“The Wiz” is officially returning to Broadway. The previously announced revival, which is currently appearing as a national tour, will play the Marquis Theatre beginning on Mar. 29, 2024 ahead of an opening night scheduled for Apr. 17. The Broadway production has been announced as a limited engagement, with an end date to be scheduled. The revival’s national tour launched from Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre on Sept. 23.
Schele Williams is directing the production with choreography by JaQuel Knight and additional material by Tony Award nominee Amber Ruffin. The revival features music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Tony nominee Joseph Joubert, with music and vocal arrangements by Allen René Louis.
The Broadway cast will feature the previously announced Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy, Deborah Cox as Glinda, Melody A. Betts as Aunt Em/Evillene, Kyle Ramar Freeman as the Lion, Phillip Johnson Richardson as the Tinman, Avery Wilson as the Scarecrow and Wayne Brady as The Wiz.
The ensemble will include Maya Bowles, Shayla Alayre Caldwell, Jay Copeland, Allyson Kaye Daniel, Judith Franklin, Michael Samarie George, Collin Heyward, Amber Jackson, Olivia Jackson, Christina Jones, Polanco Jones, Kolby Kindle, Mariah Lyttle, Kareem Marsh, Anthony Murphy, Cristina Rae, Matthew Sims Jr, Avilon Trust Tate, Keenan D. Washington and Timothy Wilson. Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting.
The revival’s design team includes Academy Award-winning scenic designer Hannah Beachler, Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated costume designer Sharen Davis, lighting designer Ryan J. O’Gara, sound designer Jon Weston, projection designer Daniel Brodie, wig designer Charles LaPointe and makeup designer Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche.
“The Wiz,” an all-Black take on L. Frank Baum’s children’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” features a Tony-nominated original book by William F. Brown and a Tony-winning original score by Charlie Smalls. This revival includes the song “Everybody Rejoice” with music and lyrics by Luther Vandross as well as the “Emerald City Ballet” with music by Timothy Graphenreed.
The original production of “The Wiz” opened on Jan. 5, 1975 at the Majestic Theatre, winning seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, and later transferring to the Broadway Theatre. The musical closed on Jan. 28, 1979 after 1,672 performances.
Joining the revival’s producing team are Elizabeth Armstrong, James L. Nederlander, Hudson/Mann, Cody Lassen/Matthew D’Arrigo, Independent Presenters Network, Amanda DuBois Productions/Ari Edelson, Dori Berinstein, Spencer Ross/Stephanie Cowan, Terry Schnuck/Gabrielle Palitz, Pippa Lambert/Alissa Norby, Gina Vernaci, Common, DECO Entertainment, MC Lyte, Patty Baker, Marlene & Gary Cohen, Concord Theatricals, The Fabulous Invalid, Fakston Productions, Brian and Nick Ginsberg, Gabrielle Glore, Grove Entertainment, Haffner-Wright Theatricals, House Woods Productions, John Gore Organization, Kawana Entertainment, Willette Klausner, MMC Productions, Lamar Richardson, Runyonland Productions, Erica Lynn Schwartz, The Shubert Organization, Lu-Shawn Thompson, Lana Williams- Woods, The Araca Group, Blakeman-Robinson Entm’t/Ricardo Marques, Robert Tichio/Score 3, Best Yet Entertainment/Branden Grimmett, Dkim Caldwell/Mickalene Thomas, DMQR Productions, Jason Turchin, Epic Theatricals/Jeffrey Grove, Joel Glassman/Westin Hicks, Jamrock Productions/Sonya Houston, Sally Johnston/Ann Scott, Judith Manocherian/Theatre Nerd Productions and Alan Seales/Gonzalez-Leiba Jr.
“The Wiz” is being produced by Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Brian Anthony Moreland, Ambassador Theatre Group, Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker.
The Marquis Theatre is the recent home of “Once Upon a One More Time,” which concluded its run on Sept. 3.
