The original was a rarity. When it launched in 1975, the musical won the Tony Award for best musical and was among a handful of Broadway productions at the time to feature an all-Black ensemble. Soulful, rich, drenched in color and magic, the original offered a vibrancy unseen before. Songs like “Home” and the funky “Ease on Down the Road” are etched into the American songbook.
Choices by director Schele Williams are similarly frustrating. The revival lacks a synergy across images. Projections and props to move us through locations make Oz look generic and cheap.from a swath of Black-inspired imagery: the colorful houses of Black New Orleans, Adinkra symbols carved into trees. Afropicks and power fists adorn the Wiz’s green throne. But they are piecemeal, never blending into a sustained vision.
The musical’s four protagonists are often relegated to the stage’s sidelines or blocked by dancing ensemble members. The choreography by JaQuel Knight, known for his work with Beyoncé, is crowd-pleasing: a mix of twirls, occasional twerks, and lifts. But much like the show’s other elements, there isn’t a distinct connection to narrative.
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