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“Believe what you feel and know you’re right because/The time will come around when you’ll say it’s yours,” croons Lena Horne as Glinda the Good Witch of the South near the climax of 1978’s The Wiz, a mega-budget adaptation of the funky all-Black Broadway reimagining of Baum’s Oz universe. Cinema history is littered with the shadows of what might have been but never was. But at least in the case of The Wiz, arguably the only all-Black Hollywood studio super-production until Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, it’s both a wonder and a testament to the kindness of the fates that something the benefit of 20/20 hindsight has cast as a true outlier managed to slip through.

And, at least in the hearts of its underserved audience, the film flourishes to this day. Odie Henderson, in his Blaxploitation survey Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras, surmised “The Wiz...

The Wiz, Spine #1264, is now available on 4K in the Criterion Collection.

My relationship to The Wizard of Oz, like most people, begins in the very early years of my childhood. I don’t remember the first time I saw the 1930s classic, but as far back as I can remember, it was an important part of my upbringing. My relationship to The Wiz is different. I was always aware of its existence, and I recall watching small moments of it on cable television at a young age, but I never sat down and watched it in its entirety until now.

The Wiz plot

Dorothy (Diana Ross) is a teacher in Harlem struggling to find her place and her purpose. When she’s magically transported to the fantastical land of Oz, she must embark on a journey unlike anything she’s ever experienced before. Along the way, she’ll meet...

Universal Pictures has announced the nationwide theatrical re-release of The Wiz, the 1978 Oscar-nominated musical starring music legends Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, screen icon Lena Horne, and comedy titan Richard Pryor.

The landmark film, which reimagines L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, through the lens of 1970s Black culture, will return to theaters nationwide for special screenings on May 18 and May 21, 2025.

Nearly five decades since its original release, The Wiz remains a defining moment in cinematic history, celebrated for its bold, revolutionary vision of Oz. Based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, The Wiz tells the story of Dorothy (Oscar nominee Ross), a Harlem schoolteacher who is transported to the magical land of Oz during a snowstorm.

There, she embarks on a journey to meet the all-powerful ruler of Oz, The Wiz (Grammy and Emmy winner Richard Pryor), and find a way back home. Along the way,...

Before Wicked became a Broadway sensation and got its own movie adaptation, another musical reinterpreted the classic story of The Wizard of Oz. The show, titled The Wiz, debuted in 1974 and received a movie adaptation four years later. The film version of The Wiz, which was a flop, became notorious for having big names in the music world attached to it, such as Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.

Despite the film's flop status, some people have loved The Wiz, as the film has spectacular visuals, gigantic dance sequences, and beautiful music. One of the few fans of the film was film critic Roger Ebert, who tried to highlight many of its positive aspects in his review.

The Wiz

Release Date October 24, 1978Cast Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Theresa Merritt, Lena Horne, Richard Pryor, Mabel King, Thelma Carpenter, Stanley Greene, Quincy Jones, Iman, Clyde J. Barrett, Harry Madsen,...

Nichelle Lewis will portray Dorothy in the upcoming Broadway revival of The Wiz.

The Virginian actress, who was discovered on TikTok and chosen following more than 2,000 submissions for the role, was also announced by producers on Monday as the lead in the upcoming National Tour. Kicking off in Baltimore at the Hippodrome Theatre and running from Sept. 23-30, the tour will continue to previously announced cities across the U.S. before its limited run in New York.

Wayne Brady was previously announced for the role of the Wiz on Broadway, following appearances in San Francisco Golden Gate Theatre and Los Angeles (Feb. 13 – March 3), with Alan Mingo Jr. portraying the role in additional tour cities additional including Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago, Des Moines, Tempe and San Diego.

The musical also stars Deborah Cox as Glinda; Melody A. Betts as Aunt Em and Evillene; Kyle Ramar Freeman as...

The Broadway-bound revival of The Wiz, which will launch a national tour in Baltimore this fall, has cast Kyle Ramar Freeman (A Strange Loop) as the Lion, Phillip Johnson Richardson (Apple+’s Sharper) as the Tinman, and former The Voice contestant Avery Wilson as the Scarecrow.

Richardson and Wilson will be making their Broadway debuts. Casting for the character of Dorothy has yet to be announced.

The revival, featuring some new material by Amber Ruffin, is produced by Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Brian Anthony Moreland, Ambassador Theatre Group, Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker, who issued the joint statement today announcing the castings. The revival is set to arrive on Broadway next spring.

Featuring a book by William F. Brown and a score by Charlie Smalls (and others), the revival will be directed by Schele Williams and choreographed by JaQuel Knight. The Wiz premiered on Broadway in 1975 and won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical.

“Real Housewives of Atlanta” stars Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker have joined the producing team for “The Wiz” musical, producers Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Brian Anthony Moreland and Ambassador Theatre Group announced on Thursday.

In a joint statement, Burruss and Tucker said, “We are thrilled to be part of ‘The Wiz.’ The songs, choreography, costumes, everything about ‘The Wiz’ is epic!” They continued, saying, “We have always said we want to help open the doors of theatre to all people. Theatre has the power to influence and inspire people to create change through art, and that is what we all need now. Art can heal and art can change you. It has changed us. So, come on and ease on down the road with us!”

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Tony Awards Predictions 2023: Who Will Win – and Who Should

Featuring a book by William F. Brown and a Tony Award-winning score by...

Exclusive: Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss and husband/entrepreneur Todd Tucker have joined the producing for the Broadway-bound revival of The Wiz, Deadline has learned.

In a statement, Burruss and Tucker said, “We are thrilled to be part of The Wiz. The songs, choreography, costumes, everything about The Wiz is epic.

“We have always said we want to help open the doors of theatre to all people,” they continued. “Theatre has the power to influence and inspire people to create change through art, and that is what we all need now. Art can heal and art can change you. It has changed us. So, come on and ease on down the road with us.”

The Wiz will be the latest Broadway production credit for Burruss and Tucker, following the recent Tony-nominated revival of The Piano Lesson and last season’s Thoughts of a Colored Man. Burruss also has...

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The Wiz is easing on down to Broadway.

The beloved Black-led, music-infused spin on the Wizard of Oz is slated to return as a reimagined revival in Spring 2024, producers announced Thursday. Amber Ruffin, whose co-written Some Like It Hot with Matthew López is set to open on Broadway this December, is attached to provide additional material for the limited engagement.

The “all-new” production of the Tony-winning musical adapted from L. Frank Baum’s children’s book will serve as the Broadway directorial debut for Schele Williams.

“I wouldn’t be on Broadway if it wasn’t for The Wiz,” Williams said in a statement. “The music, the costumes, the choreography and Stephanie Mills! Seeing that show changed my life. It is, in every way, a celebration of Black excellence. I am honored to helm this production and I can’t think of a...

The beloved musical The Wiz will return to Broadway next season in an “entirely reimagined revival” directed by Schele Williams and featuring additional material by Amber Ruffin.

The production will launch a national tour in the Fall of 2023 in Baltimore, where the original musical premiered in 1974, and will play in cities across the country before beginning a limited engagement on Broadway in Spring 2024.

The revival was announced today by producers Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Brian Anthony Moreland, and Ambassador Theatre Group. Featuring a book by William F. Brown and a Tony Award-winning score by Charlie Smalls (and others) – among its best-known songs is “Ease On Down The Road” – the new production will be choreographed by Jaquel Knight with music supervision, orchestrations, and music arrangements by Joseph Joubert.

Director Williams, who will make her Broadway debut with the show – she’s also directing the upcoming revival of Disney’s Aida – said in a statement,...

By Susan King

Audra McDonald is the most lauded Broadway performer winning a whopping six Tony Awards in both musical and dramatic categories. And she may be receiving her seventh for the revival of “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair du Lune” when the 74th annual Tonys take place Sept. 26th at the venerable Winter Garden Theatre.

Despite that record, it took a long time for Black artists to be acknowledged by the Tonys, which were first handed out in 1947. It wasn’t until 2004 that a Black actress won for a lead performance in a play: Phylicia Rashad broke this barrier with her win for a revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun.” Hansberry was the first Black artist to be nominated for Best Play in 1960 for the original production of “A Raisin in the Sun” as were its director Lloyd Richards and stars, Sidney Poitier and Claudia McNeil.

It’s hard to believe something like 1991’s The Fisher King was a studio backed effort. An anomaly both as a mainstream cinematic event and within Gilliam’s own idiosyncratic filmography, the film received as much panning as praise upon its theatrical release (shortly after a premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it was part of a three way tie with Zhang Yimou and Philippe Garrel for the Silver Lion). In the decades since, the film has garnered something of a cult following, as have many of Gilliam’s earlier works of note, filled with an often unbridled zaniness necessitating time to marinate for full appreciation. Stuffed to the point of emotional, narrative, and logical imbalance, there are as many moments of beauty as inelegance. But Gilliam’s ambitious odd-couple outfit, based on a script from Richard Lagravenese, revels in its own unique flavoring.

Radio shock jock Jack (Jeff Bridges...

Time to "ease on down the road" with NBC's next live musical event!

The cast of ‘The Wiz’ (L-r Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Diana Ross and Ted Ross) pose for a publicity shot in 1978 (Getty)

The network has selected "The Wiz" for its next musical, following in the footsteps of "The Sound of Music Live!" starring Carrie Underwood and "Peter Pan Live!" with Allison Williams.

The new version of the popular stage musical will be co-produced by Cirque du Soleil and will then hit Broadway as a revival in 2016.

Watch: Allison Williams’ Favorite ‘Peter Pan ...

Copyright 2015 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

courtesy of flickeringmyth.com

50. Dancer in the Dark (2000)

Directed by Lars von Trier

Signature Song: “I’ve Seen It All” (http://youtu.be/d9zFt6M_GLo)

Who says people in a musical have to be able to sing? The list starts with a film directed by the director of Melancholia, Antichrist, and the recent Nymphomaniac films. Starring Björk, Dancer in the Dark takes place in the fantasy world of Selma, an immigrant from the Czeck Republic living in a blue-collar town in the United States. She lives on the property of a local police officer named Bill (David Morse) and his wife. She finds herself the object of a shy co-worker’s affection (Peter Stormare), but doesn’t entirely reciprocate, partly because she knows that she is slowly going blind. Terrified that her disease is hereditary and her son most certainly will get it, she works long hours at the factory,...

We're all tired of boring remakes, so maybe the folks behind the new Arthur have come up with some bright ideas to refresh the character of a drunken, wealthy playboy whose inheritance is threatened when he falls in love with a working-class woman. (Or maybe they're all inebriated.) The Batmobile was first spotted on location in New York last month, and Cinematical's Erik Davis speculated that it was the vehicle of choice for the new Arthur, as played by Russell Brand, stepping into the shoes of the late, beloved Dudley Moore. Photos of Brand as Batman then emerged -- along with Luis Guzman as Robin -- making some wonder what sort of character the new Arthur would be: still a "lovable drunk," or some 21st century twist on addictions?

New set photos don't throw much more light on the subject. They show Brand with a DeLorean crafted to look like...

A sad day indeed. Michael Jackson wore many hats over the course of his long career. He was an international superstar, and he leveraged that status to dip his toes into anything that interested him. In the world of film, Jackson enjoyed unparalleled access. He worked with luminaries, artists and auteurs who shaped the course of the medium as strongly as the pop star himself did in the music world.

Jackson was a pop cultural icon and his touch will forever be felt in all facets of entertainment. Here are just a few of the stars he hitched to in film during his long and storied career.

Sidney Lumet

Sidney Lumet is a director’s director. He gave us classics like “12 Angry Men,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” “The Network,” “Serpico” and the modern-day masterpiece “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.” He also gave us “The Wiz,” a playful recasting of...

The superstar worked with legendary directors Sidney Lumet, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese and John Landis.

By Adam Rosenberg

Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Diana Ross and Ted Ross in "The Wiz"

Photo: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images

Michael Jackson's talent as an entertainer was arguably beyond comparison, yet his music was only the starting point for a career that spanned multiple mediums: film, television (including a Jackson 5 cartoon), video games, theme-park attractions and more. While his appearances in films were relatively few and far between, his magnetism translated easily to the big screen.

Jackson's first major film came in 1978, with director Sidney Lumet's "The Wiz." In the musical fantasy, adapted from L. Frank Baum's "The Wizard of Oz," Jackson starred as the Scarecrow alongside Diana Ross' Dorothy, Nipsey Russell's Tinman and Ted Ross' Lion. "The Wiz" is an urban fairy tale set in...