"The Wiz" injects L. Frank Baum's whitewashed world of Oz with a dose of soul early 20th century audiences might have found hard to fathom. But the incongruous blend of folksy morality with disco fervor seems just as right now as it must have more than 50 years ago.
The 1975 Broaday musical, which was adapted into the iconic 1978 film starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor, is especially relevance now that all things Oz are surging in popularity thanks to the "Wicked" films. The touring production high-steps into Centennial Hall just in time to seize its moment, hamming it up onstage to chew the scenery for all it's worth and then some.
A cavalcade of toe-tapping, booming song-and-dance numbers reinterprets Dorothy's quest with exuberant vision. The current production updates the jokes and numbers while embracing the nuts and bolts that have granted "The Wiz" a timelessness akin to Baum's novels and the 1939 film.
Dana Cimone thrives in the lead role of Dorothy, emitting midwestern charm as she bursts into sudden operatic arias or slips seamlessly into intricate dance explosions.
At its heart, "The Wiz" is a dance spectacle with "Solid Gold"-style flair. Buttressing an athletic and endlessly capable ensemble are standouts Elijah Ahmad Lewis as Scarecrow and D. Jerome as Tinman. Lewis's lanky, rubber-limbed moves bring his bendy, straw-stuffed character to life, and Jerome's precise, angular movements cut indelible marks into the stage.
The backdrop is a whirlwind of inspired projections, which whisk you through twisters, sprawling cities, forests and starry skies. The costumes are just as breathtaking, designed with flash and pizzazz that enhance the lyrics and moves.
Most importantly, each member of the superbly talented cast seems to be having every bit as much fun as the audience members. Every scene of "The Wiz" pops with the joy and vivacity of an impromptu jam session at a party filled with best friends. Performers punctuate particularly explosive moments with pauses that acknowledge the crowd's adulation, taking half a beat to soak in the moment of theatrical bliss.
"The Wiz" takes you on a visceral ride that goes not only over the rainbow, but straight through it, rejoicing in sound, color and triumph. There's no place like the audience at this rambunctious revival.
"The Wiz" plays through Jan. 11 at Centennial Hall. Buy tickets here.
