The Wiz at Academy of Music – Philadelphia

The Tony Award®-winning Best Musical that set the theater world on fire is back. For the first time in decades, THE WIZ is returning home to the U.S. stage with an all-new Broadway-bound rendition. Adapted from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, ​the Pre-Broadway National Tour kickstarted in September in Baltimore, where the treasured musical premiered almost 50 years ago.

The Wiz Tickets

“Every moment bursts with color and humor” – Vogue

The “super soul musical” revival of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz first hit the stage on Broadway in 1975. THE WIZ revival “reconnects the disco and Motown sounds that were coming out of other, white-led 1970s shows (like Grease and Thank God It’s Friday) back to their Black roots.” The super soul musical basks in Black musical styles and choreography by the undeniably talented JaQuel Knight, with trap-influenced moments and Afrobeat right through to flourishes of ballroom movement. There are glistening costumes by two-time Academy Award® nominee Sharen Davis and a captivating ensemble including Avery Wilson (Scarecrow), Phillip Johnson Richardons (Tinman), Kyle Ramar Freeman (Lion), and newcomer Nichelle Lewis (Dorothy). Book your tickets today and follow the yellow brick road with Dorothy at the Academy of Music – Philadelphia. 

“A groundbreaking classic!” – New York Magazine

THE WIZ is a smash hit musical based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, and boasts a blend of rock, gospel, and soul music. The Broadway sensation follows Dorothy Gale, a Kansas farm girl and her pet dog Toto as they are swept to the magical land of Oz by a tornado. 

Upon her arrival, Dorothy learns she can only find her way home by getting help from the Wizard of Oz in Emerald City. So, she sets off along the Yellow Brick Road, overrun with doubt and fear at what could lie ahead (“Soon As I Get Home”). Along the way, she makes friends with the Scarecrow (“I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday”), Tin Man (“Slide Some Oil To Me”), and Cowardly Lion (“I’m a Mean Ole Lion”), who help her battle the Wicked Witch of the West. Eventually, Dorothy and her new friends learn that there is “no place like home” and that they already have all the stuff they need, like a brain, heart, and courage. 

“There’s plenty of gold along this yellow brick road” – The New York Times

Creative Team

Dreaming up an Oz unlike anything ever seen before, the creative team is piloted by director Schele Williams (from The Notebook and revival of Disney’s Aida) and includes choreographer JaQuel Knight (Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”), playwright William F. Brown, music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls, additional material by Amber Ruffin, music supervision, orchestrations, & music arrangements by Allen René Louis, dance music arrangements by Adam Blackstone and Terence Vaughn, as well as music direction by Paul Byssainthe Jr.  The creative team is joined by Academy Award® winner and scenic designer Hannah Beachler, two-time Academy Award® nominee and costume designer Sharen Davis, Emmy® and Barrymore Award winner and lighting designer Ryan J. O’Gara, as well as Jon Weston on sound, Daniel Brodie on video & projections, Drama Desk Award winner Charles G. LaPointe on wigs, and Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche on makeup. Meanwhile, the captivating ensemble includes Avery Wilson (Scarecrow), Phillip Johnson Richardons (Tinman), Kyle Ramar Freeman (Lion), and newcomer Nichelle Lewis (Dorothy). 

THE WIZ ensemble includes Lauryn Adams, 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, Alan Mingo, Jr., Anthony Murphy, Dustin Praylow, Cristina Rae, Matthew Sims Jr, Avilon Trust Tate, Keenan D. Washington, and Timothy Wilson.

History and Awards

Adapted from 1900’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, THE WIZ had a pre-Broadway preview at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit in November 1974, as well as at the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia from December 11, 1974 until December 21, 1974. The commercial featuring the cast singing “Ease On Down the Road” was such a hit that it was released as a single recorded by the disco group Consumer Rapport. The song hit the Billboard Soul Singles chart, climbing to No. 19 and peaking at No. 42 in the Hot 100. 

Along with other musicals like 1971’s Purlie and 1974’s Raisin, THE WIZ was a breakthrough for Broadway, featuring a large-scale big-budget and an all-Black cast. The musical was written by playwright Charlie Smalls and William F. Brown, and premiered at the Majestic Theatre on January 5, 1975. THE WIZ ran for 1,672 performances before closing on January 28, 1979, and snagged an impressive eight Tony nominations, winning seven, including Best Musical. And now, for the first time in decades, the musical hit is returning home to the U.S. stage with an all-new Broadway-bound rendition. Adapted from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, ​the Pre-Broadway National Tour kickstarted in September in Baltimore, where the treasured musical premiered almost 50 years ago! 

“GRADE A: Run, don’t ease, on down to this spectacular revival. This is the best iteration yet!” – Entertainment Weekly