‘The Wiz’ Review: In a New Broadway Revival, Dorothy and Friends Get Lost in a Hypercolor Whirligig
variety.comNaveen Kumar A flight of imagination born of the trippy 1970s, “The Wiz” can shoulder a lot of interpretation. Sidney Lumet’s shadowy film, starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, sets the Black spin on L.
Frank Baum’s children’s story “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” in a blighted, nearly bombed-out New York City. High schools and community theaters have surely long made do with their prop closets, as the musical by William F.
Brown (book) and Charlie Smalls (music and lyrics) is a vibes-based vehicle for a familiar plot and foolproof hits like “Home” and “You Can’t Win.” But the maximalist revival that opened at the Marquis Theater on Broadway tonight, following a 13-city national tour, diminishes some of the show’s reliable pleasures with unmitigated, candy-colored exuberance.
This family-friendly approach — bright, broad, unironic — aligns with the musical’s legacy as a VHS favorite, but even kids could use help knowing where to look.
Read more on variety.com
