written by James Barnes
Let me just say this to begin with – I had never seen The Wiz in it’s totality until now. I don’t remember seeing the 1978 film starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, and I don’t recall going to any stage performances. I may have heard the mentioning of “The Yellow Brick Road” but I had no clue of what it actually was. I wasn’t too familiar with the song “Ease On Down The Road” but I probably heard it here and there. (I mean, I just wasn’t into theatre or film as a child, especially musicals!) However, there was the essence and the culture of the show that I was familiar with. With all the hype about it that I’d hear from friends and family, and the reverence that television shows and other movies showed, I wasn’t too far removed from it.
As part of its North American tour, The Wiz found its way to Boston’s Citizens Bank Opera House, located in Downtown Boston, and will be performing there through August 24, 2025. Presented by Broadway in Boston, this Tony-award winning musical brought the crowd out by the hundreds, both the past and present-day generations. Folks who are well-seasoned and know the show from beginning to end, folks like me who just never seen it, and young children and adults who never heard about The Wiz until now. Downtown Boston was absolutely flooded with people. So much excitement and anticipation was in the air, you couldn’t miss it. It didn’t matter where you were seated when you got inside – every seat was the best seat in the house for this one.
Led by the four friends – Dana Cimone who plays “Dorothy”, Elijah Ahmad Lewis who plays “Scarecrow”, D. Jerome who plays “Tinman”, and Cal Mitchell who plays “Lion” – this 21st century rendition of the show embodies everything fans were expecting to see, and it includes a modernized twist that captures the interest of this generation. The choreography is exceptional, the vibrance of colors and costume designs are exquisite, the stage design is incredible, and the script has this flavor to it that feels refreshing, adding more life to the performance. “The Wiz”, played by Alan Mingo, Jr., gives us such a remarkable performance by channeling the spirits of the predecessors of the show and by incorporating this contemporary style that allows the younger children and adults to enjoy as well and become forever fans of this iconic musical. The score includes songs like “Everybody Rejoice”, written by the late Luther Vandross, and of course “Ease On Down The Road”, which Michael Jackson and Diana Ross recorded together as the theme song for the 1978 adaptation film of The Wiz. Check out the full interview Youtube interview on our at sister station, ERS+ here!
Purchase your tickets for The Wiz here. WERS/ERS+ had the honor and the privilege of sitting down with Alan Mingo, Jr. and Elijah Ahmad Lewis in our WERS studio 8-8-9 before their Wednesday night performance. It was an absolute pleasure to get to know them, to hear their wisdom and their insight.
