Exclusive: Red Carpet Interviews from The Cast of The Wiz on Opening Night
On April 17, 2024 was the Opening Night of The Wiz at Marquis Theatre Breezeway in NYC.
Previously, the revival musical The Wiz, which played to 13 sold-out cities across America on its pre-Broadway tour. It’s the first one in 40 years and played 167 performances to more than 390,000 cheering fans from coast to coast. The original production came out in 1975.
This groundbreaking twist on The Wizard of Oz changed the face of Broadway—from its iconic score packed with soul, gospel, rock, and 70s funk to its stirring tale of Dorothy’s journey to find her place in a contemporary world. A dynamite infusion of ballet, jazz, and modern pop brings a whole new groove to easing on down the road.
The extraordinary Broadway cast features Nichelle Lewis as ‘Dorothy,’ Wayne Brady as ‘The Wiz,’ Deborah Cox as ‘Glinda’ and Melody A. Betts as ‘Aunt Em’ and ‘Evillene,’ Kyle Ramar Freeman as ‘Lion,’ Phillip Johnson Richardson as ‘Tinman,’ Avery Wilson as ‘Scarecrow.’ The Wiz ensemble includes Lauryn Adams, Maya Bowles, Shayla 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.
Featuring a book by William F. Brown and a Tony Award-winning score by Charlie Smalls (and others), The Wiz is directed by Schele Williams, choreographed by JaQuel Knight, additional material by Amber Ruffin, with Joseph Joubert (music supervision, orchestrations, & music arrangements), Allen René Louis (vocal arrangements, music arrangements), Adam Blackstone (Dance Music Arranger), and Paul Byssainthe Jr. (Music Director).
THE WIZ design team includes scenic design by Hannah Beachler, costume design by Sharen Davis, lighting design by Ryan J. O’Gara, sound design by Jon Weston, video and projection design by Daniel Brodie, wig design by Charles LaPointe and make-up design by Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche.
Phillip Johnson Richardson on playing Tin Man
From the tour to Broadway, how excited are you for premiering it tonight?
Phillip Johnson Richardson: I can't even believe we're here to be honest with you. I'm super excited.
Everybody knows The Wiz, but when did you get involved with The Wiz? From childhood to now?
Phillip Johnson Richardson: Childhood. I've known about The Wiz since I was a baby. I've watched the movies since I could probably talk before I could speak.
What is it about the Tin Man that we're getting now as opposed to what people remember, whether it be the film, if you're old enough, the old Broadway show. What kind of Tin Man are we getting?
Phillip Johnson Richardson: We're getting a very new, 2024 kind of Tin Man. A very Phil-esque Tin Man. A lot of the music is influenced by the way I sing, all these things. And a little bit of swag, I would say. A little bit of swag, for sure.
People are always going to compare this to what they remember, but what is it about this Wiz that's going to make it stand apart?
Phillip Johnson Richardson: Well, it's a whole new production of The Wiz. Nobody even has seen anything like this of The Wiz. The arrangements are new. The lines are new. Everything is new about it. So I think what's going to stand out about it is that it's very now.
Wayne Brady on playing The Wiz
What are we getting from this performance outside of what people remember from the movie or the original Broadway musical?
Wayne Brady: I don't know what all that means, but what I think is that I'm doing honor to André De Shields, who created the role. I'd like to think that I'm putting a little bit of Wayne's sauce in it to make it something that I can inhabit. There's a little bit of Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka and a little bit of Richard Pryor in there. You've got (production designer) Hannah Beachler and (costume designer) Sharen David, well-known people who've done film stuff.
How much costume did Sharon do for you?
Wayne Brady: Well, she did the costume that's down there. I mean it's gorgeous. I feel like I'm leading a marching band in the South. It's absolutely amazing.
Avery Wilson on playing Scarecrow
People have seen their own version of The Wiz, whether on stage, high school, or the movie. What are we getting from your version that's going to be separate from everything they've seen?
Avery Wilson: You know what? I'm going to come sing down. That's one thing we do know. I'm going to sing, but I feel like the confidence within my character, because people often think that when you don't have a brain, you're kind of like on the slow side and that you don't believe in what you believe in. But I feel like everything that I say, I say with confidence. I don't question it. The group may question it or the surrounding may question it, because that's what I recall in my space in general, me believing in myself. But yeah, I think that's the thing. It's the confidence within my aloofness that I think is awesome.
Why did you want to play the Scarecrow?
Avery Wilson: I wanted to play the Scarecrow because I really do connect with that storyline so much. I was the person who let my surroundings make me feel like I couldn't or I shouldn't or there's a line that I should stay away from. And I remember there was a time where I have a friend now who's my life sister to me. Her name's Stacy Little. She came to me and was my Dorothy. She saved me from many hard moments and really things that I thought I'd trapped myself in a prison in my mind. And she came and saved me. She brought me home, essentially.
Deborah Cox on playing Glinda?
What made you decide to come out and take this role?
Deborah Cox: Well, I was asked by Schele Williams, our director, who I had done AIDA with years ago. And we talked about working together on a project and we had no idea that this was in our view. Then COVID happened and we were shut down for almost five years, right? And then it was a phone call that she gave to me asking if I was interested in the workshop. And I was like, absolutely. I didn't even need to read the script at that point. When I walked into the room and I saw Wayne, Avery, Kyle, Phillip, and Amber Ruffin, who had rewritten the script, Schele, Joseph Joubert, who's my MD and musical supervisor. When I saw the creative team, I was like, yes, I'm on board. And then when I saw my costume, my Sharen Davis, I said, absolutely.
We know what Sharon did for Dreamgirls, the movie. Did she do you good for this? She did me good.
Deborah Cox: Listen, she did me so proud. That's all I talk about. It is an honor to wear that piece of art. It really, really is. And I hope to see it in a museum one day because it really is magical without having to do anything. I love that I can stand on stage and it exudes the essence of what the character is. I don't have to be flying. I don't have to be doing anything else. I can just stand on the stage in what Sharon created and create the magic right there. You know, that's hard to do.
Nichelle Lewis on playing Dorothy
At what point did you feel confident in the role?
Nichelle Lewis: Oh my gosh. I'm still working on feeling super confident in the role. But I think last week, actually, for some reason, I got this warmth when I was playing the role, starting the show. And I was like, wow, I feel comfortable. I feel like I'm here and I'm present, if that makes sense.
People have seen their own version of The Wiz, whether in High School, the movie, other productions. Is there anything that's going to stand out from your performance that's different from what people know from their childhood or not?
Nichelle Lewis: I think that what will stand out from my performance is the connection that Dorothy has to each of her friends, Scarecrow, Lion, Tin Man. Dorothy has found these friends that she might not have had in the beginning and she felt so lost. And I think to find these people who also feel lost in their world, they kind of have a trauma bond moment, but they get so connected throughout the musical. And when they leave, it's so touching because you realize that that's become her group, her family.
As an actress, when you have the lead role, it can be challenging, it can be daunting, but you have an ensemble that can help you out. How much has this cast worked with you in terms of you managing it all?
Nichelle Lewis: They have been amazingly supportive. Each person has just been there to uplift me and say, Nichelle, you've got this. There's been many times where, unfortunately, I've had panic attacks backstage. They've just come and have been like, girl, you're fine. You've got it. We're here with you. I think I just couldn't ask for a better cast.
Costume Designer Sharen Davis
What went into taking on this project?
Sharen Davis: Let me tell you, it is not a film. But when I started my career or school, it was The Wiz that made me go into theater in 1975. So to get a call 30 years later to see if I'd be interested, of course, of course, of course.
Is it a different medium going from film to theater?
Sharen Davis: Oh, yeah. It was as if I'd never done costumes before. It was like the fabrics you need to use and everything. It was very challenging.
Everybody has their recollection of The Wiz from the original, from the film, from high school productions. What was your earliest recollection of The Wiz?
Sharen Davis: The original with Stephanie Mills. And she's going to be here supposedly tonight.
For other aspiring people who are into the costume business, what are you telling them to stay in the game?
Sharen Davis: I believe you need to really believe in yourself. You know, like the song says. I mean, people would... Okay, sorry, we don't need you. I would say, wait, you wait one day. You'll see me. And I would run that in my head. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but I'm going to keep knocking on that door. And I'm going to keep working at home and, you know, getting my art together. I never gave up. Congratulations.
Production Designer Hannah Beachler
From movies to theater is not always easy. What is the difference?
Hannah Beachler: I think the difference is that you get to see the creation happening in real time. And you get to see the process and the end result. You can keep making changes, which is also good and bad. Because you don't stop, like, looking at it. But I think that it's... Otherwise, I don't know that creatively there was a difference for me in just being able to create a world.
What was your earliest recollection of The Wiz?
Hannah Beachler: When I was, like, 8 years old, I saw it in my hometown in Dayton, Ohio. In Victoria Theater with Stephanie Mills as Dorothy. I think that that's probably the first thing that made me realize that there's someone that looks like me that lives in a fantasy world. And that was the kickoff point for me, I think. Yeah. Because Schele the director and I, are from the same hometown.
Was it a good transition doing it on stage as opposed to working on the film?
Hannah Beachler: Yeah. There were things that are very different that I had to learn very quickly. But it was a good transition.
What film do we see you working next?
Hannah Beachler: I'm on a movie right now with Ryan Coogler. And it's currently untitled, but it's a period piece. There's vampires. It's Warner Brothers. And we're super excited. And then I go on to a film with Gina Prince-Bythewood. So I'll be busy for the next year and a half.
Writer Amber Ruffin
What led you to get involved with The Wiz?
Amber Ruffin: I got involved with The Wiz because Mike Isaacson, the man who runs the Muny, asked me to in 2018. And if anyone had asked me to, I would have said yes.
Because it's the frickin' Wiz. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, for sure.
Now, what do we get that's different from what people know from the movie, the original production, or high school production?
Amber Ruffin: Okay, so this version of The Wiz is timeless. Whereas every other version of The Wiz has been tied to 1973 or whatever year the person who rewrote it rewrote it in, right? But this Wiz, this Wiz is 30 years ago, it's 30 years from now, and it's right now. It's timeless.
Are we getting more or less songs?
Amber Ruffin: You're getting one song from the movie, and one Trump song that has never been in The Wiz before, but they wrote for The Wiz. We resurrected it and put it in the show.
So would you say this is a hybrid of what people know?
Amber Ruffin: It was really important for us to have people who had seen the movie, and only the movie, to still be able to enjoy it. We put a lot of nods into the movie, and we put a lot of nods into the Broadway show. I think that both audiences will be satisfied.
Is this your new calling card, or are you going to keep a day job?
Amber Ruffin: I'm going to keep as many jobs as I can. Is there anything I can do for you? Do you need a writer? Hey, keep writing.
Director Schele Williams
Was there any challenges mentally as far as taking on this project?
Schele Williams: Always, right? This is a daunting, huge legacy. So there was a lot of trepidation about things that we wanted to change, and we took great care, thinking about how important this show is to so many people. So, you know, yes, we were careful. We did it with a lot of love. But we also wanted to take our audiences on a new journey while embracing the memories of their home.
Is there a hybrid of what people remember from their recollection, whether it's the musical, the film, to what we're getting something new?
Schele Williams: It's all of it, right? There's a little bit of the book. There's a little bit of The Wizard of Oz. There's a little bit of The Wiz, the Broadway show, The Wiz, the movie. We've got just Easter eggs throughout the entire show. And then there's this newness that Amber Ruffin and this team have brought into this piece. But at the core of it is Charlie Small's incredible score that has survived 50 years and feels as relevant and fresh today as it did the day that it came out.
Producer Kandi Burruss
What makes you say yes to the projects you produce?
Kandi Burruss: It's got to be something that I love, something that I know we can make a mark with and that I feel like the people would want. For instance, the first show that I was a part of, Thoughts of a Colored Man, I felt like it was important work. The stories that were told in that, I was with seven black men on Broadway telling their stories in a way that people do not normally see black men on Broadway. I felt like it was important work and I wanted to support that. With Piano Lesson, it was already an amazing show to with, but to be a part and bringing it back was special for me and to get to work with the people that I was able to work with, Samuel Jackson, LaTonya Richardson Jackson being the first black woman to direct that show on Broadway. I thought that was important. And then here we are with The Wiz and this is my favorite musical of all time. So it was a no brainer for me.
At the end of the day, what do we want audiences to get that's different from what they remember from that play, the movie or high school productions?
Kandi Burruss: This one is funnier. So I feel like Amber Ruffin, we had her to redo our script and she made it current, updated it. And it's hilarious. Like I've never seen a version of The Wiz that was as funny as ours. You know what I mean? Obviously our entire cast locally are top tier. They are amazing vocalists. We picked the best of the best in every category, our choreographer, our set designer, everybody. We pick the best of the best of our people of the culture that represented the culture to put together a show and say, Hey, this is what we need the world to see The Wiz in its glory. And I think we did that.