The Wiz
The Wiz is a 1975 Broadway musical that reimagines The Wizard of Oz with an all-Black cast and a Motown-influenced soul and R&B score.
It won seven Tony Awards and was adapted into a 1978 film starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
The title character is the wizard himself, with the spelling reflecting African American vernacular.
We're going to see The Wiz at the community theater this weekend.
Manhattan theatrical district
- MotownDetroit's soulful moniker
- Diana RossMotown diva, solo legend
- soulInnermost animating essence
- funkDepression or groove music
Michael Jackson · disco · Emerald City · Dorothy · Tin Man · Lion · choreography · ensemble
Fictional enchanted kingdom
- Emerald CityOz's gleaming green capital
- tornadoViolent rotating windstorm
- ruby slippersJeweled crimson footwear
- Wicked WitchMalevolent female magic-user
flying monkeys · magic · enchantment · spell · mythical · fairy tale · imagination · whimsy
Motown diva, solo legend
- soundtrackMusic accompanying visual media
- 1978A calendar year
- World Trade CenterDestroyed NYC skyscraper complex
- cinematographyMotion picture visual craft
Michael Jackson · Lena Horne · Quincy Jones · costumes · box office · urban · New York City · premiere
Fresh interpretation of existing material
- African AmericanU.S. Black ethnic identity
- reinterpretationNew understanding of something
- modernizationAdoption of current methods
- urban settingBuilt-up populated area
transformation · Broadway · revival · remake · reinvention · update · contemporary · reconceptualization
Broadway
Manhattan theatrical district
- MotownDetroit's soulful moniker
- Diana RossMotown diva, solo legend
- soulInnermost animating essence
Michael Jackson · funk · disco · Emerald City · Dorothy · Tin Man · Lion · choreography · ensemble · Tony Award
Oz
Fictional enchanted kingdom
- Emerald CityOz's gleaming green capital
- tornadoViolent rotating windstorm
- ruby slippersJeweled crimson footwear
Wicked Witch · flying monkeys · magic · enchantment · spell · mythical · fairy tale · imagination · whimsy · wonder
Diana Ross
Motown diva, solo legend
- soundtrackMusic accompanying visual media
- 1978A calendar year
- World Trade CenterDestroyed NYC skyscraper complex
Michael Jackson · Lena Horne · Quincy Jones · cinematography · costumes · box office · urban · New York City · premiere · casting
reimagining
Fresh interpretation of existing material
- African AmericanU.S. Black ethnic identity
- reinterpretationNew understanding of something
- modernizationAdoption of current methods
urban setting · transformation · Broadway · revival · remake · reinvention · update · contemporary · reconceptualization
- musicalsWicked, Les Miserables, Cats, Chicago, Grease
- Black CinemaDo the Right Thing, Moonlight, Black Panther, Coming to America, Friday
- Lumet Films12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, The Verdict
- Hip-Hop MusicalsHamilton, In the Heights
The WizOklahoma!
State-named stage musical
My Fair Lady · The Music Man · Camelot · Brigadoon · South Pacific
wizard, wizardry, wizards, wizened, wizarding, wizardly, wisenheimer, wizardries