Theater Review: The Wiz

The life of a photographer writing theater reviews can be a strange one! I often find myself at a theater in Playhouse Square’s complex (or other fine theater establishments in Ohio) covering shows with storylines that range from cats choosing who among themselves should be sacrificed to the six wives of Henry VIII battling it out for who had the roughest marriage (let’s be honest, the only real contenders were the second or fifth!) Last night, I found myself watching ‘The Wiz.’ For the uninitiated, much like the 1939 film ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ (a childhood rite of passage to be forever terrified by witches, flying monkeys, and, of course, lions, tigers & bears), ‘The Wiz‘ storyline is more/less based on L. Frank Baum’s book, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.’

With performances running now through Sunday, October 22 at the Connor Palace Theater, The Wiz is on an unusual pre-Broadway tour that will see the show stop in 13 markets before setting up shop on Broadway. Interestingly enough, this show is hitting the road with its first stop here in Cleveland, for it opens back for a run in New York City on Broadway in April 2024. Originating as a 1974 book-turned-musical, it was written to be more inclusive of the African-American community. William F Brownand (story) and Charlie Smalls (score) created an amazing, unique spin on the show that includes soul, gospel, rock, and 70s funk genres.

The popularity of this musical inspired the 1978 movie adaptation with a star-studded cast that included the likes of Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Richard Pryor. While it was not the commercial success the show most definitely deserved to be, the magic of the music continues to this day. Hopefully, the revival will have a more enthusiastic reception from its audiences.

Of course, the 1939 film changed the way consumers watched movies in color versus black and white.. While inaccurately one of the first color movies (near the 190th), it used a mixture of black and white and color in a way that had not yet been seen. Adding to the fact that this movie became so popular, it would land as one of the first color movies many people could remember seeing. While an interesting piece of trivia, this information is essential to understanding the impressive stage and sets of ‘The Wiz.’ Academy Award-winning Hannah Beachler created outstanding visuals. Coupled with fantastic costumes designed by Sharen Davis, this production has found a great formula for success.

Like the movie, the show uniquely appears to start in black and white, with the protagonist, Dorthy (Nichelle Lewis) outside on her Kansas farm. Lewis’ seemingly limitless vocal range is worth the price of admission alone. It’s a reminder that Broadway productions hire the best of the best. Dorothy and her Aunt Em (Melody A Betts) are outside their home talking about life when they notice a tornado coming. Betts sings “The Feeling We Once Had” before the tornado hits. It is a terrific and loving song, developing how Aunt Em is missing her sister and Dorothy’s mother. Establishing this bond while telling about a shared personal tragedy hooks the audience right from the get-go.

As the tornado hits, ‘The Wiz’ comes to life as eight actors come out dressed in flowy black costumes. As they run around the stage, simulating a tornado, their chaos as they jump, spin, and turn creates an elegant transition from Kansas to Oz. As Dorothy and Aunt Em’s house rips in two, they reach Oz with a resounding welcome to Oz that rivals the feeling of the original film. This moment is where the level of technicalities of this music is still a little foggy. While one can’t be sure, the entire backdrop appears to be one solid screen. Perhaps it’s projections, but the transitions from background to background doesn’t appear to be projected but rather mimic an actual screen. The clarity and definition are so precise that it is inspiring. For a musical that is taking us to colorful Oz, this decision was a flawless one.

Next, the show introduces the good witch, Glinda (Deborah Cox), as she points out to the Townspeople in full song and dance how happy they are that the Wicked Witch of the East has perished. Glinda and the Townspeople sing, “He’s the Wiz,” one of the highlights of the show.

From here, the story takes a much more familiar turn. Dorothy meets the energetic (yet brainless) Scarecrow (Avery Wilson). Wilson jumps to life as if he forgot he’s supposed to be an inanimate object. “You Can’t Win” really introduces the audience to Wilson as a performer.

Next, the Tinman (Phillip Johnson Richardson, who audeinces might recognize from other theater and film projects) asks for assistance in his lubrication needs so that he, too, can join Dorothy and the Scarecrow in his journey to find a heart. This is certainly something that The Wiz can help with.

Finally, on their mission, Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tinman run into their most loving yet most cowardly friend, Lion (Kyle Ramar Freeman).

In a pre-show interview, Kyle explains the importance of the show as it pertains to African-American culture, noting, “I’m happy for black kids to see it for themselves on stage and for them to see black people in a fantasy world where all things are possible. There’s magic. There’s all types of things. And, to see black bodies doing that, it’s also important. I’m excited for them to see, and hopefully, people will be inspired for years to come.“

The journey that these lovable characters take is also reminiscent of the film. The needs are the same, even though the story is slightly different. Without giving away the end, the gang DOES get to meet The Wiz (Alan Mindo, Jr.).

While there may have been a few quirks or kinks that are being worked on, this revival is destined to stick around for a while. The story might be old, but this new production is very fresh.

The Wiz is part of the KeyBank Broadway Series and runs at Connor Palace through Sunday, October 22, 2023. Tickets for the run can be purchased on playhousesquare.org or by calling 216-241-6000.