The Wiz

3/30/2024

Whilst I think this really does work on stage, I really didn't much rate this African-American take on the timeless "Wizard of Oz" tale. It seems much more intent on making a political statement than it does on entertaining anyone, and given I'm not from the community it was made by and for, I felt a bit like I was not really invited to the party. The story itself sees a slightly older "Dorothy" (Diana Ross) chasing her dog through a heavy snowfall. She gets hopelessly lost and next thing she is in a mysterious land ("Oz") and must find the legendary wizard if she is ever to sing her way back to Harlem. The snag with this plot here is that her life in New York was none too enjoyable, so after a while here making new friends - including Michael Jackson's "Scarecrow", and singing and dancing