After being transformed into an unhappy schoolteacher who ends up in Oz in the misguided 1978 movie version of the smash hit Broadway musical, Dorothy has been given another chance on the screen, this time on T.V. The third live musical over the last three holiday seasons, hopes have been high for the past couple of weeks that they get it right. So Dorothy is a young girl again, modernized to the current day, so greater care has been taken to ensure that the show is preserved with its original themes.
It starts off great with the original Dorothy, Stephanie Mills, as the strict but loving Auntie Em, singing to her troubled niece (Shanice Williams) with patience, adoration and guidance. Outstanding choreography represents Dorothy inside the tornado, and is stunning. At first, young Miss Williams seems just a tiny bit older than her years through cynicism and clothing perhaps a bit too revealing for a girl her age, but it soon becomes obvious that she is indeed a young lady as her vulnerabilities and curiosities arise over her new location.
Other than Mills, David Alan Grier, Mary Jay Blige and Queen Latifah, I am unfamiliar with any of the supporting cast as well as the T.V. shows they are on. However, they all have the skills of veteran Broadway performers. Why Queen Latifah hasn't graced the stage as of yet is a mystery to me. Elijah Kelley is a totally vulnerable scarecrow, gentle and thoughtful even with out a brain, while Ne-Yo is a joy as the tin man. He doesn't have the scene-stealing capabilities that Nipsey Russell gave to the movie but simply makes it his own take on a beloved character. Grier adds his own magic as the lion, a representation of the prototype of blow-hard that shows off their exuberance or force of nature yet is a total pussycat on side. Each encounter with Williams shows her just getting more and more lovely with that teen angst disguised as attitude disappearing as fast as witches are dispatched of.
The only issue I had with the introduction of her friends us that they all take place immediately on top of each other and feels rushed. What is not rushed is the care that went to the creation of the sets and costumes which are a drag queen's dream come true. It has all the qualities of a live Broadway musical and in that sense, it us absolutely spectacular. For the remaining cast, Amber Riley is an exuberant Addapearle while Queen Latifah is a good gender switched Wiz, playing the role with serious authority. her smile and dimples winning me over all the time. Blige sweeps across the stage as Evalene, and adds a funny take on her queen of mean. Instead of being a vile old witch/slave master, she's more grumpy than wicked. Uzo Aduba as Glinda reminded me of a subtler Bette Midler in her posture. If not a drop-dead beauty in looks, her spirit is quite beautiful and her belting of Believe in Yourself is a gem. Topped off with Williams' Home, it just comes to an emotional conclusion.
As for the songs, they are energetically performed and lavishly staged. The ballads are touching and the production numbers and comic songs filled with energy. A brand new song seems to be an anthem in the making with its energy and heart as Dorothy works on challenging her clearing friends to join her in the quest that the Wiz has given her. But what the heck happened to Toto after the opening scene? Perhaps since Diana Ross's Dorothy forgot Toto in the Emerald City of the movie, they didn't want to make that mistake again. It is interesting to note that the dancers are multi-racial. So let it be said that after two fairly enjoyable tries that are still publicly maligned and wrongfully scorned that the network got it right, giving the world a very well staged version of a show that up until now didn't have a legacy. No Cheese Wiz this one!
It starts off great with the original Dorothy, Stephanie Mills, as the strict but loving Auntie Em, singing to her troubled niece (Shanice Williams) with patience, adoration and guidance. Outstanding choreography represents Dorothy inside the tornado, and is stunning. At first, young Miss Williams seems just a tiny bit older than her years through cynicism and clothing perhaps a bit too revealing for a girl her age, but it soon becomes obvious that she is indeed a young lady as her vulnerabilities and curiosities arise over her new location.
Other than Mills, David Alan Grier, Mary Jay Blige and Queen Latifah, I am unfamiliar with any of the supporting cast as well as the T.V. shows they are on. However, they all have the skills of veteran Broadway performers. Why Queen Latifah hasn't graced the stage as of yet is a mystery to me. Elijah Kelley is a totally vulnerable scarecrow, gentle and thoughtful even with out a brain, while Ne-Yo is a joy as the tin man. He doesn't have the scene-stealing capabilities that Nipsey Russell gave to the movie but simply makes it his own take on a beloved character. Grier adds his own magic as the lion, a representation of the prototype of blow-hard that shows off their exuberance or force of nature yet is a total pussycat on side. Each encounter with Williams shows her just getting more and more lovely with that teen angst disguised as attitude disappearing as fast as witches are dispatched of.
The only issue I had with the introduction of her friends us that they all take place immediately on top of each other and feels rushed. What is not rushed is the care that went to the creation of the sets and costumes which are a drag queen's dream come true. It has all the qualities of a live Broadway musical and in that sense, it us absolutely spectacular. For the remaining cast, Amber Riley is an exuberant Addapearle while Queen Latifah is a good gender switched Wiz, playing the role with serious authority. her smile and dimples winning me over all the time. Blige sweeps across the stage as Evalene, and adds a funny take on her queen of mean. Instead of being a vile old witch/slave master, she's more grumpy than wicked. Uzo Aduba as Glinda reminded me of a subtler Bette Midler in her posture. If not a drop-dead beauty in looks, her spirit is quite beautiful and her belting of Believe in Yourself is a gem. Topped off with Williams' Home, it just comes to an emotional conclusion.
As for the songs, they are energetically performed and lavishly staged. The ballads are touching and the production numbers and comic songs filled with energy. A brand new song seems to be an anthem in the making with its energy and heart as Dorothy works on challenging her clearing friends to join her in the quest that the Wiz has given her. But what the heck happened to Toto after the opening scene? Perhaps since Diana Ross's Dorothy forgot Toto in the Emerald City of the movie, they didn't want to make that mistake again. It is interesting to note that the dancers are multi-racial. So let it be said that after two fairly enjoyable tries that are still publicly maligned and wrongfully scorned that the network got it right, giving the world a very well staged version of a show that up until now didn't have a legacy. No Cheese Wiz this one!