EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD
Saw the original Broadway production of THE WIZ at the Majestic Theatre in the mid-Seventies. Yes, there have been other shows that played this theatre besides THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Cost of the tickets was in the teens rather than today’s hundreds.
This served as one of my first experiences with an inebriated audience member (it was not common at that time for theatres to even serve alcohol), but that emerged as only a minor hiccup. The truth is that I almost missed the show as I was lounging in the lobby of the Edison Hotel. It was a weekend when the clocks were changed and neither my wife nor I had remembered about it until the last minute.
Nevertheless, the show managed to be quite an exhilarating experience. Stephanie Mills as “Dorothy” registered impressive. Hinton Battle amazed as “Scarecrow”. The tornado in dance proved to be a whirlwind of movement.
I am reminded that Phylicia Ayers-Allen (later Phylicia Rashad) played a munchkin in that show. I later saw her perform as “Deena” in DREAMGIRLS. Debbie Allen, her sister, also starred on Broadway, headlining a major revival of SWEET CHARITY.
Many years later I had the privilege of meeting William F. Brown, the playwright, when La Jolla Playhouse presented a high profile revival of THE WIZ. For that production I served on the House Management team, a challenging effort because of the environmental nature of the new production.
I once directed an educational theatre version as well. Emerald City had never been that rambunctious! So,as the saying goes, this show is “near and dear to my heart”. (Yes, I’m not made of tin and I do have one!)
Looking Back Is Looking Forward…Snapshots of People, Performances et cetera (etc.) about the Way We Were
