The Wiz

[ontheT]

Posted: 6/25/05 at 2:34pm

Hey all-
does anyone know where i can find pictures from the original broadway production of The Wiz? i can't seem to find any. any help would be much appericiated. :) thanks

[nmartin]

Posted: 6/25/05 at 2:38pm

I don't know where you can find pictures, but the tornado was the most visually stunning part of that show.

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 6/25/05 at 2:52pm

Oh there use to be this site I use to go to that had the original pictures from the show...I don't remember what happened to it....I'll try to find it.

[ontheT]

Posted: 6/25/05 at 2:58pm

thanks!

[Thenardier]

Posted: 6/25/05 at 3:00pm

Thanks...unmasked.

On pbs site...they talk to Andre de Shields about the civil rights movement on BRoadway and there's a picture of him.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 6/25/05 at 3:01pm

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 6/25/05 at 3:17pm

how did they do the tornado??

[BwayLeadman]

Posted: 6/26/05 at 12:40am

I am a TORNADO FANATIC. when I did The Wiz, that was my total favorite part of the whole show.
I have searched over and over for pics of the show...
The only pics ive seen is the pic in the OBCR.

[FosseBoi]

Posted: 12/22/05 at 10:48pm

I'm bumping this because I FINALLY got the CD today and I'm DYEING to see pic.s. I did a google search but it didnt help.

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 3:55am

Guy's I can't find the site.......sorry

I do have pictures though from the 1997 National Tour of THE WIZ

with

Dorothy: Tasha Scott (Troop Beverly Hills)
Aunt Em: Romelda Benjamin (BARE the pop opera)
The Wiz: Peabo Bryson
Evilleen: Grace Jones (Conan the Destroyer, Boomerang)
Glinda: Cece Peniston ( She sung "Finally, it happened to me)
Tinman: Tony Terry
Lion: Gerald Atkins
Scarecrow: Kameka Hebron
Addaperle: Rikki Valentino LaFontaine
Ensemble:
E Clayton Cornelious (The Lion King on Broadway)
Jason Williams (Making the Band 3)
Will Roberson
Cassandra Palacio
Lisa McCall
Helen Williams
Richard Lewis
El Tahra Ibrahim
Ron Hooks
Tanya Alexander
Donna Clark
Derek Daniels
Martin Paulk

THIS WAS A GREAT CAST and the show was AWESOME
did anyone else see this cast.

[jacco]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 4:17am

A new production of The Wiz will start in Holland next season. It's produced bij Endemol (who used to be part of Dodger/Endemol) who chose a new Wiz over productions like Wicked, DRS, Producers etc. This could mean that The Wiz could start a new life in The Netherlands, with the chance it could transfer to London and New York.....

I don't know whether I should be excited, I don't know show (just the movie which isn't too exciting.....)

[Kass983]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 4:56am

The movie was lame, but I loved Lena Horne; she's one of my goddesses. And Diana's version of "Home" was nice too. Stephanie Mills was incredible though.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 10:50am

The Broadway show was brilliant and completely different than the (wretched) film. Ditto about the Tornado. Such a wonderful concept.

I've seen original souvenir (picture) books for The Wiz show up on eBay. They're not very expensive either. I would look for one of those.

[thejcm]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 11:12am

Can anyone tell us how the tornado was actually done on stage?

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 11:37am

Okay.. it's been about 28 years (good GOD)... but I'll try...

As I recall, Dorothy's house is represented by an old-fashioned-looking section of a doorway and side window, with a front porch. As the "storm" kicks up musically, several dancers enter from the wings in black stylized costumes, carrying chimney sweep -type brushes. They whirl them around and circle the house. They start to turn it around, as Dorothy runs for cover inside. Then the lead lady "diva" dancer enters, also in a black stylized costume, with a long black scarf attached to the top of her head. It grows and grows upwards into the fly space above the stage. She is now visually the "vortex" of the storm. She has the funnel on top of her head, as a long, flexible piece of black material. Holder's choreography and the Wheeler tornado music, plus the lighting, etc., made this a very incredible, simple, but highly-theatrical moment on stage.

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 12:07pm

They did that on the tour and it was AMAZING to see.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 1:00pm

I saw it 3 times on Broadway and actually had a nice conversation with Stephanie Mills before a matinee show when it was at the Broadway Theatre. She was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich. We talked about the show and how she enjoyed doing it. She was very sweet.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 1:08pm

i was born the year it opened (78, right).... i really wished i could have seen the original production and the tour in 97 (wasn't into theater yet)

[my2cents]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 3:32pm

A new production of The Wiz will start in Holland next season. It's produced bij Endemol (who used to be part of Dodger/Endemol) who chose a new Wiz over productions like Wicked, DRS, Producers etc. This could mean that The Wiz could start a new life in The Netherlands, with the chance it could transfer to London and New York.....

VERY INTERESTING! Being that dodgers held the us rights and was rumored to produce it in 04...05...06. This could me many things, such as endemol being the side of the partnership that wanted it produced, and not the dodger side. OR hell anything. I am curious to know if dodgers till holds the rights, last I heard they were expiring.

[PJ]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 5:31pm

I love Stephanie on the cast recording. Although I've heard from people who've worked with her on this show that she was quite the diva.

[jacco]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 5:44pm

A new production of The Wiz will start in Holland next season. It's produced bij Endemol (who used to be part of Dodger/Endemol) who chose a new Wiz over productions like Wicked, DRS, Producers etc. This could mean that The Wiz could start a new life in The Netherlands, with the chance it could transfer to London and New York.....

VERY INTERESTING! Being that dodgers held the us rights and was rumored to produce it in 04...05...06. This could me many things, such as endemol being the side of the partnership that wanted it produced, and not the dodger side. OR hell anything. I am curious to know if dodgers till holds the rights, last I heard they were expiring.

I will keep you informed about this Dutch production. It's being directed by an American: Glenn Casale, who has also directed the new Dutch Disney production of Beauty and the Beast. The Wiz will open in Holland in September in an open-run theatre. In the Dutch press it was suggested that The Wiz would be a good preparation for Wicked, this since Dutch audiences are not too familiar with the story of The Wizard of Oz. This sounds like a load of crap to me....but still The Wiz is an interesting choice.....

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/23/05 at 9:32pm

I want a revival of this show so damn bad. I only know it from it from the cast album, which I love, a high school production (featuring an almost ironic all-caucasian cast) and the movie...which isn't godawful like everyone says it is, IMO, it just works on its own terms, almost disconnected from the original.

[ElTahra]

Posted: 9/7/06 at 1:20pm

Hey, I was the Tornado is this particular tour of the WIZ.
And regret being demoted as an ensemble dancer, some of which weren't even real dancers. Were you on the tour?
What's up!

[ElTahra]

Posted: 9/7/06 at 1:24pm

Are you talking about the original B'way production?
Ch: George Phase One?
El Tahra

[ElTahra]

Posted: 9/7/06 at 1:26pm

Are you talking about the original B'way production?
Ch: George Phase One?
El Tahra