Review: THE WIZ at The National Theatre

For those looking to meet him, “The Wiz” is back in town for another brief stop at The National Theatre. The question for prospective audiences then—just as it was for Dorothy and her merry gang of singing, dancing misfits—is not about the where, but rather what exactly is waiting behind the curtain. Is there really magic to be found there? 

After all, Charlie Smalls (music and lyrics) and William F. Brown’s (book) revolutionary adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is now just a touch over half-a-century old and the contemporary world is only growing increasingly divorced from the culture of 1975. Branded as a “super soul musical,” The Wiz married Motown with Broadway to create something truly special and radical. 

The Wiz not only put on all-Black cast on the mainstream stage, it fundamentally recontextualized Oz within the Black experience. Smalls’ original score, infused with the soul, funk and disco stylings of the era, is bursting with that irreplaceable energy of the music of its time, demanding that you get up and dance and introducing certified bangers like “The Feeling We Once Had,” “Ease On Down the Road,” and Luther Vandross’s contribution of “Everybody Rejoice.” 

Of course, what was contemporary once is indubitably destined to transform into a period piece eventually, and fifty-one years later new productions are faced with the choice of whether their Wiz will be a preservation or modernization. 

This latest major production (directed by Schele Williams,) which played a limited Broadway run in 2024, is now touring nationally for a second time. There’s always a certain risk with these sorts of national tours, one that increases gradually the longer that they continue, that the magic will slowly melt away as the sets get downsized and the costumes grow more threadbare and the overall performance settles into a comfortable routine small enough to pack up into boxes and ship from town to town. With regards to this particular production, it’s a mixed bag, but one that positively surprises more than it disappoints. 

To cut right to the point, the cast is fantastic. From the leads through to the hefty ensemble, there’s not a weak link and every single member is not only giving it their all but also looking like they’re having an absolute ball doing so, especially when grooving to JaQuel Knight’s high-energy choreography. 

Phoenix Assata LaFreniere (Dorothy) is basically center stage throughout the entire evening and never falters, her beautiful voice and commanding presence holding strong throughout. D. Jerome (Tinman) showcases tremendous range, selling big jokes with supple subtlety and transforming his solo numbers with his gentle crooning. Cal Mitchell (Lion) is unburdened by the copious makeup and fur, making all that nonstop dancing and singing look easy. 

Alan Mingo Jr. (The Wiz) and Kyla Jade (Aunt Em, Evillene) make the most of their few numbers, stealing the stage whenever they’re on it. Mingo’s charisma in the titular role is a delight, with him managing the rare feat of procuring laughs with nothing but little twitches of his facial expressions in the 1,700-seat theater. Jade brings down the house with a soulful, thunderous rendition of “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News” that elicited a rare, extended mid-performance standing ovation from many in the audience. 

The biggest surprise of the night is Elijah Ahmad Lewis (Scarecrow), whose flexible acrobatics are a sight to behold. Bouncing explosively between slapstick and energetic dance breaks to small touching moments, he is always up to something of interest on stage no matter what else is going on around him. Another worthy standout is the riotous Amitria Fanae (Addaperle, Gatekeeper), who makes gigantic meals out of what could in lesser hands been bit parts.

If the production was only going to excel at one thing, an incredible cast is definitely the right thing to excel at. It’s still difficult not to be let down by what’s lacking in the rest of the production. 

The set, for one thing, is almost non-existent, relying heavily on flat video projections on a screen that extends the height and width of the stage to communicate time and place. This slideshow-esque approach feels lazy at the best of times, but Daniel Brodie’s generic and lifeless designs actively work against any sense of wonder or authenticity in the visuals. There’s also no cohesion in the artistic style of the designs, making every scene feel disconnected and disjointed. 

Even worse is the similar lack of cohesion in the approach to the score. In the decision between preservation and modernization, this production has chosen to straddle a cowardly line between both, in which the songs largely remain in the style of the original score whereas all the dance numbers have been poorly updated into something that is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike The Wiz. 

In place of the iconic “Tornado” dance piece (composed by Timothy Graphenreed and Harold Wheeler), so successful as a dance piece it was the only single released from the 1975 recording, there is now a generic drums-of-war-style interlude that ditches everything but a snippet of the original bass part. Act II now begins with an extended dance sequence featuring uninspired hip hop and modern dance music on playback that so successfully derail the tone of the show that all air is effectively let out of what should have been an epic “Meet The Wizard” once it eventually arrives. 

There’s no doubt that in more capable hands the score could have been more effectively updated, but in the absence of such hands all that’s unfortunately left is musical take on The Wiz that neither respectfully celebrates its brilliant score nor meaningfully pushes it forward, eventually leaving it jumbled and confused.

But that much will likely be little more than a nitpick to all but a small subset of the prospective audience. It’s fun, colorful, and fast-paced, making it a great choice for the theater-inclined child. It’s also a great opportunity for fans of the show to see these classic songs performed so well live. For most, thanks to the cast, this Wiz is likely as wonderful a Wiz as ever there was.

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