Jacob Ferguson
Whitman
The Wiz Live! Performance Review
I watched The Wiz
Live! which premiered December 3 at 8:00 pm on NBC. This performance was a live version of a play
from 1974 that was later turned into a movie. Written by Harvey Fierstein and
directed by Matthew Diamond and Kenny Leon, it starred Shanice Williams as
Dorothy, Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow, David Alan Grier as The Cowardly Lion,
Ne-Yo as Tin-Man, and Queen Latifah as The Wiz. This play adapts the
story of the children’s book The Wizard of
Oz into a disco musical and features an all-black cast. The story is basically the same as the book:
Dorothy isn’t content with her life on the farm, and soon a tornado comes and
carries her away to the magical Land of Oz, fulfilling her wish. After being taken to this strange place she
realizes that she misses home, and meets others who are longing for things
too. As in the original story they meet
the wizard (The Wiz), who turns out to be a hoax; the wicked witch (in this
case Evillene) who Dorothy inadvertently melts; and Glinda, who helps her use
the power of her ruby slippers (silver shoes in this show). However different touches keep the viewer on
their toes and differentiate this production from the original. As I already mentioned, there are many
changed names that demonstrate the show’s desire to celebrate black
culture. The overall set design was
minimalistic with few set pieces cluttering up the stage; however the sets were
very showy and in bright colors, reflecting the cheerful upbeat disco music of
the production. This basic set let the
performers themselves be showcased more.
Shanice Williams as Dorothy had an amazing voice, but sometimes seemed
too old to be believable as a young girl.
All cast members had impressive voices, especially Mary J. Blige as
Evillene, but David Alan Grier playing the lion acted the best out of all of
them. Dorothy, when confronted with a
close-up shot, often seemed uncomfortable or trying to force emotions. Despite the raw talent and simple set, the
show still featured many elaborate acrobatics and dances. One that especially impressed me was the
group of dancers representing the tornado who swirled around on stage until
Dorothy flew away, carried by thin wires.
Being based on such an old show, this one was updated some, with modern
pop culture references like Evillene’s iPad and the Tin-Man’s dabbing. Overall I enjoyed the flashy production
values, high energy, and positive message.
Rating: 8.5/10
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