In 1975, an innovative new musical looking to capture a different Broadway audience tried out in Baltimore’s old Morris Mechanic Theatre before heading to New York. After an uncertain start and mixed reviews, the producers almost closed the show after opening night. Delaying that hasty judgment paid off because within weeks the show was selling out and went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical that year. Thirty years before Glinda was popular and Elphaba defied gravity, the world was blessed with another L. Frank Baum-inspired landmark musical, The Wiz, an urban retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and one of the first commercially successful all-black Broadway musicals that paved the way for successors like Ain’t Misbehavin’ Sophisticated Ladies, and Dreamgirls.
Nearly fifty years later, a revival of the show is making its way back to Broadway and symbolically chose to follow a nostalgic note and launch the show in Baltimore as the first stop of a mini 12-city try-out tour before it reopens on Broadway next spring. This buoyant and energetic revival camps out for one too-short week at the Hippodrome Theatre and if ticket sales are any sign, should have no trouble when it comes time to jubilantly ease on up the road to New York.
William F. Brown’s book has been given a delightful and very welcome facelift for contemporary audiences by Amber Ruffin, removing much of the 70s Good Times “jive” humor and streamlining the show by balancing out the disproportionate act lengths of the original. She has transformed Dorothy from a discontent farmgirl with bigger dreams to a present day teen with present day pressures, and taken more cues from the iconic MGM movie than Brown, who stuck more to the Baum’s original literary source. She also structures the score more effectively, most notably by replacing the Scarecrow’s song with Michael Jackson’s “You Can’t Win” from the ill-conceived 1979 movie version, and removing several duplicated songs that added unnecessary time to the piece and diluted their impact on their second deliveries. In the hands of the capable and charismatic cast, what was once a great fun romp through familiar territory is now a genuinely funny, smart, and well-paced journey over the rainbow and back.
Newcomer Nichelle Lewis, who will be making her Broadway debut, leads the company as a Gen X melancholy Dorothy who is not accepted at school and misses her late parents. An outsider in her own land, she becomes an inspiration as a stranger in a strange one. Following in the silver slippers of vocal dynamo Stephanie Mills, who defined the role of Dorothy in the original Broadway production, as well as the 1984 and 1992 anniversary tours, Lewis has a high bar to conquer, and she effortlessly clears it. With a big emotive voice, gracious stage energy, and an engaging ingenue presence, there are no comparisons necessary between the standard Mills provided for decades and her latest successor to the keys to the Emerald City. Lewis is her own Dorothy for this improved piece in a new age. Even the quintessential moment of the show, her powerhouse deliver of “Home”, essentially Mills’ signature song, as the finale of the show receives a fresh new delivery and leaves the audience exiting on a high note.
Also making their Broadway debuts will be Philip Johnson Richardson (Sharper) as the Tinman and Avery Wilson (The Voice) as the Scarecrow. Along with Kyle Ramar Freeman (A Strange Loop) as the Lion, the impressive trio provide all the necessary humor and chemistry to assist Lewis and carry the first act. Each excel in their spotlighted moments. Wilson shows off his fancy footwork in “You Can’t Win”, Freeman makes a humorous entry with “Mean Ole Lion” then ends the first act with an emotive power duet with Lewis on “Be a Lion”, and Richardson, after making a fun entrance with his clever “Slide Some Oil to Me”, shows his real vocal prowess in his (now) second act showcase “What Would I Do If I Could Feel”. But more importantly, the four have a solid, balanced camaraderie that makes the feel-good show feel even better.
As the titular character, Alan Mingo Jr. (Kinky Boots, Doom Patrol) is a mysterious presence channeling Baltimore native Tony winner Andre de Shields as if he were portraying Disney villain Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog. With a slinky, mystical facade reinvented as a Vegas headliner, Mingo is equally successful as the charlatan at his most magnificent as well as the mere man behind him when his cover is busted.
The most delightful part of The Wiz is the appearances of the various witches who influence Dorothy’s Ozian journey. As much a creation of the director and the costume designer as of the actors, every production takes a different interpretation and under the superior guidance of Schele Williams and Sharen Davis respectively, these supernatural divas strike gold. Upon landing in Oz, Lewis fist encounters Allyson Kay Daniel as Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North, leading a Munchkin revelry celebrating Dorothy’s house flattening Evamean, the Wicked Witch of the East. Daniel is the only casualty of Ruffin’s revisions, where Addaperle, although receiving a clearly funnier and better-defined character as a sassy, hilarious standup comic, sacrifices her production number to sister Glinda (Deborah Cox), who shows up like in the classic movie to take the lead on “He’s the Wizard” and set the plot in motion down the infamous Yellow Brick Road. Despite being relegated to a cameo, Daniel makes the best of the material and delivers all the new laughs.
Cox as Glinda, the Good Witch of the South (as in Baum’s original; Louis B. Mayer combined the characters for the movie) bookends the new retelling and is radiant in Davis’ stunning gold spangle and rhinestone gown. She delivers her 11:00 “Believe in Yourself” with all the star power expected of an established recording artist/actor. However, in the original script, Glinda arrives to much anticipation and fanfare with a full company entourage (in the ’84 revival she flew in on a crescent moon, in the ’92 version she was carried on by a bevy of beefy beachbodies in a Bahaman beach chair; in the MGM classic and the other Broadway Oz musical, she travels via bubble). Here she quietly walks on alone and sings the R&B classic with no frills. It just seems odd and anti-climactic that the choice was made to play down the star entrance of the only billed star name in the cast. Aside: we may want to reconsider that entrance for New York, folks.
Some shows have a make-or-break moment where the success of the whole production depends on one single performer or song. Personally, this critic has a few potential deal breakers: Val in A Chorus Line sashaying through “Dance: 10; Looks: 3”, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying blowing the roof off the theatre with the ultimate 11:00 production number “Brotherhood of Man”, or Mama Rose alone on stage breaking down slaying “Rose’s Turn” in Gypsy. Fumble any of these moments and you have wasted 2-3 hours of my life. The Wiz has maybe the biggest of them all: the terrifying arrival of Wicked Witch of the West Evillene in what used to be the top of the second act for her down and dirty Gospel-influenced showstopper “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News”. The (ironically) good news is that Melody A. Betts (even more ironically) brings the house down in the best role with the best moment of the show as one of the best Evillene’s ever (a lot of superlatives for the most reviled character in the story). If that weren’t enough, Betts also benefits the most from Ruffin’s new script which gives significantly more stage time to Evillene in the first act. Whereas Evillene was always the best 10 minutes of the show, we now get treated to her larger-than-life (again, thanks Sharen Davis for the fantastic physicality you designed for her) bombastic nastiness throughout the evening. Finally, this critic can make peace with all the miscasts of this millennium as every production has tried to explore Evillene as other types (tiny, angry witches; skinny hangry witches; beautiful, bitchy witches) with all of them, all the way up to Mary J. Blige in the otherwise enjoyable NBC live production, failing miserably. Stop trying to “fix” the best segment of the show. Betts blows the roof off the Hippodrome and walks off with the show in every one of her flawlessly executed moments of stage time. I am equal parts ecstatic and relieved to be the messenger who heeds the warning of her theme song. Betts is set up to be the star act and undoubtably nails it. Of note, what makes Betts even more impressive is the fact that she contrasts the larger-than-life Evillene with a top-of-the-show cameo as warm, loving, no-nonsense Aunt Em, consoling Dorothy with her moving delivery of “The Feeling We Once Had”. Betts proves to be an incredible actor with a range from Kansas to Oz and back.
Visually, under Schele Williams’ tight direction, the fantasy world of Oz comes to lively, vibrant life. Her vision, executed with the aid of a masterful team of award-winning designers and colleagues results in a stunning re-envisionment of a 100+ year old story with all the technical advancements of modern times. Her choices are well thought out and her scene work with the new improved book is funny, touching, and incredibly well-paced.
Costume Designer Sharen Davis (Ray, Dreamgirls) has put her Emmy-winning/Oscar-nominated mark on this production. Taking her first cue from the movie, she clads Kansas Dorothy and Aunt Em entirely in black and white. But in her contemporary vision, there is no gingham, but an emo plaid jumper in its stead (a clever present day substitute to pay homage to the classic look but reflect Dorothy’s Gen Z melancholy and malaise). Post tornado, the costume transforms into a blue plaid version which again aligns with our subconscious visual cues from the movie. The Munchkins as a New Orleans-style funereal Comus Krewe is inspired, in all the Mardi Gras electric and jewel tones to celebrate the death of Evamean. Even the iconic silver slippers (from Baum, MGM transformed them to ruby just to show off their new Technicolor advances on film) are not the classic pumps of forever, but a fashionable window-cut ankle boot. The Tinman as a Central Park silver human statue plays into the new age interpretation. But, as an award-winning designer should, she excels on the opportunity to create new and exciting looks for the Witches, designing extravagant, colorful, exotic creations to tell us everything about their characters as well as stimulate our visual senses. The aforementioned Dr. Facilier-in-emerald-green influences on the Wizard and the exotic Oz wear inspired by salutes to 60s, 70s, and 80s dance club fashion are also particularly brilliant touches. Hair and Wig Designer Charles G. LaPointe supports Davis’ efforts and scores with a more contemporary version of Dorothy’s iconic braids (not at all the Judy Garland type) and fantastical up-sweeps and falls for the glamour Witches.
Academy Award Winning Set Designer Hannah Beachler (Black Panther) triumphs with her efforts, receiving an amazing assist from Daniel Brodie’s thrilling, lifelike projections. Featuring a lively series of 4-D (stunning 3-D projections that also integrate over a time/perspective variable) images that blend seamlessly with an efficient array of actual set pieces, the combination is at times so realistic it is hard to tell where the actual set piece ends and the projection begins. The blend is one of the most spectacular to date of the rapidly advancing genre.
Lighting Designer Ryan J. O’Gara compliments Beachler’s work without compromising the projections, creating many realistic effects throughout Oz from the vibrant Munchkinland to spooky forests, sexy Ozian club nightlife, Evillene’s odious lair, and a flat backstage once the Wizard’s showman façade is over. Sound Designer John Weston provides some of the clearest sound the Hippodrome has experienced in recent years.
Joseph Joubert and Allen René Louis team up to provide welcome, up-to-date vocal, musical, and orchestral arrangements that freshen the sounds of the original 70s R&B/soul-infused score. Tempos are adjusted, beats changed, and the new score could play right at home on a present day Spotify playlist. The new sound is catchy and infectious in a more timeless way, with superior vocals under Joubert’s supervision.
Choreographer Jaquel Knight (the force behind Beyoncé’s “Single Lady” sensation) breathes expected new life into the piece, replacing the double-stepping hustle style dancing of the original with current top 40 style and flash.
This entire artistic team has combined all their resources and talents and produced something otherworldly, as it should be. Just the right degree of salutes to the original versions of the musical, the MGM movie, and the book, but in forward-looking ways to somehow give us a fantasyland that is simultaneously familiar, contemporary, and timeless—everything a good, inspirational, cautionary storybook tale should be.
If there is one thing missing—and for purists, there is—it’s the conspicuous absence of Dorothy’s canine sidekick Toto. While Toto never made the trip to Oz in the original, he bookended the story in Kansas and brought thunderous applause to the finale strains of “Home” when he rushed back on stage to welcome his human back from her legendary adventures. Maybe the extended tryout tour was a bit much to include a dog handler team and travel with pets, but here’s a second issue that should be revisited by the time Dorothy’s house drops in New York.
Overall, after a long stretch of anticipation (almost made even longer when a 7:40 power outage threatened to derail press night; thankfully the show went on at 8:30) watching an entire generation of misfires of this musical since Stephanie Mills retired the lead, I am relieved to say that not only does this production heed Evillene’s advice, but most every choice Williams and Ruffin make along the Yellow Brick Road are well-conceived improvements. This Wiz lives up to and delivers upon its promises.
The Wiz runs 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission.
The Wiz, runs through September 30, 2023, at the Hippodrome Theatre in the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center at 12 N. Eutaw Street. For tickets call the box office at 410.752.7444. or purchase them online