Dorthy is definitely not in Kansas anymore.
Thanks to Celebrity Attractions, “The Wiz” has made its way down the Yellow Brick Road to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, bringing to the stage a soul-, gospel- and rock-infused take on the classic that is “The Wizard of Oz” with an all-Black cast. It was one of the most vibrant, vivacious and vocally versatile shows that I have ever seen. I was blown away from the moment the curtain raised, and my sides hurt from laughing so much at the ever-present humor.
If “The Wiz” cast has nothing else, they have Vocals. Vocals. Vocals. Of course, all Broadway shows spotlight amazing singers, they’ve been chosen to tour the country for a reason. However, I have never heard singing on stage like I did at “The Wiz.” Everything from strong, clean riffs to belts slowly and steadily going up in pitch for longer than any human should genuinely have the lung capacity to produce. I got chills at every song. A funny melody? Goosebumps. An emotional ballad from Dorthy (portrayed by Phoenix Assata LaFreniere)? Goosebumps. Evillene’s villain song about never wanting to hear bad news (delivered by Kyla Jade)? You guessed it: Goosebumps.
The choreography was spectacular as well. There was this little two-step skipping move that the main four kept doing while on the road that I desperately want to learn. I really enjoyed the way that dance and movement were used to represent different elements of the story. The “Tornado”, “Ease on Down the Road” and “Poppy Girls” are world-building sequences that stuck out the most to me.
The show was also packed with humor. Truly one of my favorite scenes was Dorthy’s arrival to Oz, when she is pulled into Evermean’s “funeral” — which was more of a roast than anything else. There were several lines and acting choices throughout the entire show to keep it lighthearted…