Everybody look around! Because there’s a reason to rejoice and shout— everybody come on down! You owe it to yourself to check it out! Can’t you feel a brand new day? That brand new day has come! Charm City has the hottest ticket in town with the Broadway-bound production of The Wiz. Directed by Schele Williams, with Musical Supervision & Orchestration by Joseph Joubert, and Choreography by Jaquel Knight, the book (by William F. Brown adapted from L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz) with music & lyrics by Charlie Smalls and additional materials by Amber Ruffin, will have you toe-tapping, knee-slapping, hand-clapping and easing on down to a good place in your heart and soul. With all the high-caliber aesthetics and spectacle one expects from a Broadway show, catch it here in Charm City before it makes the leap up to the Big Apple.
More and more digital, motion-based projections are swallowing up the scenery of big, splashy Broadway musicals. The Design Team behind this production of the The Wiz— Scenic Designer Hannah Beachler, Lighting Designer Ryan J. O’Gara, and Projection Designer Daniel Brodie— cultivate a happy medium, balancing both actual set pieces and some truly striking projections that are not only colorful but whimsical and add layers upon layers of depth, creating an ‘infinity-feel’ to the show’s scenes. You still get the iconic jarring slap of “monochromatic-gray-scale-come-rainbow-fest” when the tornado swoops through and rips Dorothy out of Kansas and into the land of Oz, only now its got serious UV-neon-dayglow vibes to it, and I’m here for it. Beachler’s most impressive piece of physical scenery is the towering monstrosity that serves as Evillene’s thrown and tower-cage, followed closely by her rook-topped Genie-hookah-bottle-lounge throne for The Wiz. Brodie’s projections are seamless and blossom into existence (aided by sliding panels and fly-tower-drop-screens) as if you were in a cinema. You don’t feel cheated for a lack of scenery and the level of spectacle feels just right for this flavor of show. And O’Gara’s lighting gets used to frequently augment the dance routines— particularly during the infinity-looping-dance break at the top of Act II inside the “No Sleep Club” featuring all of those Ozians dancing with unhinged spirits like their lives depended on it.
We covered the aesthetics of the show but you’ll note no mention of a sartorial selection and that’s because costumes, make-up, hair & wigs for this production are in a magical category all their own. If Broadway was a Mardi Gras parade, The Wiz is throwing in krewes left, right, and center, with out-of-this world couture. The zany, whimsical, fun-loving outfits— by way of Costume Designer Sharen Davis— are what tie this production together. You land in Oz, fully expecting that pop of rainbow? Davis delivers in spades. It’s not just bright colors, its ultra-saturated, UV-Day-Glow in fashions that mirror those marching in a Mardi Gras Parade. Glinda (who does not travel by bubble— that’s Wicked and The Wizard of Oz) glides down the steps through a tilt-framed door, looking like a radiant Christmas Tree Topper. That gown, whose sleeves look like spiky mirror ball fragments, and whose skirt drifts in flowy waves like gold and silver-cream chiffon Christmas ribbon creates an angelic aesthetic for ‘the good witch.’ Addaperle has a garish, electric bubblegum, sequin-glitter house-dress-wrap affair, which matches her loud but bubbly personality. And Davis, along with Hair & Wig Designer Charles G. Lapointe, have decked out Evillene like a warped and melted version of The Queen of Hearts, which is also a perfect aesthetic match to the character’s dark and twisted personality. If there’s one thing The Wiz has definitely got its color and style, there is no shortage, and the show becomes a visual smorgasbord which is so intense its almost dizzying.
The show is chock-a-block with dance routines. Including a questionably superfluous but extremely impressive ‘club-scene-routine’ which stars the Ozian’s (Maya Bowles, Shayla Alayre Caldwell, Jay Copeland, Collin Heyward, Judith Franklin, Amber Jackson, Olivia “Melo. J” Jackson, Christina Jones, Cristina Raé, Polanco Jones Jr., Kolby Kindle, Kreem Marsh, Anthony Murphy, Avilon Trust Tate, Keenan D. Washington) and lets them flash through a myriad of dance styles. Choreographer Jaquel Knight has fabricated fashion-show-runway vibes at the top of this dance block and then roles these gifted and talented dance-ensemble members through 70’s moves, modern-club moves (which vibrate with such bass intensity from the speakers that you can feel your throat shaking way back out in the audience) and then Afro-Beats and a few other combinations before the epic, albeit run-on, dance sequence comes to a conclusion. It’s stunning to watch; it’s astonishing what these dancers achieve; it just feels a little extra and somewhat superfluous to the overall flow of the show, quite possibly because of its positioning. If a dance-break of this caliber were to pop-out in the middle of a musical number, rather than as the opening bid for Act II, it might feel less out of place. That said, Knight’s choreography is stellar both in this instance and all throughout the production. You’ve got leap-twirling Tornados and slide-grooving Poppies, as well as dance-fighting Kalidahs all showcasing the versatility that Knight brings to the production as a choreographer.
The show-stopping, scene-stealing number, hands-down is “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News”, starring the larger-than-life Evillene (Melody A. Betts) who is running the show like someone died and made her boss. It’s fierce. She’s fierce. And the high-octane-come-to-church-revival-vibes that the number gives off are tsunami-force intense that sweeps out across the house and bowls the audience over into an unstoppable ovation (which did in fact stop the show for a hot minute last night.) Betts is bringing life and then some to that role of supreme villainy. It’s high-camp tempered with furious, well, temper and she nails it, unquestionably. With the sassy, brassy bark-of-evil voice that not only demands attention and respect but sends shivers up the spine, Betts is hands-down the ace-in-the-hole for this show. It almost makes you want the creative team to have found a way to give her a second number, but then again this number is such an all-consuming experience, you probably couldn’t have more than one of those in any one particular show. Betts has comic timing like no other, a stage presence that consumes all the oxygen in the room, and vocals that will blow the roof off the building. And as if being the show-stopping, scene-stealing, top-billing-worthy performance star in the role of delicious evil wasn’t enough, Betts also takes up the role of Aunt Em. You get a powerhouse feel-good ballad from her to kickstart the show, “The Feeling We Once Had” which soothes like a lullaby, comforts like a hug, and wraps you in a sense of safety and security; Melody A. Betts is a dynamic, versatile actor like no other and is the tour du force for this Broadway-bound show.
Coming in at a close second for ace-in-the-hole is The Wiz himself, Alan Mingo Jr. Unpredictable, spastically energetic, and wholly charismatic to the tune of charlatan extraordinaire, Mingo Jr. is bringing the jazz, the Zazz, and the razzmatazz to the role. They role Mingo Jr. out like he’s the headlining resident act in a Vegas Colosseum (that’s where all those active, fantastical background projections come in handy!) Mingo Jr. doesn’t do much physical movement in his first number, “Meet The Wizard” but rather lets his sublime vocals do all the moving for him. The age-old ‘busy-stage’ movements of the Ozians during “Y’all Got It” keeps anyone from noticing too closely that Mingo Jr., character isn’t doing the dance routines. Right up until he busts out into the leader-role of said routine. It’s a very clever stage trick that earns Mingo Jr. thunderous applause for the moves he rolls out with. And his voice and overall charming nature in this role are superb, particularly when he’s laying down the truth of the situation with snappy comic one-liners and clap-back replies. You’ll feel utterly mesmerized by all the tricks Mingo Jr. is spinning in this titular role.
While they can’t be Evillene and The Wiz, Addaperle (Allyson Kye Daniel) and Glinda (Deborah Cox) are integral hinges that keep the show swinging. Daniel as the effervescent and sassy-beyond-compare Addaperle is slinging a whole bunch of high-roast comedy lines, particularly when it comes to addressing the ‘house that was dropped on her other, evil sister.’ (And the script is rife with callback jokes about houses in this economy, giving it just that hint of present-day modernity so that the audience can really feel included.) Daniel’s comedic prowess and exacting sense of timing is delightful and really amps up the humor to be had when Dorothy (and by proxy, the audience) first encounters Oz and all it has to offer. Cox, as the glistening-tree-topper-angel-come-witch, has a pretty voice that floats through “He’s the Wiz” and her closer number, “Believe In Yourself.” They both sound lovely, but compared to the other talents in the show, they don’t deliver that mind-blowing wow-factor you’d expect from such an A-list name. It’s not disappointing, just underwhelming, which does speak volumes about the other sensational talents in this production.
The heart of the show, the brains behind the humor, and the ferocious spirit which propels Dorothy on her journey come from L. Frank Baum’s band of loveable ragtag friends— which the Gatekeeper Guards refer to as “…traveling with recycled junk and a dusty cat…” we’re talking about Scarecrow (Avery Wilson), Tinman (Phillip Johnson Richardson), and Lion (Kyle Ramar Freeman.) These three artists are making their mark on this production by taking the iconic roles, beloved by generation in all their iterations (be it the original source book & film or the many stage & musical adaptations over the years) and transforming them into modern, accessible but still recognizable versions who are ready to play in this revolutionary new production. Wilson has a delightful naivete that borders on high-camp silliness that works beautifully— whether he’s imitating Dorothy (and it reads in such a perfectly humorous and non-offensive way that you just love it to pieces) or being snappy and following The Wiz all around— it’s one the detailed nuances that just makes this character click. His vocals blend to perfection in the duo-come-trio-come-quartet of “Ease On Down The Road” (and all its recurrences) and when he gets that introductory solo moment during “You Can’t Win” it gives you a real sense of his vocal capabilities.
Phillip Johnson Richardson, as the rusting tin-can-sans-heart, is ironically filled with heart. You get a powerhouse vocal blast from Richardson during “What Would I Do If I Could Feel” and its deeply moving. Richardson also has a sharp and perceptive sense of comedic timing and delivery. When he’s going full-roast on Evillene it’s downright bust-a-gut-hilarious. Kyle Ramar Freeman, as the Lion, is giving the show and all its entities a run for their money with his intense stage presence. “Mean Ole Lion” is just one example of the wild and impressive skillset that Freeman is bringing to the table. And the camaraderie that Freeman shares with Richardson and Avery, as well as with Dorothy (Nichelle Lewis), is the magical, emotional glue that keeps these characters’ stories lively and keeps the audience invested in their journey.
As for the show’s protagonist, Dorothy (Nichelle Lewis), you get a deeper sense of why her ‘gray’ life is so sad. She’s portrayed as a high school ‘city girl’ forced to farm & country life by the (undescribed) death of her parents, leaving her in her Aunt Em’s care, where she doesn’t fit in and feels like she doesn’t belong. This iteration of Dorothy is a unique balance of kindness, proactive agency in both her story and the story of her tagalong friends she picks up on the path to ‘home’ from Oz, and creates a depth to the character that just feels lacking in other instances of the slipper-wearing-farmgirl. Lewis has rafter-ringing soprano talent in her voice, of that there is no question. When she belts out those final notes of “Home” (the show’s ending) it rocks the house, quite literally as the audience shoots to their feet in rapturous applause. You get that astonishing vocal power and sound with exceptional consistency throughout Lewis’ performance, particularly in numbers like “Soon As I Get Home” and “Wonder, Wonder Why.” The 24-year-old Virginia native is still crafting and honing her superb vocal powers; she sounds extraordinary of that there is no doubt. There are moments, however, when the emotional gravitas of a song gets lost in all of that superb vocal technicality and you get a stunning, albeit slightly hollow, sound from Lewis. There are other moments, however— like the show’s finale, where she completely melds the emotional understanding of the song she’s singing into that phenomenal voice and you get a wholly perfect moment. Those moments of emotional navigation where she hasn’t quite mastered blending emotional completeness with her extraordinary vocal capabilities are not enough to detract from the sensational performance she’s giving, and in time, will meld together to make her a superstar.
All of Baltimore had best ‘ease on down, ease on down’ Eutaw street to get tickets to The Wiz before a Broadway tornado snatches this show up and drops it in New York City.
Running Time: 2 hours and 25 minutes with one intermission
The Wiz plays its pre-Broadway engagement at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre through Saturday September 30th 2023 on the Hippodrome Theatre Main Stage of The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center- 12 North Eutaw Street Baltimore, MD 21201. For tickets call (410) 837-7400 or purchase them online.
