The Wiz
Majestic Theatre
January 5, 1975 - May 25, 1977
Broadway Theatre
May 25, 1977 - January 28, 1979
Previews Began: December 24, 1974
Opening Night: January 5, 1975
Closing Night: January 28, 1979
Music: Charlie Smalls
Lyrics: Charlie Smalls
Book: William F. Brown
Kansas farm girl Dorothy is transported in a tornado to the magical land of Oz in this musical retelling of The Wizard of Oz that features an all-black cast, a score by Charlie Smalls and a book with an updated urban sensibility by William F. Brown.
MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
The Feeling We Once Had……………………….Aunt Em
Tornado Ballet……………………………………Company
He’s the Wizard…………………..Addaperle, Munchkins
Soon As I Get Home……………………………….Dorothy
I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday…….Scarecrow,
Crows
Ease on Down the Road…………….Dorothy, Scarecrow,
Yellow Brick Road
Slide Some Oil to Me……..Tinman, Dorothy, Scarecrow
Mean Ole Lion………………………………………….Lion
Kalidah Battle………Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, Lion,
Kalidahs, Yellow Brick Road
Be a Lion…………………………………….Dorothy, Lion
Lion’s Dream………………………………..Lion, Poppies
Emerald City Ballet (Psst)………….Dorothy, Scarecrow,
Tinman, Lion, Company
So You Wanted to Meet the Wizard?……………The Wiz
To Be Able to Feel (What Would I Do If I Could
Feel)…………………………………………………Tinman
ACT TWO
No Bad News……………………………………….Evillene
Funky Monkeys…………………………………..Monkeys
Everybody Rejoice………..Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman,
Lion, Winkies
Who Do You Think You Are?……….Dorothy, Scarecrow,
Tinman, Lion
Believe in Yourself………………………………….Glinda
Y’all Got It………………………………………….The Wiz
A Rested Body Is a Rested Mind…………………..Glinda
Believe in Yourself (Reprise)……………………….Glinda
Home……………………………………………….Dorothy
CAST
OPENING NIGHT
Hinton Battle Scarecrow
Tiger Haynes Tinman
Stephanie Mills Dorothy
Ted Ross Lion
Dee Dee Bridgewater Glinda
André De Shields The Wiz
Mabel King Evillene
Clarice Taylor Addaperle
Tasha Thomas Aunt Em
Phylicia Ayers-Allen Munchkin
Field Mouse
Lettie Battle Poppy
Emerald City Citizen
Danny Beard Royal Gatekeeper
Phillip Bond Kalidah
Emerald City Citizen
Leslie Butler Poppy
Emerald City Citizen
Pi Douglass Munchkin
Kalidah
Field Mouse
Ronald Dunham Yellow Brick Road
Emerald City Citizen
Wendy Edmead Crow
Emerald City Citizen
Frank Floyd Pit Singer
Rodney Green Kalidah
Emerald City Citizen
Sam Harkness Pit Singer
Eugene Little Yellow Brick Road
Emerald City Citizen
Eleanor McCoy Poppy
Emerald City Citizen
Frances Morgan Crow
Poppy
Emerald City Citizen
Joni Palmer Munchkin
Poppy
Emerald City Citizen
John Parks Yellow Brick Road
Emerald City Citizen
Howard Porter Munchkin
Jozella Reed Pit Singer
Kenneth Scott Yellow Brick Road
Emerald City Citizen
Evelyn Thomas Tornado
Kalidah
Emerald City Citizen
Tasha Thomas Pit Singer
Andy Torres Winged Monkey
Munchkin
Kalidah
Emerald City Citizen
Carl Weaver Soldier Messenger
Munchkin
Field Mouse
Ralph Wilcox Uncle Henry
Lord High Underling
Field Mouse
Crow
Swings: Cynthia Ashby, Otis Sallid
Standby: Butterfly McQueen (Addaperle), Arnetia Walker (Dorothy)
Dogs: Nancy (Toto)