Exclusive: New Cast and Dates Announced for THE WIZ National Tour
The Cast will be led by Gabby Samone, Bryan DeMond, Toni Lorene Baker, April Renee Moye, and more
Crossroads Live North America, producer of the National Tour of THE WIZ, has just announced an all-new cast who will ease on down the road. THE WIZ continues to charm audiences in cities across the country, bringing the seven-time Tony Award-winning musical and the exhilarating live theatrical experience from coast to coast.
Following an acclaimed run on Broadway, the revival that brought Oz roaring back to life for a new generation will visit 75 cities during the newest tour which begins Saturday, September 26, 2026 in Springfield, Ohio. The tour will go on to make triumphant return visits to San Antonio, San Francisco and Detroit, along with premiere engagements in New Haven, CT; Madison, WI; Wilmington, DE; Mesa, AZ and Palm Desert, CA and many more. For the full tour schedule, visit WizMusical.com
This groundbreaking twist on 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, that trailblazing spirit comes thrillingly to life in this bold, joy-filled production, beautifully reimagined for the stage and featuring dazzling choreography, spectacular theatricality and a vibrant vision of Oz for a new generation. THE WIZ is a full-throttle live experience, an electrifying celebration of music, movement, Black culture and community that honors the show’s extraordinary legacy while carrying its magic forward. Fifty years after it first became a cultural touchstone, its message, influence and unmistakable joy continue to resonate with generations of audiences across America.
Leading this new company are “American Idol” Season 23 finalist Gabby Samone as Dorothy, international vocalist and actor Bryan DeMond as The Wiz, “The Voice” Season 28 contestant Toni Lorene Baker as Glinda, April Renee Moye as Aunt Em/Evillene; multi-award-winning Gospel recording artist and “The Voice” Season 20 Live Playoffs contestant Jose E. Figueroa Jr. as Scarecrow, Jaelen Spellman as Tinman; and “The Voice” Season 25 Winner Asher HaVon as Lion.
The ensemble features Maurissa Cunningham, Ary’ana N. Davis, Marcus Elliott, Jay Fuqua, Chelsea Nicole Green, Malik Jordan, Kianna Kelly-Futch, Morgan Lewis, Travis Lucas, Kaiel Lynice Maynor, Allen McBride, Matthew J. McCray, John Ray Jr., Nadia Richardson, Khi’shawn A’quez Robinson, Vertreace Sanders and Daisy Wilson-Dzogbe.
“We are so excited to have this extremely talented cast who will bring such a range of life and entertainment backgrounds to the stage—and I can’t wait for audiences across the country to experience them live,” expressed Kori Prior, Executive Producer of The Wiz, Crossroads Live North America.
Featuring a book by William F. Brown and music by Charlie Smalls, the production is directed by Schele Williams (Aida, The Notebook) and choreographed by JaQuel Knight (Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies,” Black is King), with Amber Ruffin (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Late Night With Seth Meyers”) as Writer of Additional Material and Additional Music By Luther Vandross and Timothy Graphenreed.
Joseph Joubert (music supervision, orchestrations, & music arrangements), Allen René Louis (vocal arrangements, music arrangements), 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 that brings 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). Casting is by Murnane Casting.
THE WIZ associate director is Alan Mingo, Jr. and associate choreographer is Ashley Seldon. THE WIZ tour stage management team is led by Gloria Bontrager-Thomas with Bruno Diaz Miranda; company management team is Brian Cedric Jones with Jonathan Kwock, with Jarvis Brown as the Music Director.
Based on L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, THE WIZ reimagines one of America’s most enduring stories through the lens of Black culture, music and joy.
THE WIZ premiered on Broadway in 1975 and became an instant sensation, going on to win seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Ted Ross), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Dee Dee Bridgewater), Best Choreography (George Faison), and in a Broadway first, Best Direction of a Musical, and Best Costume Design (Geoffrey Holder). “Ease on Down the Road” became the show’s break-out single, and “Home” has since become a bona fide classic. That original production ran for four years (first at The Majestic Theatre and later at The Broadway Theatre) and 1,672 performances on Broadway. A 1978 film adaptation starred Diana Ross, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Richard Pryor and Lena Horne, and marked Quincy Jones’ first collaboration with Michael Jackson.
Nearly five decades later, THE WIZ found its way back home. The all-new production launched its pre-Broadway national tour in Baltimore in 2023, the city where the musical had its original world premiere in 1974, before making its triumphant return to Broadway in April of 2024. Following its 50th Anniversary Tour that culminated in May of 2026, that same acclaimed Broadway revival continues its journey across America in this newest tour, inviting audiences to experience the magic of Oz live and in a production unlike any other.
THE 2026–27 NATIONAL TOUR ROUTE INCLUDES:
Springfield, OH: 9/26/2026
Clark State
Utica, NY: 9/29/2026 - 9/30/2026
The Stanley Theatre
New Haven, CT: 10/1/2026 - 10/4/2026
The Shubert Theatre
Madison, WI: 10/6/2026 - 10/11/2026
Overture Hall
Ames, IA: 10/12/2026
IA State
Champaign, IL: 10/14/2026
State Farm Theatre
Muncie, IN: 10/15/2026
Emens Auditorium
Owensboro, KY: 10/16/2026
River Park Center
Huntington, WV: 10/17/2026
Edwards Playhouse
Roanoke, VA: 10/18/2026
Berglund Center
Morgantown, WV: 10/20/2026
Canady Creative Arts Center
York, PA: 10/21/2026
Strand Theatre
University Park, PA: 10/22/2026
Eisenhower Hall
Wilmington, DE: 10/23/2026 - 10/25/2026
Theatre on Rodney Square
Savannah, GA: 10/27/2026
Johnny Mercer Theatre
Spartanburg, SC: 10/28/2026
Memorial Auditorium
San Antonio, TX: 10/30/2026 - 10/31/2026
The Majestic Theatre
Sugar Land, TX: 11/1/2026
Smart Financial Center
Billings, MT: 11/9/2026
Alberta Bair Theatre
Folsom, CA; 11/12/2026 - 11/15/2026
Harris Center
Grand Junction, CO: 11/17/2026 - 11/18/2026
Asteria Theatre
Mesa, AZ: 11/20/2026 - 11/22/2026
Mesa Arts Center
Riverside, CA: 11/30/2026 - 12/1/2026
The Fox Theatre
San Francisco, CA: 12/4/2026 - 12/6/2026
The Orpheum
Palm Desert, CA: 12/8/2026 - 12/13/2026
McCallum Theatre
Bellingham, WA: 12/16/2026
Mount Baker Theatre
Yakima, WA: 12/17/2026 - 12/18/2026
Capitol Theatre
Spokane, WA: 12/19/2026 - 12/20/2026
First Interstate Center for the Arts
Macon, GA: 1/4/2027 - 1/5/2027
Grand Opera House
Paducah, KY: 1/7/2027
Carson Center
Little Rock, AR: 1/8/2027 - 1/10/2027
Robinson Center
Lafayette, LA: 1/11/2027
Heymann PAC
Pensacola, FL: 1/12/2027 - 1/13/2027
Saenger Theatre
Sarasota, FL: 1/15/2027 - 1/16/2027
Van Wezel PAH
Daytona Beach, FL: 1/17/2027
Peabody Auditorium
Binghamton, NY: 1/20/2027 - 1/21/2027
Forum Theatre
Boston, MA: 1/22/2027 - 1/24/2027
The Colonial
Lima, OH: 1/26/2027
Veterans Memorial
Bloomington, IN: 1/27/2027
IU Auditorium
Lexington, KY: 1/29/2027 - 1/31/2027
Lexington Opera House
Athens, GA: 2/2/2027 - 2/3/2027
Classic Center
Evans, GA: 2/4/2027
Columbia County PAC
Wilmington, NC: 2/6/2027 - 2/7/2027
Wilson Center
Huntsville, AL: 2/9/2027 - 2/14/2027
Von Braun Center
Jacksonville, FL: 2/16/2027 - 2/21/2027
Times Union Center
Schenectady, NY: 2/23/2027 - 2/28/2027
Proctor's Theatre
Portland, ME: 3/3/2027 - 3/4/2027
Merrill Auditorium
New Brunswick, NJ: 3/6/2027 - 3/7/2027
State Theatre
Syracuse, NY: 3/9/2027 - 3/14/2027
Landmark Theatre
Detroit, MI: 3/16/2027 - 3/21/2027
The Fisher Theatre
Columbia, SC: 3/29/2027 - 3/31/2027
Koger Center
Sioux Falls, SD: 4/3/2027 - 4/4/2027
Washington Pavilion
Monterrey, MX: 4/8/2027 - 4/11/2027
Showplace Centroplex
Toronto, ON: 4/20/2027 - 4/25/2027
Ed Mirvish Theatre
Akron, OH: 4/26/2027 - 4/27/2027
EJ Thomas Hall
West Lafayette, IN: 4/28/2027
Elliott Hall of Music
Iowa City, IA: 4/30/2027 - 5/2/2027
Hancher Aud
Charleston, WV: 5/4/2027
Clay Center
Newport News, VA: 5/6/2027
Ferguson Center
Charlotte, NC: 5/7/2027 - 5/9/2027
Belk Theatre
Brookville, NY: 5/13/2027
Tilles Center
Worcester, MA: 5/14/2027 - 5/16/2027
Hanover Theatre
Kalamazoo, MI: 5/18/2027 - 5/19/2027
Miller Auditorium
Rockford, IL: 5/20/2027
Coronado Theatre
Davenport, IA: 5/21/2027
Adler Theater
Bismarck, ND: 5/23/2027
Bismarck Event Center
Green Bay, WI: 6/3/2027
Weidner Center
Midland, MI: 6/4/2027 - 6/5/2027
Midland Center
Flint, MI: 6/6/2027
The Whiting
Baton Rouge, LA: 6/8/2027
River Center
Orange, TX: 6/9/2027
Lutcher Theatre
Dallas, TX: 6/10/2027 - 6/13/2027
ATTPAC
Kansas City, MO: 6/15/2027 - 6/20/2027
Starlight Theatre
Elmira, NY: 6/22/2027 - 6/23/2027
Clemens Center
Tysons, VA: 6/25/2027 - 6/27/2027
Capital One Hall
Dates, venues and schedule are subject to change. Additional performance and ticket information is available at WizMusical.com.
Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel
