The Wiz

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 5:00pm

I've seen this revival listed on Playbill.com for quite some time, but haven't heard anything about it. Does anyone know if this is still planning to open? Is it to have new staging, orchestrations and/or choreography? What's up with this show?

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 5:03pm

I doubt it'll make it to this season.

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 10:24pm

Lets pray that Michelle Williams and Toni Braxton don't star in the Wiz if it ever comes to Broadway.

...and Melanie -- oh wait. But then again, you never know. She didn't fit in Chicago either...

[theatreguy]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 10:43pm

Last I heard, Des McAnuff would be directing and it would premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse before coming to Broadway.

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 12:32am

I think the time is ripe for Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to make their directing debuts...

[crp2000]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 9:05am

Last I heard - they were having trouble finding the right 'Dorothy'. They've been looking to cast a 'well-known' in the role (i.e. Brandy, Monica & Tamyra Gray) - all of whom have declined. Hopefully, they'll have things together by fall of 2004.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 10:30am

Too bad...I thought LaChanze would be perfect. Maybe she could be Glinda or Miss One.

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 10:42am

It will probably be that girl from Dr. Doolittle and The Haunted Mansion. Doesn't she have a singing thing going on now? She'll be like Hillary Duff and try to take over every aspect of entertainment.

[localonecrew]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 1:27pm

quote "I think the time is ripe for Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to make their directing debuts... "

this is one racially charged step away from making remarks about watermelons. shame on you!

[CJR]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 1:30pm

GAAAAAAHHHHHH *covers ears and hides in the corner in a fetal position at the mention of Melanie and Chicago in the same sentance*

lol Kidding, kidding

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 2:11pm

Last I heard, they wanted this to be an inter-racial production of "The Wiz"....

although, in my perfect-mind... I see this cast ::

Dorothy :: Danialle Ugenia Wilsom, if they HAVE to have a 'known' Dorothy, perhaps Raven Simone???
Scarecrow :: Corey Reynolds
Tinman :: Jason Raize
Lion :: Michael McElroy or Trent Armand Kendall
The Wiz :: Andre DeShields reprising his role
Evaline :: Jennifer Holliday or Lilias White
Glinda :: Stephanie Mills
Miss One :: Sheryl Lee Ralph


**BroadwayGuy crawls back into hole**

[rlbgbc]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 2:16pm

Miss One is only in the film; in the stage version, she's AddaPerle (essayed originally -- and brilliantly -- by Clarice Taylor). I saw the OC of the show when I was but a lad, and really enjoyed it. I remember Phylicia Ayers-Allen was playing a munchkin, and understudying Glinda. Mabel King was Evillene..with eyeballs on her bosom.

I also thought of Raven Simone for Dorothy, but I gotta tell you: that little precocious uber-Cosby kid gets on my nerves. I think she looks like a mosquito.

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 2:21pm

But can Raven even sing? You need to have an AMAZING singer for Dorothy, and this is a time where the term amazing has relevance, because that was what Stephanie Mills is/was. To go from a talent like Stephanie Mills to some "name" who can't even hold a note would be insane. They just need to look harder, they'll find a talented Dorothy.


Cheers,
The Balladeer

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 2:21pm

AddaPerle - I forgot she had a different name for the stage production. I only saw it on stage once in an incredibly tired regional production. Miss One was also the character's name in the original book, if I remember correctly, in Munchkinland. When I finally read the book as research for a paper on the novel Wicked, I was surprised how completely different the Garland film was from the original text. The Wiz is actually a bit more accurate.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 2:23pm

yes, she is just in tehf ilm.. originally when I wrote my post, I said Addaperle.. but before posting, I was like "No one will know that", so I posted Miss One just to be more clear as to who I meant. **shrugs** ah well.. glad to see someone knows Addaperle....

Yes, Phylicia WAS a Munchkin and understudy and look at all she went on to do..

I have a picture of the originals how and Evalline is in it.. I LOVE the eyeballs. LOL.

Raven does grate on me too... I know a few small children addicted to her HORRID Disney sitcom.. perhaps she just needs to be reigned in and put under control.......

[rlbgbc]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 2:30pm

Gosh, I haven't thought about THE WIZ in years. Now when I think about the show and the impression it made on me, the one thing that really comes to the fore is Stephanie Mills' rendition of "Home". She began the number in the Emerald City, midway a scrim dropped behind her, the others faded to black, and she was alone on stage. Then at the end of that incredibly long note ("Hoooooooooooooooome!"), she turned SR and scooped up Toto, a pure white Scottish Terrier, who had scampered out to her. Curtain.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 2:36pm

I did not have the opportunity to see Stephanie during the original run when she was a young girl or even the fast closing revival in the mid 80s that played at the Lunt for two weeks, but I DID see her on the national tour in the 90s that was original supossed to go to Broadway, but ended up playing a stop at the Beacon instead.

Stephanie was wonderful, albeit a few years older than I like my Dorothys.. LOL. The physical production was nice, but they could have done so much more. But yes, Stephanie Mills's performance stands out clearly in my mind.

Side note :: I do believe that if you manage to find the demo recordings of Hairspray that feature Annie Golden singing Good Morning Baltimore and Nathan Lane Lane doing Timeless To me as well as original Link Larkin, James Carpinello.. you will also find Stephanie Mills singing Welcome To the 60s.... I have the disc, but not the notes as to who sings what -- I can't find THAT for the life of me.. but when they had THOSE clips on the website, I remember reading her name.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 2:49pm

Okay, BroadwayGuy has another casting idea for the role of Dorothy.


Dequina Moore -- currenyly appearing as one of the Urchins in Little Shop of Horrors; appeared in the film Camp.

Shayna Steele -- currently one of the Dynamites in Hairspray; understudied Mimi and Joanne while serving as swing in Rent; understudied Mary Magdelene in Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway; appeared as Dorothy in a regional production of The Wiz.

[shermanslave]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 7:11pm

Dequina Moore is a wonderful idea. Also I think Lillias would be a great Eviline. And what about Phylicia as Aderpearl?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 11:21pm

LOL. **smacks self on forehead** I am slow today...........

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 12/31/03 at 12:42pm

DeQuina would be awesome! I LOVE that girl! I wanna marry her!

Anyway, BG2- I saw Stephanie during the 90's tour too and at the Beacon, and I will always remember that night too because Mark Curry (Mr.Cooper of Hangin' with Mr. Cooper) was in the audience and I got his autograph...LOL

But anyway, her rendition of Home was really something magical, and you could tell that the number had/has a special place in her heart because I could see her crying and getting somewhat emotional singing that song, and she was just so electrifying. INCREDIBLE! The show itself had been special for the audience memebers too, as they were very vocal about a lot of lines and songs in the show. Usually, I don't like audiences to be too vocal, as it seems rowdy to me....but it wasn't like that...it was more of a sing-along kind of thing, and being that it was live performance, you would hear the occasional "Stephanie, you go girl!" or a "Sing it Child!" but it was a nice thing to hear, because I think those who didn't make those feelings vocal, were definitely thinking them.

It just brings back memories, and erases that horrid movie version out of my memory. Although, I did enjoy Michael Jackson's and the original cast members' performances in the movie.


Cheers,
The Balladeer

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 12/31/03 at 1:00pm

Broadwayguy's cast is absolutely perfect. Bring them all to those roles! And bring Jason Raize back to Broadway, for God's sake! I'd love to see Raven as Dorothy. She definitely sings....she sings on the theme for her new show- and has a few singles out. Although she mostly sings Pop, I think she could do it. I'd pay to see her in that cast that Broadwayguy came up with.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/31/03 at 1:29pm

Casting Director is me "fall back job". lol

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 12/31/03 at 1:31pm

<3 DeQuina Moore <3

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 1/5/04 at 9:47am

I was looking at the Dodger Theatricals web site and they have the show under "Upcoming Productions." You can sign up for more info as it becomes available.
Link