Review: THE WIZ at Keller Auditorium

For years, I'd written off THE WIZ. My only prior experience with the show had been a disappointing production that left me confused about why the original had swept the Tony Awards in 1975, winning Best Musical and Best Original Score among other honors. Last night at the Keller Auditorium, I finally understood. This national tour is fabulous – featuring spectacular dancing, roof-raising vocals, and very high technical production values.

Originally opening in 1975 and subtitled "The Supersoul Musical 'Wizard of Oz,'" THE WIZ reimagines L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with a gospel, soul, rock score by Charlie Smalls and features an all-Black cast. Its aesthetic has always been futuristic, and this production updates that vision for today's audience. Parts of the book have been modernized as well – you'd never guess the show was written nearly fifty years ago.

The cast is outstanding. Dana Cimone as Dorothy, Kyla Jade as both Aunt Em and Evillene the Wicked Witch of the West, and Sheherazade as Glinda all possess voices powerful enough to carry across the river. D. Jerome delivers a particularly wonderful performance as Tinman, joined by Elijah Ahmad Lewis as Scarecrow and Cal Mitchell as Lion. The large ensemble is fantastic throughout, brilliantly executing JaQuel Knight’s choreography – the way the dancers evoke the tornado is particularly striking.

Opening night began with a delay due to technical difficulties, but the wait proved worthwhile. The visuals are stunning. Daniel Brodie's digital projections bring each location to life, from Kansas to the Emerald City. While I'm typically skeptical of digital projections as sets, these are exceptional – so richly textured that I repeatedly caught myself squinting to confirm they weren't physical set pieces.

Sharen Davis' costumes are genuine works of art. Glinda's outfit sparkles so brilliantly it casts light across the auditorium's walls and ceiling – a perfect metaphor for the production itself, which radiates feel-good energy.

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