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| did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 07:29 pm EDT 08/13/17 | |
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| I'm wondering how it was. I seem to recall maybe the word being a bit lukewarm. But the cast looks awesome, the costumes and sets look amazing and expensive... what was wrong with it? And if it was good, what were the highlight and things people remember about the performances/designs/staging? Thanks! |
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| re: did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 09:52 am EDT 08/14/17 | |
| In reply to: did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? - Chazwaza 07:29 pm EDT 08/13/17 | |
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| I did enjoy it, primarily because the supporting cast was great, especially Orlando Jones (the Wiz), Josh Henry (Tin Man), James Monroe Iglehart (Lion), and LaChanze (Aunt Em/Glinda). As others have said below, Ashanti was just OK -- her singing was fine, but she was not very strong in the book scenes. As you might expect, Iglehart was very funny and stole all his big scenes. LaChanze really knocked her numbers out of the park at the show's beginning and end. The scenic design and costumes were colorful and very impressive, quite different from what I had seen in the 90's tour with Stephanie Mills and Andre De Shields. I also recall that the choreography with guys playing the yellow brick road was quite inventive. Overall the production was a lot of fun, but it really is a very thin show and there is no way IMO it would have gone over on Broadway (which is what was rumored pre-opening). |
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| The Wiz broadway rumors | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 11:33 am EDT 08/14/17 | |
| In reply to: re: did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? - BroadwayTonyJ 09:52 am EDT 08/14/17 | |
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| These rumors or intentions/announcements seem to come with every major production of the show... the Des McAnuff one I mentioned (with David Alan Grier) was supposed to go to Broadway and did not (for good reason), the City Center was, the NBC live one was also. None have happened. I'm not entirely sure why... tourists don't seem to mind a thin or flimsy show especially when it has awesome sets and those great songs. Maybe producers come to realize that they'd need an impressive physical production for this show which is quite expensive, and the cost of the running that is too much to make money for the 3-12 months it would likely run given. But if they got a good star or a couple to do it... I think it could do very well. |
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| re: The Wiz broadway rumors | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 12:50 pm EDT 08/14/17 | |
| In reply to: The Wiz broadway rumors - Chazwaza 11:33 am EDT 08/14/17 | |
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| I think if Ashanti had been really great in the role, there would have been more serious talk about a transfer. | |
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| re: did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? | |
| Posted by: Zelgo 07:45 pm EDT 08/13/17 | |
| In reply to: did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? - Chazwaza 07:29 pm EDT 08/13/17 | |
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| I saw it. It was just okay. The weakness of the book really overshadows everything else. I recall the sets being oddly dark. Performances were all pretty good. The Wiz was the first Bway show I saw as a kid and it shaped so much of my love for theatre. This was the first time I saw it since then and I came out wondering how the heck this was ever a hit show. |
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| re: did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 08:21 pm EDT 08/13/17 | |
| In reply to: re: did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? - Zelgo 07:45 pm EDT 08/13/17 | |
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| Oh yeah... it's a very flimsy show with a pretty weak book. But given what I've seen of what went into/was presented in this production, I'm very surprised the choreography, staging, costumes and performances didn't overshadow the weakness of the show and book outside of the score. I wasn't alive when the original production happened, but I've been involved in productions and seen a few (including a disappointing one Des McAnuff directed at La Jolla about 6 years ago? And of course the NBC live version) and I don't think any of them have ever quite been the show everyone thinks The Wiz promises to be. | |
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| re: did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? | |
| Posted by: falcon15 08:02 pm EDT 08/13/17 | |
| In reply to: re: did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? - Zelgo 07:45 pm EDT 08/13/17 | |
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| I agree, it was ok. Bloodless. I actually think Ashanti might have been the problem - she was pretty bad in dialogue scenes. While she was singing she was ok, but even then the rest of the cast was kind of carrying her. Believe it or not, I actually thought the NBC live version was better. |
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| re: did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? | |
| Posted by: Jasonandbroadway 11:49 pm EDT 08/13/17 | |
| In reply to: re: did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? - falcon15 08:02 pm EDT 08/13/17 | |
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| Yeah, Ashanti's singing was serviceable, but her acting wasn't up to snuff. Her casting was understandable though, considering it was for the short lived "Summer Stars" program. | |
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| re: did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? | |
| Posted by: AC126748 10:16 am EDT 08/14/17 | |
| In reply to: re: did anyone see The Wiz at City Center? - Jasonandbroadway 11:49 pm EDT 08/13/17 | |
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| Piling onto this opinion, I guess. Ashanti's singing was fine, but her voice was a bit too pop for my taste. Her acting was nonexistent. I mostly remember her stammering out her lines without much rhythm, just about as quickly as she could. I think I missed about half of what she said. I saw the show in its final week. Orlando Jones had left the production and was replaced by Coleman Domingo, who was (understandably) underrehearsed. Strangely, at the performance I attended, LaChanze did not perform as Aunt Em but did show up as Glinda in the second act. Maybe she got in a traffic jam on her way to the theater. Who knows? I thought Dawnn Lewis and Tichina Arnold were the cast standouts. I literally can't remember a thing about the actual production except: 1) the munchkins rolling around the stage on what looked like office chairs from Staples and 2) a big to-do before "No Bad News" of Evilene's servants putting her wig on. |
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