Friday, July 1, 2011

The Wiz

We're going to Kansas City this weekend to celebrate Aunt Ann's "mortgage burning" (something I fear I may never celebrate myself), and one of the things we're going to do is see the Wiz. Do you know what the Wiz is? Because I had no idea. It started as a Broadway musical in the 70s, then in 1978, it was made into a movie with Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Nipsy Russell. It's kind of a modern-day African-American version of the Wizard of Oz. Bizarre, you say? I agree. Apparently, the Emerald City is the World Trade Center Plaza in New York City, and Dorothy is a shy schoolteacher from Harlem.
Link to the play: http://www.coterietheatre.org/the_wiz.aspx
Link to "Ease on Down the Road", a famous song from the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5teusS_zvMw&feature=related
Link to the Wikipedia entry about the 1978 film: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wiz_%28film%29
Just when you think you know everything there is to know about the Wizard of Oz (or Michael Jackson, for that matter), something like this pops up.

1 comment:

  1. My Sarah LOVES the movie, The Wiz. I think the play sounds much better though. I always get creeped out by the movie. Although, Michael Jackson makes it worth the watch. Sarah just asked to watch it again this weekend. I told her NO because I'm selfish & it gives me bad dreams...but I told HER I said no because I didn't want HER to have bad dreams. ;) She just rolled her eyes. I'm willing to try the Broadway production though. Sounds like it was pretty good?

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