Review: THE WIZ at The National Theatre
A tremendous cast breathes new life into this Broadway classic. See what our critic had to say.
Dates: 10/24/2023 - 10/29/2023
📍 Theatre: National Theatre
1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004
Phone: 202-628-6161
Tickets: $59 and up
Everybody Rejoice! The Tony Award-winning musical THE WIZ is coming to D.C.!
Producers Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Brian Anthony Moreland, and Ambassador Theatre Group present an all-new production of the groundbreaking, Tony Award-winning musical The Wiz, adapted from The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. The highly anticipated Broadway revival of The Wiz returns “home” to stages across America in an all-new Pre-Broadway tour, the first one in 40 years.
This groundbreaking twist on The Wizard of Oz changed the face of Broadway—from its iconic score packed with soul, gospel, rock, and finger-snapping 70s funk to its stirring tale of Dorothy’s journey to find her place in a contemporary world. Audiences get to enjoy the epic grooves of such beloved, timeless hits as “Ease on Down the Road,” which became the show’s break-out single, and the bona fide classic “Home” in this spectacular revival.
Featuring a book by William F. Brown and a Tony Award-winning score by Charlie Smalls (and others), director Schele Williams (The Notebook, revival of Disney’s Aida), choreographer JaQuel Knight (Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”), Amber Ruffin (additional material), and Joseph Joubert (music supervision, orchestrations, & music arrangements) conjure up an Oz unlike anything ever seen before.
A dynamite infusion of ballet, jazz, and modern pop brings a whole new groove to easing on down the road. So everybody rejoice! An all-new 21st-Century WIZ is sliding into an Emerald city near you.
| Year | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Best Musical | Winner |
A tremendous cast breathes new life into this Broadway classic. See what our critic had to say.
Today’s subject Phoenix Assata LaFreniere is currently living her theatre life on tour playing Dorothy in The Wiz. The show is currently in town at the National Theatre through April 12th.
In 1975 a revolutionary approach to L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre. The Wiz was a musical that no one thought would get past its opening night. The show proved everyone wrong. It won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and ran for 1,672 performances. The all-African American version of Dorothy’s trip down the yellow brick road is now embarking on a thirteen-city pre- Broadway tour and is playing at the National Theatre here in DC through October 29th. I am sorry to say that this version is a rocky journey over a cool “Ease on Down the Road”.
The complete coast-to-coast tour route for the all-new production of The Wiz has been announced, in advance of its Broadway return in the Spring of 2024.
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