THE WIZ Reviews

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 12:30am

Today is Thursday, June 18, 2009, marking the official opening night performance for City Center Encores! Summer Stars production of the Charlie Smalls and William F. Brown's soulful musical The Wiz. Preview performances initially began on June 12th, with the run slated to close on July 5th. Thomas Kail directs, joined by his TONY Award-winning collaborators (for In the Heights), Andy Blankenbuehler (as choreographer) and Alex Lacamoire (serving as musical director).

The cast of this production boasts such talents as singing sensation, Ashanti as young Dorothy, Orlando Jones at The Wiz, LaChanze as Glinda, Tichina Arnold as Evillene, Dawnn Lewis as Addaperle, Joshua Henry as the Tinman, James Monroe Iglehart as the Lion and Christian White as the Scarecrow. The company also features Nigel as Toto, Dorothy's doggy companion.

The original Broadway production opened in 1974, then directed by Geoffrey Holder and choreographed by George Faison. The mounting garnered seven Tony Awards (including Best Musical). The '74 Broadway cast touted acclaimed performances from Hinton Battle, Tiger Haynes, Stephanie Mills, Ted Ross, Dee Dee Bridgewater, André De Shields and Mabel King.

City Center's production of The Wiz is playing The Mainstage, located at West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 4:03pm

I am curious how these reviews will be.

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 4:38pm

Bumpity, bump, bump...

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 4:59pm

Everyone will hate it, but Murray will praise Ashanti for her superb acting chops.

Updated On: 6/18/09 at 04:59 PM

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 5:38pm

I'm really curious of how the reviews will be too.

[jarred03]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 6:13pm

I saw the show last night and I have to say that it's not as bad as everybody is making it out to be.

The main problem with the show is the fact that all the good characters, and in this productions case the best actors, are way under utilized. They have so many characters that nobody has more than 3 or 4 songs, when so much could've been combined. Addaperle, although Dawn Lewis is amazing, really doesn't need to be in the show, her scenes and songs should've just went to Glinda. Eviline doesn't come into the show until the second act and she should've been there sooner. Anyway, these are things we can't change as the show was already made 30 years ago.

So let me focus on the actual production:

The Good:
Dawnn Lewis as Addaperle, Lewis takes a tiny insignificant role and really makes it special and makes it her own. She is charming, sweet, funny, and friendly and her voice sounds great.

The tornadoed house wreckage used for the orchestra on stage, it's just really cool looking.

LaChanze as Glinda- It's LaChanze and she always sounds amazing, but as Aunt Em she didn't do enough, but as Glinda she really showed off why she has a Tony Award, and she truly shined.

Tichina Arnold as Eviline- I know a couple people have been harsh with Tichina in this role but I don't see it at all. She is hysterical, intimidating, has flawless comedic timing, and her voice has killer strength and gospel vibes. I thought she was completely amazing.

The dancers- I loved the way the dancers were used as props and to interpret things in the story, such as the tornado. The choreography was awesome, and it was nice to see the ensemble used for more than just back up dancers.

The Lion- he really didn't stand out as anything special for most of the time but when he sang Be A Lion his voice just soared through the theater and the acting lived up to the singing. The actor finally became a lion himself in that number.

THE BAD:

Ashanti- I hate to be mean, but she wasn't good enough by a long shot. First off the singing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but she sounded very whiney and nasally the entire time. It actually sounded like she was doing a baby voice in every song.
The biggest fault of Ashanti's was her acting. It was terrible, their were no emotions, no motivations, just WOODEN blocking and moving across the stage. She was so bad I actually feel sorry for her. She delivered everyline like a punk brat, and Dorothy should never be played that way, it was shameful.

Orlando Jones- MEDIOCRE, just mediocre.

The Scarecrow- He was a great singer, great dancer, and his acting was good, but the reason why he makes it on the bad list is because he walked with his hands and feet pointing inward and it looked like he was mocking retarded or crippled people, it just didn't look right and it was ver distracting the whole time.


If this show gets an actual run on Broadway they need to bring in Tamyra or Anika to be Dorothy because she's supposed to be the star of the show and instead she was the dud. They need an actress that can lead such a agood cast and hold this show together.

Overall, I enjoyed myself but wouldn't want to pay full price to see it.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 6:31pm

Kinda short, but:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/838d00c6-5c1e-11de-aea3-00144feabdc0.html

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 6:34pm

This looks positive

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5h3wwnKLxGaLYOjSThUnO-9d8AzFA

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 6:35pm

What I don't get about the casting of Ashanti is that I don't think anyone is dying to see Ashanti on stage (I didn't know who she was until I read the playbill article saying she was a popular singer, but I'm admittedly a bit out of touch with the music world). It's not like they went and cast Beyonce or Rihanna in the part. I would have gotten that because they're huge stars, but Ashanti? Really? I doubt she even is as big as Usher when he did CHICAGO.
I still think they should have gotten Anika Noni Rose who even put it out there that she would play Dorothy in a heartbeat were she asked to be in it.
Anyways, I too am interested in knowing what the reviews will say.

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 6:37pm

Sorry, minor thread steal. Usher did Chicago?

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 6:37pm

Ashanti was HUGE when came out in 2002. But nowadays, not so much.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 6:48pm

Here's a better link of the associated press review

http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-3/1245361889198480.xml&storylist=entertainment


"With wide-eyed charm and a can't-miss voice, Ashanti makes the role her own while distinguishing herself among a skilled troupe of singers and dancers.
This lavish, well-balanced production revives the soulful adaptation of L. Frank Baum's classic children's story, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

"One can only hope this "Encores! Summer Stars" production of "The Wiz," which is on display through July 5, has farther to go before it comes to the end of its yellow brick road."
Updated On: 6/18/09 at 06:48 PM

[Sauja]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 7:13pm

I also saw the show last night and agree with Jarred's comments...Dawnn, Tichina, and LaChanze were delights. I also didn't like the Scarecrow. I just found him a little lifeless (no pun intended). Ashanti looks uncomfortable on stage, and her line readings are stiff. That said, she impressed me vocally (after a slightly rocky start). I don't think it's impossible that she could give a really solid performance at some point, but she needs to work on her presence and her acting. I anticipate largely positive reviews. People love this show for a reason--it's great fun, and the In the Heights team did a great job putting it together. It isn't a perfect cast, and Lord knows the book of this show is half-assed, but I enjoyed myself quite a bit.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 7:54pm

And....Murray.... liked it?

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/ob/06_18_09.html

"No, "perfect” and this show - and, to some extent, this production - are not concepts that fit together easily. But by the standards of this new series, put on by the folks behind the Encores! concert stagings of older musicals, The Wiz is tops. It displays and delivers an energy, a completeness, and a commitment that neither of the previous Summer Stars outings, Gypsy in 2007 and Damn Yankees in 2008, showed. "

I think the reviews are going to be more positive than the word of mouth on here.
Updated On: 6/18/09 at 07:54 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 7:58pm

If there?s an unmistakable whiff of summer stock hurriedness about the whole thing - especially its game but less-than-ideal leading lady - the stakes are so low and the entertainment so plentiful that it seldom matters.

So it's amateurish, its lead is not that great, it feels incomplete and hurried, it set the bar very low, but it's good?

If The Wiz isn't a great show, as a beacon of merriment and color amid a New York that's as cold and grey as the economy, it's hard to imagine a greater pick-me-up right now.

See this is where I get really confused...the critics trashed 9 TO 5 but think that this awful production of THE WIZ is the best theatrical pick-me-up in NY? Ok. Updated On: 6/18/09 at 07:58 PM

[biglittlekid]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 8:26pm

I actually enjoyed this production a lot. The choreography was AMAZING, the staging passed my expectations (which granted, weren't very high), the talent on that stage was unbelievable, and the music and costumes are just plain awesome. Ashanti impressed me SO much vocally. Ofcourse, her acting was virtually nonexistent. Orlando Jones....meh.

Overall, it was a really fun show. Beautiful in terms of choreography.

[TheSeafarer]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 8:45pm

Here's a good review from BET.com

http://blogs.bet.com/entertainment/whattheflick/review-the-wiz-starring-ashanti/

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 9:17pm

Variety
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117940512.html?categoryid=33&cs=1

[Sauja]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 9:22pm

Heaven help me...I think Matthew Murray got it exactly right.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 9:25pm

That Variety review...ouch. Nice shout out to Anika, though.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 10:11pm

Isherwood's review:

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/theater/reviews/19wiz.html

Did we see the same show? I think he gives Ashanti far too much credit and unfairly criticizes Blankenbuehler.

Updated On: 6/18/09 at 10:11 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 10:17pm

Yikes.

So no transfer.... lol

[Testing1232]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 10:22pm

Just got home, and I am sure that I am in the minority here, but I liked it--- It it the best thing I have ever seen? NO-
But, for the $15 bucks I spent, I had a blast. The audience was really into it. Thought the choreography was amazing, and thought that, Ashanti was, well... servicable. Her acting is far from great, but I thought she sounded great.

LaChanze ... well, I could listen to her sing the phonebook- What a set of pipes!! Props also to Joshua Henry. Thought he was great.

Overall, just thought it was a nice evening out, and alot of fun.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 10:25pm

I saw the original production of THE WIZ and felt it was all energy and no substance.

I have no plans to see this version.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 10:28pm

I don't think Isherwood gives Ashanti any more credit than she deserves. He basically says that she's a voice with no body: she's dead on stage, even though she sounds polished. Poor Blankenbuehler. Hopefully his next work will get him back on track.