MusicalComedyOriginalBroadway
Opening Date
Jan 05, 1975
Closing Date
Jan 28, 1979
1st Preview
Dec 24, 1974
1st Preview
Dec 24, 1974
Previews
15
Performances
1,672
MusicalComedyOriginalBroadway

ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION

Theatres
Majestic Theatre
(Jan 05, 1975 - May 25, 1977)
Broadway Theatre
(May 25, 1977 - Jan 28, 1979)
Description
Soft-rock musical version of the Oz story.
Media
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Audio Interview
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Produced by Ken Harper
Music by Charlie Smalls; Lyrics by Charlie Smalls; Book by William F. Brown; The new musical version of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum; Music orchestrated by Harold Wheeler; Vocal arrangements by Charles H. Coleman; Dance arrangements by Timothy Graphenreed; Featuring songs by George Faison, Timothy Graphenreed and Luther Vandross; Featuring songs with lyrics by George Faison and Luther Vandross; Musical Director: Charles H. Coleman
Directed by Geoffrey Holder; Choreographed by George Faison
Scenic Design by Tom H. John; Costume Design by Geoffrey Holder; Lighting Design by Tharon Musser; Wig Design by Stanley James; Make-Up Design by Stanley James; Tinman costume executed by Frederick Nihda; Sound Design by Richard J.C. Miller
General Manager: Emanuel Azenberg, Eugene V. Wolsk and Jose Véga; Company Manager: Susan Bell
Production Stage Manager: Charles Blackwell; Stage Manager: Henry Velez and Jerry Laws
Musical Coordinator: Earl Shendell
Special Effects by Ronald Vitelli; Magic Consultant: Steve Rodman
Press Representative: The Merlin Group, Ltd. and Sandra Manley; Animal Trainer: Dawn Animal Agency, Inc.; Advertising: Matthew Serino and The Blaine Thompson Company; Photographer: Martha Swope; Casting: Johnson-Liff Associates; Poster Designed by Milton Glazer (Pushpin Studios)
Hinton Battle
Scarecrow
Tiger Haynes
Tinman
Stephanie Mills
Dorothy
Ted Ross
Lion
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Glinda
André De Shields
The Wiz
Mabel King
Evillene
Clarice Taylor
Addaperle
Tasha Thomas
Aunt Em
Phylicia Ayers-Allen
Munchkin
 
Field Mouse
Lettie Battle
Poppy
 
Emerald City Citizen
Danny Beard
Royal Gatekeeper
Phillip Bond
Kalidah
 
Emerald City Citizen
Leslie Butler
Poppy
 
Emerald City Citizen
Pi Douglass
Munchkin
 
Kalidah
 
Field Mouse
Ronald Dunham
Yellow Brick Road
 
Emerald City Citizen
Wendy Edmead
Crow
 
Emerald City Citizen
Frank Floyd
Pit Singer
Rodney Green
Kalidah
 
Emerald City Citizen
Sam Harkness
Pit Singer
Eugene Little
Yellow Brick Road
 
Emerald City Citizen
Eleanor McCoy
Poppy
 
Emerald City Citizen
Frances Morgan
Crow
 
Poppy
 
Emerald City Citizen
Nancy
Toto
Joni Palmer
Munchkin
 
Poppy
 
Emerald City Citizen
John Parks
Yellow Brick Road
 
Emerald City Citizen
Howard Porter
Munchkin
Jozella Reed
Pit Singer
Kenneth Scott
Yellow Brick Road
 
Emerald City Citizen
Evelyn Thomas
Tornado
 
Kalidah
 
Emerald City Citizen
Tasha Thomas
Pit Singer
Andy Torres
Winged Monkey
 
Munchkin
 
Kalidah
 
Emerald City Citizen
Carl Weaver
Soldier Messenger
 
Munchkin
 
Field Mouse
Ralph Wilcox
Uncle Henry
 
Lord High Underling
 
Field Mouse
 
Crow
Swings: Cynthia Ashby and Otis Sallid
Standby: Butterfly McQueen (Addaperle) and Arnetia Walker (Dorothy)
Understudies: Phylicia Ayers-Allen (Glinda), Dee Dee Bridgewater (Aunt Em), Pi Douglass (Scarecrow), Jozella Reed (Addaperle), Tasha Thomas (Evillene) and Ralph Wilcox (Tinman)

Majestic Theatre (Jan 05, 1975 - May 25, 1977)

Production Stage Manager: Christopher Kelly

Cast

Thea Barnes
Poppy
Gregg Burge
Scarecrow
 
Kalidah
Edye Byrde
Evillene
Albert Fann
Crow
 
Field Mouse
 
Lord High Underling
 
Uncle Henry
Keith Harris
Kalidah
 
Winged Monkey
Theresa Merritt
Evillene
Apr 12, 1976 - ?
Jozella Reed
Addaperle
Irene Reid
Evillene
Siri Sat Nam SIngh
Singer
Toney Watkins
Uncle Henry
 
Lord High Underling
James Wigfall
Lion
Charles Lavont Williams
Scarecrow
 
Soldier Messenger
Standby: Renée Harris (Dorothy)

Broadway Theatre (May 25, 1977 - Jan 28, 1979)

Musical Director: Tom Pierson
Stage Manager: Donald Christy and Bob Burland; Production Stage Manager: Robert Currie

Cast

Phylicia Ayers-Allen
Emerald City Citizen
Ruth Brisbane
Evillene
Gregg Burge
Broadway debut
Scarecrow
Deborah Burrell
Broadway debut
Glinda
Leslie Butler
Munchkin
Wendy Edmead
Tornado
Pat Estwick
Poppy
 
Emerald City Citizen
L. Michael Gray
Lion
Feb 07, 1978 - ?
Rodney Green
Yellow Brick Road
DeMarest Grey
Pit Singer
Carl Hall
The Wiz
Jul 17, 1977 - ?
Sam Harkness
Field Mouse
Ben Harney
Tinman
Dyane Harvey
Munchkin
Lois Hayes
Munchkin
 
Poppy
 
Emerald City Citizen
Paul Hoskins
Yellow Brick Road
 
Emerald City Citizen
Kevin Jeff
Emerald City Citizen
 
Winged Monkey
Kwame Johnson
Kalidah
 
Emerald City Citizen
 
Munchkin
Michael Leslie
Lion
May 1978 - Jan 28, 1979
 
Uncle Henry
 
Lord High Underling
Claudia Lewis
Kalidah
Esther Marrow
Aunt Em
 
Pit Singer
Alvin McDuffie
Yellow Brick Road
 
Emerald City Citizen
 
Kalidah
Theresa Merritt
Evillene
Ella Mitchell
Evillene
Ken Page
Lion
John Parks
Kalidah
Howard Porter
Field Mouse
 
Royal Gatekeeper
Alma Robinson
Kalidah
 
Emerald City Citizen
Renee Rose
Crow
 
Poppy
 
Emerald City Citizen
Janyse M. Singleton
Pit Singer
Alwin Taylor
Kalidah
Bruce Taylor
Kalidah
 
Emerald City Citizen
Chuck Thorpe
Yellow Brick Road
Toto
Toto
Gayle Turner
Kalidah
Carl Weaver
Kalidah
Alan Weeks
The Wiz
Westy
Toto
James Wigfall
Lion
Oct 31, 1977 - ?
Allison Williams
Tornado
Victor Willis
Uncle Henry
 
Royal Gatekeeper
 
Lord High Underling
Swings: DeMarest Grey , Carl Hardy , Dyane Harvey , Christina Kimball and Al Peryman
Understudies: Ruth Brisbane (Addaperle, Evillene), Deborah Burrell (Aunt Em), Wendy Edmead (Aunt Em), Pat Estwick (Dorothy), Kwame Johnson (The Wiz), Michael Leslie (Lion, Lord High Underling), Alvin McDuffie (Scarecrow), Howard Porter (Tinman), Janyse M. Singleton (Glinda), Gayle Turner (Dorothy), Carl Weaver (Scarecrow) and Victor Willis (Tinman, Lion, The Wiz)
music by Charlie Smalls; lyrics by Charlie Smalls
(Unless otherwise noted)
Act 1
Sung By
The Feeling We Once Had
Aunt Em
Tornado Ballet
Company
He's the Wizard
Addaperle and Munchkins
Soon as I Get Home
Dorothy
I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday
Scarecrow and Crows
Ease on Down the Road
Dorothy, Scarecrow and Yellow Brick Road
Slide Some Oil to Me
Tinman, Dorothy and Scarecrow
Mean Ole Lion
Lion
Kalidah Battle
Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, Lion, Kalidahs and Yellow Brick Road
Be a Lion
Dorothy and Lion
Lion's Dream
Lion and Poppies
Emerald City Ballet (Psst)
(music by George Faison and Timothy Graphenreed; lyrics by George Faison)
Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, Lion and Company
So You Wanted to Meet the Wizard
The Wiz
To Be Able to Feel (What Would I Do If I Could Feel)
Tinman
Act 2
Sung By
No Bad News
Evillene
Funky Monkeys
Monkeys
Everybody Rejoice
(music by Luther Vandross; lyrics by Luther Vandross)
Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, Lion and Winkies
Who Do You Think You Are?
Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion
Believe in Yourself
The Wiz
Y'all Got It!
The Wiz
A Rested Body Is a Rested Mind
Glinda
Believe in Yourself (Reprise)
Glinda
Home
Dorothy

Tony Award®

Best Musical

1975 Winner
Produced by Ken Harper
 

Best Book of a Musical

1975 Nominee
Book by William F. Brown

Best Original Score

1975 Winner
Music by Charlie Smalls
Lyrics by Charlie Smalls

Best Featured Actor in a Musical

1975 Winner
Ted Ross

Best Featured Actress in a Musical

1975 Winner
Dee Dee Bridgewater

Best Costume Design

1975 Winner
Costume Design by Geoffrey Holder

Best Choreography

1975 Winner
Choreographed by George Faison

Best Direction of a Musical

1975 Winner
Directed by Geoffrey Holder

Drama Desk Award

Outstanding Musical

1975 Winner
Produced by Ken Harper

Outstanding Music and Lyrics

1975 Winner
Music by Charlie Smalls
Lyrics by Charlie Smalls
 

Outstanding Actress in a Musical

1975 Nominee
Stephanie Mills

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

1975 Winner
Ted Ross
 

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

1975 Nominee
Hinton Battle
 

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

1975 Nominee
Mabel King

Outstanding Choreography

1975 Winner
Choreographed by George Faison
 

Outstanding Director of a Musical

1975 Nominee
Directed by Geoffrey Holder

Outstanding Costume Design

1975 Winner
Costume Design by Geoffrey Holder
 

Outstanding Set Design

1975 Nominee
Scenic Design by Tom H. John
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