Why “Wiz” now when you can “Wicked” later?
Y’know, if you’re willing to wait a while?
Unlike the Oz-themed sequel, “Wicked: For Good” (which isn’t out until November), you can see “The Wiz” here in South Florida right now if you desperately need a little Emerald City in your life … and don’t mind a few little trip-ups on the Yellow Brick Road.
The national tour of the Broadway megahit from back in the day played at Miami’s Arsht Center earlier this month and is now at West Palm Beach’s Kravis Center through Oct. 26.
“The Wiz” reruns, reimagines and reconfigures “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” through a soulful filter: It brought Black culture to the Great White Way, and won seven Tony Awards in the process. The score is a tuneful tribute to African American contributions to music including Dixieland, jazz, gospel, blues, R&B/soul, funk and dance.
This refreshed revival celebrates the 50th anniversary of the musical’s debut on Broadway in 1975, which launched Stephanie Mills’ career and was turned into a 1978 feature film starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Lena Horne, Nipsey Russell and Richard Pryor.
And this cast stokes the embers under that lofty legacy, igniting a fiery fervor by belting those songs — “Soon As I Get Home,” “Ease On Down The Road,” “Be A Lion,” “What Would I Do If I Could Feel,” “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News,” “Everybody Rejoice,” “Believe In Yourself,” “Home” — to the back of the house.
Now this is an impressive feat when that “house” is a cavernous performing arts center. Seriously, they don’t just sing; they “san-guh.”
The arrangements have been tweaked, which is probably a savvy move to better reflect today’s musical aesthetic and entice Gen Z and Gen Alpha ears. But somehow some of the rhythmic punch seems to have been replaced by a hip-hop shove … here and there … but not everywhere.
Some of the jokes have a faint whiff of social media meme-humor, again probably a wise update that totally works. And the Tik-Tok’d choreography gets the job done, though it must be said that production numbers such as “He’s The Wiz” and “Everybody Rejoice” come off somewhere between underpowered and unplugged.
Let’s set aside that entrances by Glinda, Evillene and The Wiz need a lot more fabulousness and that some of the transitions are a bit abbreviated. Also, let’s just look askance at some storyline decisions that might raise a few eyebrows (No. Mention. Of. Toto!). There are other narrative modifications that just make sense (Dorothy has recently moved to Kansas and is being bullied at school).
However, the biggest issue — even for some who might consider themselves Oz-ians — is that the songs that have been dusted off from the show’s long history and put in this staging are just not worth it, needlessly stretching the running time to almost 2 1/2 hours, including a 20-minute intermission.
Some of us need to get home.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: “The Wiz”
WHEN/WHERE:
- Through Oct. 12 at Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami
- Oct. 21-26 at Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
COST:
- $47.97-$176.67 (Arsht)
- $51.75-$155.25 (Kravis)
INFORMATION:
- 305-949-6722 or arshtcenter.org
- 561-832-7469 or kravis.org
