The Wiz Sets Broadway Opening for April 2024

The Broadway revival of The Wiz will begin previews at the Marquis Theatre on March 29, 2024, ahead of an official opening night April 17.

Featuring a book by William F. Brown and a Tony Award-winning score by Charlie Smalls, The Wiz retells the story of L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz for an all-Black cast. Schele Williams will helm this reimagined production, with choreography by Jaquel Knight, additional material by Amber Ruffin, and music supervision, orchestrations, and music arrangements by Joseph Joubert. The production will also feature vocal and music arrangements by Allen René Louis, and dance music arrangements by Adam Blackstone.

The production will include “Everybody Rejoice” (music and lyrics by Luther Vandross), as well as the “Emerald City Ballet,” with music by Timothy Graphenreed.

The Broadway cast will feature Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy, Deborah Cox as Glinda and Melody A. Betts as Aunt Em and Evillene, Kyle Ramar Freeman as the Lion, Phillip Johnson Richardson as the Tinman, Avery Wilson as the Scarecrow, and Wayne Brady as The Wiz. The Wiz ensemble includes Maya Bowles, Shayla Alayre Caldwell, Jay Copeland, Allyson Kaye Daniel, Judith Franklin, Michael Samarie George, Collin Heyward, Amber Jackson, Olivia Jackson, Christina Jones, Polanco Jones, Kolby Kindle, Mariah Lyttle, Kareem Marsh, Anthony Murphy, Cristina Rae, Matthew Sims Jr, Avilon Trust Tate, Keenan D. Washington, and Timothy Wilson.

The Wiz design team will include scenic design by Academy Award-winning Hannah Beachler (Black Panther, Beyoncé’s Black is King and Lemonade), costume design by Emmy Award-winning and two-time Academy Award-nominated Sharen Davis (Ray, Dreamgirls), lighting design by Barrymore Award-winning Ryan J. O’Gara (Thoughts of a Colored Man), sound design by Jon Weston (Parade), projection design by Daniel Brodie (Motown the Musical), wig design by Charles LaPointe (MJ the Musical), and make-up design by Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche (The Piano Lesson).

The Wiz is currently on national tour, having opened last night at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre. Click here for a full list of tour dates.