Picture this: It’s the late 1970s, and you and your friends are in your basement, wearing out the linoleum, as you continue practicing the “Ease on Down the Road” choreography from the film “The Wiz.”
You have seen it four times already, and you are determined to get it right. You also take turns standing in front of the full-length mirror, practicing emoting while singing a heart-swelling rendition of “Home.” And through it all, you cannot possibly comprehend at 10 years old that the Broadway musical that inspired the movie was anything more than just a really cool version of a story you have lived and breathed since you were born.
But it is.
In fact, “The Wiz,” with an all-Black cast and crew, opened the door for future musicals such as “Dreamgirls” and “Sophisticated Ladies.”
The significance of this groundbreaking musical is even more evident in the newly re-imagined iteration on stage at the Connor Palace, kicking off Playhouse Square’s 2023-2024 KeyBank Broadway Series.
Charles LaPointe, wig designer for Playhouse Square-bound ‘The Wiz,’ talks shop
This touring production will travel the country and eventually find a home on Broadway, which will be its first time on the Great White Way since the show’s original Broadway premiere in 1975. It is a re-telling of L. Frank Baum’s classic book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” but contextualized as a celebration of contemporary Black culture.
The curtain rises on Dorothy (Nichelle Lewis) who, following the death of her parents, is feeling out of place, and is being bullied in her new school. She is comforted by her Aunt Em (Melody A. Betts) until a wild tornado hits, carrying Dorothy off to a colorful, fantastical world that feels like a cartoon version of a neighborhood somewhere in New Orleans. Her house lands on one of the four Witches of Oz, but nobody seems too upset about it. In fact, Addaperle (Allyson Kaye Daniel), the Good Witch of the North, gladly gives Dorothy her flattened sister’s silver shoes to get to the Emerald City safely. Her plan is to ask the Wiz (Alan Mingo Jr.) to help her get back home.
Along the way, Dorothy encounters the Scarecrow (Avery Wilson), the Tin Man (Phillip Johnson Richardson) and the Lion (Kyle Ramar Freeman), who have all lost something within themselves that Dorothy feels the Wiz can give them, so they decide to “Ease on Down the Road” to the Emerald City together.
The Wiz is suave but smarmy — and he agrees to help them if they kill Evellene, the Wicked Witch of the West, also played by Betts.
When they succeed, only to discover that the Wiz is a con artist, he still manages to help them realize that what they thought they were missing was inside themselves all along. And Glinda, the Good Witch of the South (Deborah Cox) helps Dorothy believe in herself enough to make her way home with a simple click of her heels. Well … three clicks.
The magic of this production is front and center within the spectacular voices that color the many genres of music found in the iconic score, including rock, pop, gospel, soul, and ’70s funk, with updated arrangements to align with the script changes in order to make the show more current. Each actor stands out as a superb individual vocalist, and together, they take the already stunning complex harmonies and somehow make them even more beautiful.
‘Creed’ production designer Hannah Beachler talks Playhouse Square-bound ‘Wiz’
Lewis has a vocal range that soars to the rafters, along with a tone that is clear as a bell. She gives a strong performance and digs deep into her more emotional scenes and songs, but it would add another layer to her character were she to loosen up a bit in her lighter moments.It is a blast to watch Wilson, as the straw-stuffed scarecrow, literally flip and flexibly flop around the stage, with sharp, yet appropriately rubbery dance moves. His vocal gymnastics are just as fancy as his footwork, but his acting seems forced, and stiff at times.
Richardson, as the “heartless” Tin Man, and Freeman, as the very cowardly Lion, pull out all the stops in their big numbers, “Slide Some Oil to Me” and “Mean Ole Lion,” respectively. Both actors could go even bigger with some of their acting choices.
Mingo does a fine job as the Wiz. He has an exaggerated style that works and is charismatic in the role, but he never gets as far as doing something surprising or unique in the way that this role allows.
Betts is so very comfortable and nurturing as Aunt Em, and she grabs the opportunity to show off her flawless vocal control in the song “The Feeling We Once Had.” And then she brings the house down as Evellene. She commands the stage with the same ease but in a totally different way. Her comic timing and energy lift up every scene she is in and give the show a jolt of energy that feels necessary at times.What a treat to have Deborah Cox in this production, the recording artist giving glitz and glam to Glinda. She takes a cameo-type role and turns it into something memorable.
Another standout is Allyson Kaye Daniel, who appears briefly as Addaperle, but she consistently finds the humor in her character, takes risks and has a fresh approach to her lines, landing every laugh.Hannah Beachler’s set design works well and utilizes some very creative and beautiful projections designed by Daniel Brodie, but for a production that is centered around a fantasy, it feels as though there is a missed opportunity to add some more-magical elements. And it is especially anticlimactic when the set changes from black and white to color. There is no wow factor.
On this particular night, the show had to be held briefly for a technical issue, but it was handled quickly.
Before that, on Oct. 8, the show’s matinee performance was canceled due to what Playhouse Square called a medical emergency. The evening show went on as scheduled.
In spite of some bumps on the road to Emerald City, this production of “The Wiz” reminds us to have faith in ourselves and each other, and that “hope” is a powerful thing. Now more than ever, we all deserve to receive a message like that. To quote Stephen Sondheim as to why he says “The Wiz” is his favorite musical: “It’s the one show which makes you feel better when you come out of it than you did when you walked in.”
‘The Wiz’
Continues through Oct. 22 at Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace, 1615 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. For tickets, $25 to $115, call 216-241-6000 or visit playhousesquare.org.
