Get ready, Des Moines, because Dorothy, Toto and all the beloved characters you know from Oz have been following the yellow brick road to the Civic Center in an all-new, Broadway-bound adaptation of The Wiz.
The vibrant, high-energy musical is a retelling of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that features an all-Black cast and a plot that parallels the original story of Dorothy Gale’s adventures in Oz, with a few twists and a groove-worthy set of songs that made waves when it first opened at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway nearly 50 years ago.
While a few past attempts to bring the show to Broadway had fizzled out, the latest version of The Wiz is generating buzz in its pre-Broadway tour, thanks in part to changes including an updated script and score and new material by the Tony-nominated Amber Ruffin. It will land at the Marquis Theatre in New York in March.
“It reads fresher and newer,” said Alan Mingo Jr., a longtime Broadway actor who plays none other than the wonderful Wiz himself.
The musical was turned into a film featuring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow in 1978. Most recently, in 2015 the musical received the primetime treatment with a live TV version on NBC starring Queen Latifa, Ne-Yo and Common. The 1978 film has become a cult classic. Mingo Jr., says that after the national pre-Broadway tour kicked off in Baltimore — where the musical premiered nearly half a century ago — he saw first-hand how the show and its iterations have touched generations.
“They all had some sort of connection,” he said of the crowd of people that lined up outside the stage door to meet the cast that night. “Never had I had this sort of connection with the audience where they will tell you, ‘Hi, I'm now bringing my mom who brought me, or I’m bringing my kids because my grandparents brought me.’ Or, ‘We rewatch every Christmas, The Wiz, and I wanted to introduce my kids to this live version.’”
Mingo Jr. himself was introduced to The Wiz through the film.
“It was iconic for me,” he said. “At that point I was singing in elementary school and in church, but it was the first time I got to see people who look like me and sound like me that were doing acting as well.”
Mingo Jr. says this revival is a “perfect blend” of the renditions before it, while refining the script for modern day. He says those familiar with the score will be pleased to hear all the same beloved songs, like “You Can’t Win,” made famous by Jackson’s Scarecrow, and the record-topping “Ease on Down the Road,” while the script benefits from the removal of dated jokes.
Mingo Jr. will depart from the show in about a month — but never fear, you can still see him and his “quirky” take on the Wiz’s character throughout the show’s performances in Des Moines.
“I consider The Wizard of Oz one of America's biggest folklores — stories we all know,” he said. “If you've seen The Wizard of Oz, then you're going to be OK with seeing The Wiz. Or if you've seen The Wizard of Oz, you're okay with seeing Wicked. We're just telling a new story.”
You can see The Wiz at the Des Moines Civic Center from Dec. 12 - Dec. 17.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Des Moines Performing Arts is a financial contributor to Iowa Public Radio.
