The Wiz is a Wondrous Experience

2018 kicked off with a hot collaboration from two of the Twin Cities' anchor theater companies, and it couldn't be a better way to start off the year in #tctheater. 

Photo by Dan Norman

If you grew up in America, chances are you've seen The Wizard of Oz. In fact, you've probably seen it multiple times - on TV movie specials, in anniversary screenings in theaters, on various community theater stages, and maybe even read the original novels by Frank L. Baum. MGM's transcendent film adaptation (which holds up shockingly well on screen 80 years after its first release) was an instant classic and has remained a bedrock of the American cultural imagination ever since.

Photo by Dan Norman

So you've seen The Wizard of Oz... but how about The Wiz? In all the magic of the original it's easy to forget the one major thing that was omitted in the story line: people of color. Despite a fantastical universe filled with munchkins; talking scarecrows, tin men and lions; flying monkeys; witches; and myriad other magical creatures, it seems to have been beyond our collective imagination to diversify the casting to include people who weren't white. The Wiz takes this original story, modernizes it and fills it with a different set of cultural references and an all-black cast. The film adaption circa 1978 is a classic in its own right and stars (among many other VIPs) a luminescent Diana Ross and heartbreakingly youthful Michael Jackson. Despite the familiar plotline, The Wiz has a thoroughly different feel and fiercer urgency from The Wizard of Oz thanks to the casting exchange, and it's a perfect example of the difference it makes to have a wide variety of people and experiences represented on stage, as well as a testimonial to the good things that can be created when we decide to eschew the “classics” and bring things into the modern era.

Photo by Dan Norman

The Children's Theatre Company (CTC) paired up with Penumbra Theatre to bring The Wiz to the stage, and who could be better qualified to do so? I saw The Wizard of Oz on stage at CTC a couple of years ago and it remains one of my favorite shows I've seen, ever; combined with Penumbra's talented cast members and deep legacy, this Wiz is a powerhouse performance that is one of the blackest things I've seen on stage in the Twin Cities and a riotous performance from start to finish.

Photo by Dan Norman

The best part of this Wiz, bar none, is the stellar cast. CTC and Penumbra pulled all the extensive strings they have to flesh out the roster, and boy, did it ever pay off. The performance begins and ends with the stellar, supremely talented Paris Bennett as Dorothy, whose powerhouse, pitch perfect vocals are chillingly fabulous from the very first note. My only real complaint about this production is that we couldn't just listen to Bennett sing for a few hours straight on her own (which is to say: I don't have many complaints), and the moments when Bennett is allowed to shine solo, sans orchestra or even fellow cast members, are truly mesmerizing.

Photo by Dan Norman

Bennett is not alone in talent, though. The cast also features Grammy award winner Jamecia Bennett (who has a standout solo of her own as Glinda in the second act); an extensive and shockingly good list of local luminaries such as Aimee Bryant bringing her best Effie Trinket and smooth singing to the role of Addaperle; Rudolph Searles III shredding the dance floor in unlaced Timberlands as the Lion; a hilarious basso in T. Mychael Rambo as The Wiz; a poignant contralto from Greta Oglesby as Aunt Em and Evillene; and an absolutely resplendent Dennis Spears as the Tinman, in what I am convinced is his best role yet. Dwight Leslie is a promising newcomer to Penumbra as the Scarecrow, and the entire cast is supported by a resplendent cadre of ensemble characters including thrilling young actors like China Brickey, one of my favorite young local performers to watch in coming years.

Photo by Dan Norman

Matthew LeFebvre is back designing costumes for this performance, and they're some of his most inventive yet. The Lion has vibrant dreadlocks and dances with the aforementioned unlaced Timbs; Dorothy has a sweet but modern schoolgirl vibe; the yellow brick road features dancers in Lego-fied cargo pants that are reminiscent of In Living Color; each of the witches has technicolor costumes that pop off the stage into vivid, gaudy life; the munchkins have sculptural wigs that are straight out of the Hunger Games; and the whole thing is sure to dazzle the eye. Choreography, expertly developed by Patrdo Harris, is vital, athletic and reminiscent of African American greats such as Alvin Ailey and Misty Copeland; I wish there were more straight dance interludes to let these talented hoofers really soar. The set, designed by Vicki Smith, is evocative but a little underwhelming for my taste; with such creative costumes and talented performers, why not go all the way and fly them through the cyclone or really maximize the magic I've seen before on stage at CTC? It's still very good, and the detailed projections go a long way to adding depth - I just would have liked a little more of the awe-inducing trickery I've seen there before.

Photo by Dan Norman

Co-productions can be very tricky to pull off well, but I can attest that Penumbra and CTC really got this one right. We obviously don't know what kind of negotiations were made behind the scenes, but it seems like a true creative partnership out in the red seats, and I was really happy with how vibrant this whole production of The Wiz was. From the A++ talented cast to the dynamic costumes and robust dance chops, The Wiz is a living testament to why (every once in a while, at least) we really should reinvent the wheel. Go for the eye candy, stay for the heavenly musicality of one of the most talented casts I've seen in a while. The Wiz is thankfully open through March 18, but tickets are selling fast, so make sure to click here to learn more and reserve your seats before it closes.

Photo by Dan Norman