Theatre Legends
The Wiz
About The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. The urbanized retelling of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of modern African-American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland and moved to the Majestic Theatrewith a new cast on January 5, 1975 featuring Stephanie Mills, Dee Dee Bridgewater, André DeShields and Phylicia Rashād.
The 1975 Broadway production won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The Wiz has had revivals in New York, London, San Diego and the Netherlands, and a limited-run at Encores! in June 2009. A big-budget film adaptation of the same name was released in 1978 featuring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor becoming cult classic. A live television production of the stage show, The Wiz Live!, will air live on NBC on December 3, 2015.
Show Links
Videos
Shanice Williams and Stephanie Mills Sing "Home"
Performance (Working In The Theatre #292)
The Wiz Live! NBC Preview
Audio
Select Credits
- , Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
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, Majestic Theatre & Broadway Theatre
1975 Tony Award Best Musical
1975 Tony Award Best Original Score
1975 Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Musical Ted Ross
1975 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Musical Dee Dee Bridgewater
1975 Tony Award Best Costume Design Geoffrey Holder
1975 Tony Award Best Choreography George Faison
1975 Tony Award Best Direction of a Musical Geoffrey Holder
1975 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical
1975 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Music and Lyrics
1975 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Ted Ross
1975 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Choreography George Faison
1975 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Costume Design Geoffrey Holder
