‘The Wiz Live’ Delivers on All Fronts: Casting, Performances, Design
Newcomer Shanice Williams portrays Dorothy in The Wiz. (ETonline)
Cirque du Soleil Theatrical is planning to bring The Wiz back to Broadway in 2016-17. It’s too bad that tickets are not already on sale. Viewers of Thursday’s The Wiz Live on NBC are motivated to buy. The production that celebrates its 40th anniversary this year was damn good. While classic remakes are subject to more stringent scrutiny than original pieces, The Wiz Live met the expectations of longtime fans, delivering a strong cast and a modernized adaptation that complimented the original work. Below, see our seven favorite moments.
7. Emerald Green Never Looked So Good
The set design and costumes were amazing throughout, but were especially eye-catching during the scenes based in the Emerald City where the Wiz resided. The dark shade of green, jeweled accents, and lighting made for an appropriately regal setting.
6. There’s an Art to Easing Down the Road
The Yellow Brick Road is one of the most symbolic elements of The Wiz that debuted onstage in 1975. The notion of dancing along the golden path made it even more exciting to watch. Anticipation heightened each time Dorothy added a new member to her entourage including the Scarecrow (Elijah Kelley), Tin-Man (Ne-Yo), and the Cowardly Lion (David Alan Grier).
5. Ne-Yo Captures Tin-Man’s Vulnerability in “What Would I Do”
(Deadline)
Ne-Yo’s performance of “What Would I Do” ranks among the event’s standout songs. He tapped into the emotion of the character with his moving vocal delivery. You could feel the anguish of a man struggling to overcome his insecurities.
4. Surprise! The Female Wiz Is Explained
(NBC)
It’s not easy to incorporate a twist into the storyline of one of entertainment’s most well known scripts, but they managed to sneak in a good one with Queen Latifah portraying the Wiz, a character usually played by a male actor. It seemed odd when the characters used male terms when referring to Queen Latifah’s role, but it wasn’t until the Wiz was exposed as a fraud did viewers learn that the Wiz was a woman who disguised herself as a man in order to mislead the people of Oz.
3. Why Auntie Em Empathizes With Dorothy
(NBC)
Fans of the original stage production could not have been happier to learn that Stephanie Mills, who played the lead role of Dorothy in 1975, would return for the live televised version, this time playing Dorothy’s Auntie Em. You could feel her emotional connection to the role and the empathy her character had for the distraught niece she took in after her parents’ death. It was especially touching when Auntie Em sang “The Feeling We Once Had,” sounding flawless.
2. Pre-“No More Drama” Mary J. Blige Stars as Evillene
Mary J. Blige continues to expand her catalog, attempting to leave behind her days of singing mostly sad and angry songs. But, we’re grateful she made an exception to play Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West. She brought the fire as she ruled as the heartless dictator who gave Dorothy her worst tongue-lashing, and she delivered the night’s best performance – the venomous, lyrical warning “No Bad News.” The late Mabel King, who helmed the role onstage and in the film, would have approved.
1. Shanice Williams Tackles Signature Song “Home” With Ease
There’s only one movie credit on Shanice Williams’s filmography, but expect that to change. The 19-year-old newcomer has earned her badge as the new Dorothy, the only character front and center for the duration of the nearly three-hour production, and she made it look effortless. Though she has plenty highlights – her sing-off with Amber Riley (“He’s the Wizard”) nd face-off with Mary J. Blige, among others – what mattered most is she nailed the finale song, “Home.” She not only displayed the depth and range expected for the production’s signature song, but she did so with the legendary Stephanie Mills – the original Dorothy – in the building. This was Williams’s drop-the-mic, exit-the-stage moment. Bravo.
We would definitely pay to see this show onstage.
