to today. 

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/31/20 at 7:20pm

The show is a period piece. That is not "dated", that is "of a moment". It holds up.

Personally, I would love to see a production recreate or stick tightly to the original production.

The 1984 Revival was a tour, yes. It's nice to see how much of it was faithful to the original and some of the newer things were fun, but some things are cringe inducing - ie, Glinda.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 8/31/20 at 8:49pm

I admit that the one production I worked on (almost 20 years ago now) the director did a lot of (very likely unauthorized) cutting, so I didn't even see the whole script (we received ones that she had already edited). I do recall her saying that a lot of the jokes were very rooted in 70s humor (I specifically remember her mentioning a lot of psychiatrist/therapy jokes that she cut), and I've always assumed that when most people refer to the showing being dated it is the book and humor they are talking about. I don't think I've ever encountered anyone who thought the score itself was the part that needed to be updated to a more contemporary sound.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/31/20 at 9:31pm

AEA AGMA SM said: "I admit that the one production I worked on (almost 20 years ago now) the director did a lot of (very likely unauthorized) cutting, so I didn't even see the whole script (we received ones that she had already edited). I do recall her saying that a lot of the jokes were very rooted in 70s humor (I specifically remember her mentioning a lot of psychiatrist/therapy jokes that she cut), and I've always assumed that when most people refer to the showing being dated it is the book and humor they are talking about. I don't think I've ever encountered anyone who thought the score itself was the part that needed to be updated to a more contemporary sound."

The Lion has a VERY extensive running joke about having a psychiatrist Owl.

[Joshua Rosenthal]

Posted: 9/1/20 at 2:04am

broadwayguy2 said: "AEA AGMA SM said: "I admit that the one production I worked on (almost 20 years ago now) the director did a lot of (very likely unauthorized) cutting, so I didn't even see the whole script (we received ones that she had already edited). I do recall her saying that a lot of the jokes were very rooted in 70s humor (I specifically remember her mentioning a lot of psychiatrist/therapy jokes that she cut), and I've always assumed that when most people refer to the showing being dated it is the book and humor they are talking about. I don't think I've ever encountered anyone who thought the score itself was the part that needed to be updated to a more contemporary sound."

The Lion has a VERY extensive running joke about having a psychiatrist Owl."

Yes! I was thinking this and was just About to say this too :). I played the Lion in my school’s production so I instantly recalled upon reading this, all of his jokes about the Owl and pills and stuff. Good times. Great role. Amazing show. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 9/1/20 at 2:07am

A Director said: "Jarethan said: "For me, the TV show a few years backconfirmed what I already felt: thatthe Wiz was of its time and is badly dated. There were quite a few seriously dead spots as well...for me the first half hour was lethal.

I doubt we will ever see a full-scale revival of the Wiz on Broadway again."

Please give some examples to support your statement about The Wiz being badly dated.

Just get a copy of the book.  It has so many corny jokes that are cringeworthy today.

 

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 9/1/20 at 2:07am

A Director said: "Jarethan said: "For me, the TV show a few years backconfirmed what I already felt: thatthe Wiz was of its time and is badly dated. There were quite a few seriously dead spots as well...for me the first half hour was lethal.

I doubt we will ever see a full-scale revival of the Wiz on Broadway again."

Please give some examples to support your statement about The Wiz being badly dated.

Just get a copy of the book.  It has so many corny jokes that are cringeworthy today.

 

 

[darreyl102]

Posted: 9/1/20 at 4:55am

Joshua Rosenthal said: "broadwayguy2 said: "AEA AGMA SM said: "I admit that the one production I worked on (almost 20 years ago now) the director did a lot of (very likely unauthorized) cutting, so I didn't even see the whole script (we received ones that she had already edited). I do recall her saying that a lot of the jokes were very rooted in 70s humor (I specifically remember her mentioning a lot of psychiatrist/therapy jokes that she cut), and I've always assumed that when most people refer to the showing being dated it is the book and humor they are talking about. I don't think I've ever encountered anyone who thought the score itself was the part that needed to be updated to a more contemporary sound."

The Lion has a VERY extensive running joke about having a psychiatrist Owl."

Yes! I was thinking this and was just About to say this too :). I played the Lion in my school’s production so I instantly recalled upon reading this, all of his jokes about the Owl and pills and stuff. Good times. Great role. Amazing show."

Even in the revised script for the NBC broadcast, the lion referenced his owl therapist. Tho only briefly

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 9/3/20 at 2:28pm

Why was the 1984 revival "infamous"? I honestly don't know much about this show, but am curious to check it out.

[Ledaero]

Posted: 9/4/20 at 12:50am

Your comments give the impression William Brown didn't know about the changes. This article and others about the MUNY production say he knew. As for royalties, his estate would have something to say the matter.https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Amber-Ruffin-to-Contribute-New-Material-for-The-Munys-THE-WIZ-20180514

It's not that William Brown didn't know about the changes, of course the got his permission and blessing. But the financial payout for royalties are very different between regional and Broadway, and that larger split was what was holding back the production. At least that is what I was told from a source on the creative team.