Musical Monday - The Wiz

(Originally posted on Minnesota Theater Love)

The Wiz was just show on live television in a special NBC event. I figured it was time to get back to posting on a regular basis by looking at the original cast recording of The Wiz. The show had a book by William F. Brown, and music/lyrics by Charlie Smalls. Directed by Geoffrey Holder, and choreographed by George Faison, The Wiz opened on Broadway in Jan of 1975 and closed four years later in 1979. It won seven of the eight Tony Awards it was nominated for, including Best Musical.

By know you know that this is a retelling of The Wizard of Oz, but with a all-black cast. Time magazine (to quote the liner notes) called it "saucy with black urban humor. Its talk is jumping jivernacular, its walk is a big city strut, its dances have a blowtorch frenzy, and its songs rangge from a warm gospel glow to the rock beat of a riveter mining asphalt." Wow - how times have changes since that was written.  So, The Wiz makes a few small changes to the story but nothing major. The recording starts off with a very brief prologue which includes the chorus to "Ease on down the road." And I do mean brief as it clocks in at 20 seconds! It fades right into "The feeling we once had." I think this is a gorgeous song sung wonderfully by Tasha Thomas. The songs sets up the difficulty of being a family at times, and strained relationships that can happen between adult and child - especially when the adult wants so much good for the child and but the child doesn't see it that way. Still it is a great soul ballad that builds like all good ballads do. The odd thing about this recording is that it fades out. There is a great musical number that is the backdrop to the "Tornado." It has a very 1974/1975 soul music sound - almost like "Shaft" or the theme to CHiPs, or such. Interestingly this is not a full musical version as there are some vocalese towards the end.

Actors (L-R) Clarice Taylor & Stephanie Mills in a scene fr. the Broadway musical “The Wiz”. (c.1974) Photo by Martha Swope courtesy of THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

Dorothy has now landed in Oz and is treated to "He's The Wizard" sung by Clarice Taylor. A very unique husky voice that works so well with this number. The song is backed by a chorus of Munchkins who are clearly having fun with this number. However you will find through out that the recording is not balanced as well as it should. Some of the lead vocals sound a bit overpowered by the orchestra, or backing vocals. I'm not sure if this has been remastered yet but I think it really should be. As Dorothy heads out toward the Emerald City she sings a ballad - "Soon as I get home." It sets up her character's desires and fears very well, and it also gives the first taste to the melody of the big hit "Home." This was Stephanie Mill's second Broadway show. Her first was Maggie Flynn - a 1968 musical about the New York Draft Riots of 1893. She played an orphan along with Irene Cara and Giancarlo Esposito. Stephanie was also in the very short revival of The Wiz in 1984. However she has never done any Broadway since then. The same story applies to both Tasha Thomas, and Clarice Taylor - one show, one cast recording and that is it. I find that really interesting considering who we are about to meet in the show. We meet the Scarecrow singing his number " I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday." Hinton Battle got his Broadway start in this show, then went on into Dancin', Sophisticated Ladies, Dreamgirls, Tap Dance Kid, Miss Saigon, and even Chicago.  This number is a great gospel-toned song that starts as a ballad and moves into a good gospel-feel, with the crows singing back-up. Scarecrow and Dorothy start to "Ease on Down the Road" till they meet the Tinman. Tiger Haynes (as the Tinman) has a good Vaudville-sounding number called "Slide Some Oil To Me." And this was not his first Broadway show, nor his last. The group meets the last of their crew - the Cowardly Lion portrayed by Ted Ross...a Broadway veteran. He gets to sing " I'm A Mean Ole Lion" which sounds like a track from Dusty in Memphis, or even an Ike & Tina Turner song - good solid beat, amazing brass/horns in the back. Very good song and he sounds great! By this point we haven't heard from Dorothy in a while so we have another fantastic ballad "Be A Lion."

Actors (L-R) André De Shields, Tiger Haynes, Hinton Battle, Stephanie Mills & Ted Ross in a scene fr. the Broadway musical “The Wiz”. (c.1974) Photo by Martha Swope courtesy of THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

Finally they reach the Emerald City and are introduced to the Wiz played by Andre de Shields. If you look at his credits you can see that he has also consistently worked on Broadway. I find it interesting that the lead men in this cast have spent a lot of time on the Great White Way, but the women have not. Andre sings his heart out in "So You Wanted to See the Wizard." For some reason at this point the Tinman has a solo number - "What Would I Do If I Could Feel" along with some good backup vocals. A very nice ballad that makes the Wizard decide to give them the quest, and end Act One. Certainly not the standard way to end an act.

Act two starts with Evillene - the Wicked Witch singing her way through "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News." Mabel King knocks it out of the park! (Personally, I am kicking myself that I didn't take the chance to see Grace Jones play the role on tour in 96-97!) Suddenly the witch is dead and the Winkies celebrate with "Everybody Rejoice." This is such a great happy song, and is the only one penned by Luther Vandross instead of Charlie Smalls. Dorothy and the crew make it back to the Emerald City. The Wiz has one final number "Y'All Got It!" before he flies off and leaves Dorothy stranded. This is another great, brass-filled upbeat song! Of course Glinda comes in to save the day. Dee Dee Bridgewater (who had just started a fantastic career in jazz, and ended up winning a Tony award for this role) sings the incredible "If You Believe." Dorothy clicks her heels and sings her big final number "Home."

Actors (Front L-R) Clarice Taylor, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ted Ross & Tiger Haynes w. cast in a scene fr. the Broadway musical “The Wiz”.(c.1974) Photo by Martha Swope courtesy of THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

Overall, it is a really good cast recording that I think everyone should have. There are great performances from actors who have passed, and who did not do much else on Broadway. Of course, that is not to say they didn't perform on stage elsewhere, or didn't have their own career in TV or making music but we all know that there is something special about a cast recording.

ps: for more fantastic photos, check out this tumblr entry.