Following a brand new national tour “The Wiz” will return to Broadway in 2024 for a limited engagement.
The tour of this reimagined revival will launch from Baltimore, Maryland, in the fall of 2023 — the same city where the musical had its world premiere in 1974 — before landing on the Main Stem in the spring of 2024. The full touring schedule is yet to be announced. Dates and a theater for Broadway are to come, as well.
The production will be directed by Schele Williams in her Broadway directorial debut and will feature choreography by JaQuel Knight, also making his Broadway debut. Additional material is by Amber Ruffin and music supervision, orchestrations and music arrangements are by Joseph Joubert.
The full creative and design teams, as well as casting, will be announced at a later date. Casting is by Tara Rubin.
The musical features the original book by William F. Brown and original score by Charlie Smalls and others.
Adapted from the children’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, “The Wiz” is an all-Black version of the classic story of Dorothy and her friends. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1975 and went on to win seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
“I wouldn’t be on Broadway if it wasn’t for ‘The Wiz’ …the music, the costumes, the choreography and Stephanie Mills! Seeing that show changed my life,” Williams said in a statement. “It is, in every way, a celebration of Black excellence. I am honored to helm this production and I can’t think of a better time to tell this story.”
“It is a dream come true to be a part of what I consider the epitome of Black excellence,” Knight said in a statement. “There’s not one piece of art that has had influence on popular culture like ‘The Wiz.’ I’m humbled to not only have the opportunity to leave my own mark on a true work of art, but to continue the storytelling and legacy building on the beauty of Blackness through dance, movement and attitude.”
“The Wiz” is produced by Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Brian Anthony Moreland and Ambassador Theatre Group.
