Officially titled "The Wiz: A Celebration in Dance & Music," the event included performances of original songs and dances from the Tony-winning show, including "Ease on Down the Road," "Home" and "If You Believe." It took place on the Central Park Summerstage. The concert will be repeated Aug. 13 and 14 in Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem.
Original choreographer George Faison organized the event and recreates his dances for the concert, with musical direction by Damien L. Sneed. For his work on The Wiz, Faison was the first African-American to win a Tony Award for Best Choreography.
Rashad, who played a Munchkin in the chorus of the original Tony Award winning 1975 production, emcees the concert, with performances by De Shields (The Wiz); Tony Award-Winner Bridgewater (Glinda), Ebony Jo-Ann (Addaperle), Wallace Gary (The Scarecrow) and Inaya Day (Dorothy). William F. Brown wrote the book for the soulful contemporary retelling of L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." The Wiz also features music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls. The original 1974 production, directed by Geoffrey Holder and choreographed by George Faison, won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical. The premiere Broadway company featured Hinton Battle, Tiger Haynes, Stephanie Mills, Ted Ross, Dee Dee Bridgewater, André De Shields and Mabel King. Diana Ross and Michael Jackson starred in the film version.
SummerStage takes place at Rumsey Playfield; enter Central Park on 69th and Fifth Ave. Marcus Garvey Park is located on Madison Avenue between 120th and 124th Streets. Click here for more information. Seating will begin at 7 PM at both locations. The outdoor performances take place rain or shine.
The show is also headed for a major television production on NBC-TV, titled "The Wiz Live!," on Dec. 3, with another original cast member, Stephanie Mills (Dorothy), taking the role of Aunt Em. Read more about the latest casting here!
