******50+ YEAR-OLD SPOILERS!******

As a child growing up in the 1970s, we only had appointment TV. Beta and VHS videotapes were prohibitively expensive. DVDs/Blu-Rays were decades away, let alone streaming. When your favorite show was broadcast (with commercials), your little butt had to be in front of that tiny, 20-odd inch cathode ray TV or you missed it. A mandatory viewing event for kids of my age and generation was CBS’ annual airing of 1939’s fantasy classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” As a kid, I enjoyed seeing the monochrome Kansas transition into the colorful land of Oz. Also loved the various nonhuman characters, the green-skinned witch, the flying monkeys, and the simple story of a sweet-natured, Kansas farm girl (Judy Garland) who just wanted to go home. For several years during my childhood, my family and I gathered around the TV for it annually, without fail. It was a traditional celebratory event, almost like Thanksgiving, or Christmas. This was a couple years before “Star Wars” blazed into my preteen consciousness and changed everything, of course. But in those days of early childhood, “The Wizard of Oz” was simply not to be missed.

My siblings and I were also fans of the early-1900s Oz books, by L. Frank Baum, and we owned softcover versions of them, with beautiful, period-authentic, black and white illustrations. They were darker and even a bit scarier than the 1939 movie. There were also new characters, like Pumpkinhead (not to be confused with the late 1980s horror franchise), Tik-Tok (not to be confused with the social media app) and new adventures for Dorothy (who was a few years younger than Judy Garland’s movie version) and her beloved dog, Toto. One movie that came very close to capturing the Baum books’ darker feel was 1985’s “Return to Oz,” directed by George Lucas’ longtime friend/collaborator Walter Murch, which looked like the Oz books brought to life. Fairuza Balk (“The Craft”) was a page-perfect Dorothy. Unfortunately, that movie came out after I graduated high school, and my interests had changed, so I wouldn’t watch it until many years later on cable TV, one curious night after work (it’s excellent, by the way–might have to give that one its own column someday…).

In between, there was a new version of “The Wizard of Oz” that intrigued me since I first saw TV ads for it in early 1975. “The Wiz” was a new Broadway adaptation written by William F. Brown with all-new, very catchy music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls. “The Wiz” promised something more urbanized and street-smart than the rural original, but without cynicism. The ads played snippets of the show’s most popular number, “Ease on Down the Road,” the lyrics of which burned into my young brain: “Don’t you car-ry nothin’ that might be a loooad; Come on and–ease on down, ease on down the roooad!” I really wanted to see it, but sadly, I lived on the wrong coast; and even if I didn’t, my working-class family simply couldn’t afford to see Broadway shows. A 1978 movie version was directed bySidney Lumet (“Network”), and it starred the legendary Diana Ross as a more womanly Dorothy, with Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, Nipsey Russell as the Tinman, and Ted Ross as the Lion. Sadly, I didn’t see it until it came to TV some years later, where much of its widescreen splendor and actual New York City locations were lost in translation to the tube. Later I would buy it on Blu-Ray, and that experience was like seeing it for the first time. As gorgeous as the movie was, I still wanted to see the play; largely because of its reputation, but also to sate a fifty year-old year childhood craving…

Note: For full disclosure, I haven’t fully seen “Wicked” yet (the play or the two-part movie), though my wife saw the play in London, and we both caught a half-hour of the first film over Thanksgiving at our cousins’ house. What I saw of “Wicked” Part 1 gave me immediate Star Wars prequel vibes; a hyper-glossy production that delighted in over-explaining and retconning things to where the mystery of it all felt diminished for me. I’m glad to see younger generations enjoying “Wicked” so passionately, but I just don’t think it’s for me, and that’s perfectly okay.

Cut to January 17th, 2026. My wife and I had tickets (purchased online in advance) to see “The Wiz” at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. Built in the 1980s, the Segerstrom Center is a multiplex for live entertainment, including a stage and a concert venue, near the city of Irvine (where 1993’s “Demolition Man” was filmed). This was also where my wife and I had recently seen an interpretive ballet of “Frankenstein.” Not to sound like a paid YouTuber advert, but the Segerstrom Center is an oasis of the performing arts, on a par with nearly anything in Los Angeles. Our seats were a little far up, but they were dead center, so we had a nice view. The ever-shifting colors of the stage were immediately eye-catching, and nicely set the tone for the show.

The first act opens in a largely monochrome setting, cast in shades of gray, as Dorothy (Dana Cimone) laments her dull life in Kansas to her Auntie Em (Kyla Jade). The sweet but smartly sassy Auntie Em gets the first big laugh of the show with her line to smart-mouthing Dorothy; “I’m looking for the people you think you’re talking to like that!” Both performances were strong, and it was only later that I learned Kyla Jade played both Auntie Em and the Wicked Witch of the West, Evillene (!). I was also surprised to read in the playbook afterward that Dana Cimone was a relatively novice performer with little experience. She and Jade shared a nice warmth together onstage. The tornado effects were done with lighting FX, fog machines and live dancers in dark cloaks–a stunning practical effect. However, there’s no Toto in this production (animals and live theater don’t go well together).

Like the 1939 movie, the production shifts from monochrome to bold colors, with dancers representing the inhabitants of Oz (no munchkins, thank goodness). In this rendering of the play, Oz isn’t New York, but rather an amalgam of fantasy geometries and architectures. This version of “The Wiz” is patterned after the 2023 Broadway revival, with some smartly updated bits of dialogue, as well as variations in costumes and character makeups. Looking back at pics from the revival, this production was faithful to that interpretation.

Shortly after her arrival at Oz, and on advice from the Good Witch from the North, known as Addaperle (Amitria Fanae’), Dorothy begins her quest to Emerald City, following the yellow brick road. The yellow brick road itself is represented by dancers in gold, brick-pattern toy soldier costumes who ‘march’ during the transitions between scenes. And, of course, that joyous signature song, “Ease on Down the Road” is sung several times by the cast during their trek to the Emerald City. Dorothy’s witch-cursed companions, the Scarecrow (Elijah Ahmad Lewis), Tinman (D Jerome) and Lion (Cal Mitchell) are all effectively updated and realized. Elijah Ahmad Lewis’ Scarecrow reminded me a bit of Chris Tucker in his comical exuberance. D. Jerome’s Tinman really shines during his heartbreaking solo number, “What Would I Do If I Could Feel?” Cal Mitchell’s Lion is pure verve–giving a dynamic physical performance.

Once again, I can’t say enough good things about Kyla Jade, who doubles as both Auntie Em and Evillene–the Wicked Witch of the West. No green pancake and Spirit Halloween witch costumes here. Like the late unforgettable Mabel King (“What’s Happening”) from the 1975 original play and the 1978 movie, Kyla Jade’s Evillene is dressed in fiery shades of red, orange and gold. Evillene’s headquarters are an industrial-gothic nightmare–filled with mind-controlled minions (“Winkies”) who work her will. I also loved the ever-changing digitally-projected backdrops; going from the Scarecrow’s golden cornfield with blue sky, to the luxe, verdant hues of the Emerald City to the toxic hellscape of Evillene’s lair. As an old veteran of high school drama classes and community theater productions back in the last century, modern stagecraft and lighting effects never cease to amaze me.

Alan Mingo Jr. is “the Wiz,” and unlike the late Richard Pryor’s failed politician from the 1978 movie, Mingo’s Wiz is more like a simple street hustler doing his best to survive in a strange world. When he’s outed as a fraud, he changes from his regal green garb to a simple black tracksuit, as the pieces of Emerald City are packed into carts and toted off, like damaged goods from a fire sale. Nevertheless, the character is sympathetic when he reassures Dorothy–in his final musical number–that “Y’all Got It.” Like all versions of the story, including the original book, the core of the Wizard’s ‘power’ is present within the characters themselves.

Dorothy’s return home, like most aspects of this production, is also a bit cheekier than the heartstrings-tugging, tearjerking 1939 film. After Glinda (Sheherazade) tells Dorothy that her silver slippers and her faith were all she needed to take her home, Dorothy sardonically asks of her what all of us kids wanted to ask of Glinda since we first saw the 1939 movie; “You mean, that’s all there ever was to it? Just clickin’ my heels three times, and I’m home?” The audience giggles from Dorothy’s retort made my fifty-plus year wait to see “The Wiz” live onstage well worth it.

Needless to say, the cast got a much-deserved standing ovation during their curtain call. Even though photos were not allowed during the performance (as is customary with most live shows), I managed to grab a few pics during the curtain call (as did nearly everyone else in the audience). I hope they vicariously convey the experience for readers of this column. Even though I grew up and loved “The Wizard of Oz” as a kid, I’ve always been secretly partial to “The Wiz.” Seeing it live really affirmed that.

Where to Watch

If you live in SoCal, or plan to visit soon, “The Wiz” is still at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts (scfta.org/shows-events) until January 25th, but the 2023 Broadway revival version that it’s based on is available to watch on Amazon Prime’s BroadwayHD; a subscription streaming service for watching hard-to-see Broadway plays and live music events at home. To quote the Wiz himself, “Y’all got it.”