The beloved musical is back on the boards in its first revival in 40 years
Deborah Cox, Common and Sherri Shepherd at the opening of ‘The Wiz’ on Broadway
The stars were easing on down the road on Wednesday, April 17, at the opening of hit revival of The Wiz.
After touring the country across 13 sold-out cities across America, the beloved musical finally hit Broadway for its first revival in 40 years.
Attending the milestone were a slew of stars including rappers Common and MC Lyte; engaged pair Ben Platt and Noah Galvin; Broadway greats Ben Vereen and LaChanze; daytime divas Sunny Hostin, Tamron Hall and Sherri Shepherd; and two former Dorothys — Shanice Williams (from NBC’s The Wiz Live) and Stephanie Mills, The Wiz‘s first Dorothy, who attended alongside fellow original cast members André De Shields, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Ken Page.
All turned out the fashion, fittingly dressing in greens and golds to see the show — now playing at the Marquis Theatre in New York City.
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Deborah Cox, Wayne Brady, Phillip Johnson Richardson, Nichelle Lewis, Avery Wilson, Kyle Ramar Freeman and Melody A. Betts pose onstage at the broadway opening night of ‘The Wiz’ at Marquee Theatre on April 17, 2024 in New York
Based on L. Frank Baum’s beloved children’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Wiz premiered on Broadway in 1975 and became an instant sensation, audiences praising it for transforming one of the world’s most enduring American fantasies into an all-Black musical extravaganza. Charlie Smalls’ score — with songs from Luther Vandross and Timothy Graphenreed — blended ’70s funk with soul, gospel, and rock, and spurred well-known hits like “Ease on Down the Road,” “Brand New Day (Everybody Rejoice)” and “Home.” It took home seven Tony awards including best musical.
In 1978, a film adaptation starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Mabel King, Richard Pryor and Lena Horne (among others) hit theaters and became an a cult classic among audiences.
The current revival — directed by Schele Williams and produced by Real Housewives of Atlanta pair Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker (among others) — stars Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy, Avery Wilson as Scarecrow, Phillip Johnson Richardson as Tinman and Kyle Ramar Freeman as Lion.
Wayne Brady plays the The Wiz, while Deborah Cox takes on the role of Glinda. Melody A. Betts rounds out the principal cast as both Aunt Em and Evillene.
The Wiz ensemble includes Lauryn Adams, Maya Bowles, Shayla Alayre Caldwell, Jay Copeland, Allyson Kaye Daniel, Judith Franklin, Michael Samarie George, Collin Heyward, Amber Jackson, Olivia Jackson, Christina Jones, Polanco Jones, Kolby Kindle, Mariah Lyttle, Kareem Marsh, Alan Mingo, Jr., Anthony Murphy, Dustin Praylow, Cristina Rae, Matthew Sims Jr, Avilon Trust Tate, Keenan D. Washington and Timothy Wilson.
