Auditions
Evans Show
Synopsis
Alma Show
Synopsis
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June 19-July 6, 2008. Evans Amphitheater, 8pm.
Book by William F. Brown. Music and Lyrics by Charlie Smalls.
Based on the story: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Dorothy's adventures in the Land of Oz are set to music in a dazzling, lively mixture of rock, gospel and soul music.
PLOT
Act One opens on a ramshackle farm in Kansas where a giant twister lurks in the distance. Dorothy, who hasn't lost the capacity to dream, seems unaware of anything except her dog, Toto. Her Aunt Em scolds her for not helping prepare for the storm but it's evident there is a strong bond of love between them ("The Feeling We Once Had"). The tornado hits, snatching Dorothy from her Kansas countryside and whisking her to the Land of Oz where the wreckage of her farmhouse squashes Evvamene, the Wicked Witch of the East.
Backed by a chorus of happy Munchkins, Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North, informs Dorothy the only way she'll make it back to Kansas is by going to the Emerald City to see The Wiz ("He's The Wizard"). A living road of yellow bricks channels the little girl's silver-slippered feet toward the Emerald City as Dorothy tries to screw up her courage for the journey ("Soon As I Get Home").
Dorothy comes across a hip Scarecrow who asks for her help in getting down from his pole because he has a feeling he isn't going anywhere. The Scarecrow joins Dorothy and the two of them "Ease On Down the Road" toward the Emerald City. Around the next turn, they are flagged down by the Tinman, who asks Dorothy to "Slide Some Oil to Me." Farther down the road, the three of them run into the cowardly Lion who insists "I'm A Mean Ole Lion." His bravado turns out to be a bluff and he admits he's been getting psychiatric help from an owl. The Wiz may be able to help him as well so he joins the group and they all ease on down the road until they become lost in the land of the dreaded Kalidahs. Thanks to the bravery of the Tinman and the Scarecrow, they barely escape with their lives.
Next, a deadly poppy field nearly does the group in and all escape except the Lion, who is rescued by the Mice Squad and escorted to the gates of the Emerald City for a reunion with the others. The townspeople of Emerald City are a spectacular group but nothing in comparison with the awesome Wiz ("So You Wanted To See the Wizard"). He listens to their requests: Dorothy's desire to go home; the Lion's search for courage; the Scarecrow's need for brains; and the Tinman's plaintive dream of having a heart ("What Would I Do If I Could Feel"). The Wiz decides he'll grant their wishes if they kill the Wicked Witch of the West.
Act Two begins at the awful palace of Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West who is aware of the group's mission. She gives instruction to her slave-like Winkies ("Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News") but a Winkie messenger informs her that Dorothy and her friends have broken through their first line of defense and are on their way to do in Evillene. She summons her horrible Winged Monkeys who capture Dorothy and the others.
A week later in Evillene's palace the battered Tinman and the unstuffed Scarecrow have been stashed away in storage bins while the Lion has become a waterboy and Dorothy a servant girl. Evillene needs Dorothy's silver slippers to make all of Oz bow to her wishes but while defending the Lion, Dorothy splashes water on her thereby melting Evillene into a harmless puddle. This frees the thankful Winkies ("Everybody Rejoice") and restores the Tinman and the Scarecrow.
The Wiz tries to weasel out of his promises but is confronted forcefully by the group. He confesses to originally being a two-bit con man in Omaha until he got the call from the Almighty to spread the good word for the simple things in life: power, prestige and money. A violent windstorm blew him and his hot air balloon to the Emerald City where he became the miraculous Wiz by giving everybody in town a pair of green sunglasses. He explains that the miracle is not in the green shades but in what you allow your eyes to see through them. Using similar "magic," The Wiz provides the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the Lion with their brains, heart and courage. Dorothy persuades him to take her back to Kansas in his balloon.
All of Emerald City attends the count down and to hear The Wiz's final inspirational message ("Y'All Go It!"). He leaves without Dorothy but Addaperle reappears and summons Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, who reveals the secret of the silver slippers ("If You Believe"). Dorothy bids her friends a sad farewell, clicks her heels three times, and arrives "Home."
PRODUCTION HISTORY
Before the classic 1939 MGM Judy Garland movie, there were several stage or screen productions of the original book. In 1903, a musical adaptation opened at the Majestic Theatre in New York and ran for 18 months. In 1908, the first silent movie version of the property appeared, followed in 1925 by a more elaborate silent film featuring Oliver Hardy (before he teamed up with Stan Laurel) as the Tin Woodman.
The Wiz had its world premiere at the Morris A. Mechanic Theater in Baltimore on October 21, 1974. Following engagements in Detroit and Philadelphia, it opened in New York, once again at the Majestic Theatre, on January 5, 1975 and later moved to the Broadway Theatre where it closed over four years later on January 28, 1979. The Broadway cast featured Stephanie Mills as Dorothy, Hinton Battle as Scarecrow, Tiger Haynes as Tin Man, Ted Ross as Lion, Dee Dee Bridgewater as Glinda the Good Witch, André De Shields as the Wiz and Mabel King as Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West. The production was directed by Geoffrey Holder, who also designed the costumes, and was choreographed by George Faison. It did very well in the award category winning seven Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score and five Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Music and Lyrics.
In 1984, The Wiz had its first London production at the Lyric Hammersmith. There have been three US touring revivals: in 1984 with Stephanie Mills that had an abbreviated run at the Lunt-Fontanne on Broadway, another in 1992 with Stephanie Mills and André De Shields which also had a New York run the following year, and another in 1997 with Grace Jones and Peabo Bryson.
There were two revivals in 2006: a Dutch production that ran at the Beatrix Theater in Utrecht, Holland; and the second took place in the fall at the La Jolla Playhouse featuring a revised script and David Alan Grier as The Wiz.
THE FILM
Twentieth Century-Fox invested $650,000 in the Broadway show with an eye to cultivating future movie properties. They subsequently declined to make the film version due to executive changes at the studio and a string of recent musical flops (Hello, Dolly!, Star, Doctor Doolittle and others). Instead, Motown Records bought the film rights with the intention of adding to their recent film hits (The Lady Sings the Blues and Mahogany). Diana Ross (star of Motown's two hits) was interested in playing Dorothy and Sidney Lumet agreed to direct his first film musical. Joel Schumacher wrote the screenplay where Dorothy was a kindergarten teacher who had never left her New York City neighborhood. Oz became an abandoned Manhattan complete with New York landmarks translated into use as Oz landmarks. Filming was completed between September and December 1977 and it was released in October 1978 at a cost of $24 million, making it the second most expensive move released in 1978 (after Superman).
Artistic Staff
Theater Co-Artistic Directors: Victoria Bussert^ & Russ Borski
Directed by Pierre-Jacques Brault
Music Direction by Matthew Webb
Choreography by Martín Céspedes^
Scenic Design by TBA
Lighting Design by Michael Boll
Costume Design by Russ Borski
Sound Design by Stan Kozak
Stage Managed by Will Brandstetter*
^Member, Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers
*Member, Actors' Equity Association
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