“The Wiz” is heading to Broadway next year for a limited engagement.
The beloved musical, directed by Schele Williams, will begin previews on Broadway on March 29, 2024 at the Marquis Theatre, followed by an opening night on April 17. It will feature a book by William F. Brown, with Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Brian Anthony Moreland, Ambassador Theatre Group, Kandi Burruss, and Todd Tucker producing the show.
Wayne Brady will take on the lead role as the Wiz, joined alongside Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy, Deborah Cox as Glinda, Melody A. Betts as Aunt Em and Evillene, Kyle Ramar Freeman as the Lion, Phillip Johnson Richardson as the Tinman, and Avery Wilson as the Scarecrow.
The Broadway opening follows the pre-Broadway national tour in Baltimore, which just debuted over the weekend. The city was actually the original site of the musical’s world premiere 50 years ago at the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre.
During its original Broadway run in 1975, the musical won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The all-Black cast set an example for the industry and even sparked a film adaption, which was released in 1978 starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, and Mabel King.
“The Wiz” retells L. Frank Baum’s classic children’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” from 1900 with a twist, reinventing the story in contemporary African-American culture.