News

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,...

It’s hard to think of Maya Angelou as anything other than the symbol of strength she portrayed in her award-winning autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. But before it’s publication in 1969, the late poet was a single mother struggling to find work to support her son.

In an exclusive clip from American Masters – Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, the first documentary feature about her life, Angelou’s son Guy Johnson gets emotional remembering one particular hardship she experienced at the arms of Emmy-winning actress Pearl Bailey.

The year was 1967, and Hello Dolly! — one of...