Emmy Nominee Amber Ruffin to Contribute New Material to the Muny's The Wiz
(© Lloyd Bishop)
The Muny has announced that for its upcoming production of The Wiz Emmy-nominated writer Amber Ruffin will provide new material for the script. According to a press release, Ruffin has been working with original book writer William F. Brown on this production with the full support of Charles Michael Smalls, son of The Wiz composer and lyricist Charlie Smalls. The production will run June 19-25.
Among her many television writing credits, Ruffin has written for Late Night With Seth Meyers since 2014, becoming the first African-American woman to write for a late-night network talk show in the US. She also appears on the program with her segments "Amber Says What" and "Jokes Seth Can't Tell." She was also a regular on the Emmy-winning Comedy Central series Drunk History.
The Tony-winning musical based on L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz opened on Broadway in 1975 and won seven Tonys, including Best Musical and Best Score. A 1978 film version starred Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. The Muny production will be directed by Denis Jones, with choreography by Camille A. Brown (Once on This Island) and music direction by Darryl Archibald.
