Bringing you some great news: ‘The Wiz’ thru Broadway in Chicago
Melody A. Betts and the Ensemble. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.
The Chicagoland musical theatre scene is truly an abundance of riches this season. Every large house and many smaller ones, in a burst not seen since the pandemic, give reasons to gather with family and friends to enjoy extraordinary musical storytelling from the nation’s best theatremakers on and off-stage.
Local aficionados received another reason this week to engage in this theatrical affluence, with a tour stop of the new production of The Wiz. It’s set to premiere on Broadway next year and, quite simply, there are myriad reasons to see it here before it packs up.
It’s intimidating for a reviewer coming from a background of abundant white privilege to review The Wiz, hoping to sufficiently capture proper respect for its importance and depth. The original Broadway staging in 1975 and subsequent film in 1978 are William F. Brown’s adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic The Wizard of Oz, with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls. According to Ryan Bunch’s Oz and the Musical, this retelling made an African-American claim on the fairy tale through Black performance traditions.
Bunch writes: “The concept of soul and the language of soul music are integral to the adaptation, in which home is a feeling more than a place. It allegorizes Black migration and performance while celebrating Black culture. Dorothy, a Black iteration of an icon of American girlhood, learns to perform soulfully on her journey through Oz, joining the family and community of Black people she finds there. Intersecting performances of race, gender, sexuality, and age lend authority to a concept of home as self-knowledge. The Wiz is an important musical for Black audiences and performers, making a political statement about Black joy and excellence.” The current production carries this torch.
Hometown heroine Melody Betts slays in dual roles. As Aunt Em (her duet with Dorothy, “The Feeling We Once Had,” is extraordinarily tender and touching) and Evillene (the Wicked Witch of the West, for the uninitiated), she shows off her triple-threat talents with unique style. If you’re wondering, yes, you’ve seen her gracing Chicagoland stages for years (note her cred here). Those who know her are entranced with her kindness and grace; they’ll be attending her solo show, Welcome to Beltsville, at the Venus Cabaret, Dec. 18 (deets here). So as a response to continual, fair theatre community grousing about national shows rolling through town without Chicago actors, take this chance to show this dynamo some hometown support.
This cast also features a burgeoning star that everyone will soon know as a stage luminary, a Beyoncé-equal pop star, or perhaps both. Following in the footsteps of Stephanie Mills and Diana Ross as Dorothy is 24-year-old Nichelle Lewis, a 2021 graduate of Molloy University who will make her Broadway debut come late March. Her incredible vocals include whistle tones reminiscent of a young Mariah Carey, and her innocence-to-strength personification in the lead role is perfection.
Deborah Cox as Glinda the Good Witch puts recording-artist glitz on the show board. But know her enormous vocal talent is equally matched by Alan Mingo, Jr. (The Wiz himself), Kyle Ramar Freeman (Lion), Phillip Johnson Richardson (Tinman) and Avery Wilson (Scarecrow), along with an uber-talented ensemble. It’s combined with magnificently executed choreography from Jaquel Knight that touches on hip-hop and tribal, among other dance forms. The onstage genius is all supported by the additional material written for this production by Amber Ruffin, drop-dead gorgeous costume and hair / wig design (Sharen Davis and Charles G. Lapointe, respectively), intriguing video-enhanced sets (Hannah Beachler) and terrific music (supervision and orchestrations by Joseph Joubert).
And with The Wiz, director Schele Williams’s star continues to rise. Her website describes her as committed to cultivating new musicals and devising work with authentic representation, passionate about pairing social justice with the arts. She is a founding member of Black Theatre United, committed to dismantling systemic racism, and has been a member of Broadway Inspirational Voices for more than 20 years. Remarkably, she who helms this splendid production is, in this reviewer’s opinion, likely to compete with herself at the Tony Awards next year. Williams also co-directs The Notebook with Michael Greif, which opens on Broadway this winter. Both productions will be Tony-eligible, and though The Wiz will be slated as a revival while The Notebook is new, there is but a single category for musical director. May competing nominations be this talented woman’s greatest problem in the year ahead.
Ease on down to the ticket office and take in this splendid musical theatre treat before these great talents take to the Yellow Brick Road, hopefully for a long and healthy stay in the Emerald City.
The Wiz runs through Dec. 10 at 151 W. Randolph St. For tickets or more information, please visit either broadwayinchicago.com or wizmusical.com.
For more reviews on this or other shows, please visit theatreinchicago.com.