This was the annual NBC network live presentation for the Holiday season. "The Wiz" was conceived and presented on stage back in the 1970s as a black re-imagining of the classic "Wizard of Oz" story. It differs in mood and songs, with an emphasis on the more traditional black vibe. I have long been a fan of the "Wizard of Oz" movie and was very entertained by this live production. The basic story is the same but the costuming is unique, and of course the songs.Newcomer Shanice Williams, 18 and from New Jersey, is in the lead role as Dorothy Gale. She sings wonderfully and her acting is OK for someone new to stage productions. I always enjoy seeing Queen Latifah and here she plays the key role of The Wiz. At first it seems that they have chosen a female to play a male part but as the story unfolds her character is indeed a female.It was also fun to know that Stephanie Mills, who plays Auntie Em, was in the original all those years ago. All in all a successful presentation by NBC.

I viewed "The wiz live!" last night when it premiered on T.V for the first time, and I was utterly disappointed. My main issues were with the singing, acting, casting, line delivery, and lastly costuming. Now I know this isn't an actual Broadway musical, but this is closely based off of the real thing, and the T.V version didn't even come close. Because I have so many issues with the play, I'll split my review into different parts.First I will begin by saying that the play wasn't all bad, the scenery for a stage production was well done, but the good pretty much stops there.Characters: Dorothy: I understand the young lady who was cast as Dorothy is only 19 years old, and this is Her first time acting, but truthfully I have seen five year olds that can do a better job than what I saw last night. The actress was just missing spunk, personality, cunningness, wit, likability, charm etc......all of the things that make You like a character. The actress didn't become the character, She was quite one dimensional and plain in my opinion. This young actress just doesn't have star quality, She didn't grab my attention or draw my eyes in any way except negatively. I fail to see how She was cast as the iconic character "Dorothy Gale".Scarecrow: Eligah Kelly's performance as the scarecrow was one of the highlights in this dreary play. He brought life to the stage, His excellent portrayal of the scarecrow made Me smile. He gave that old-time charm, and comedic appeal that fans of all ages would enjoy. Of all of the cast I watched the scarecrow the most.Tin-man: Ne-yo as the tin-man was the perfect casting choice. Ne-yo managed to keep the classic charm of the tin-man while also adding in His own 2015 spin on the character without overdoing it.Wicked witch of the west: I honestly must say I expected much more out of Mary J. blaige, as She is one of my favorite actresses/artists. But this role was just not right for Her......The wicked witch is supposed to be frightening, unapproachable, unspeakably evil, and Mary J. didn't portray the character to it's fullest, and She didn't act or sing to Her real potential.Good witch of the North: Her performance was solid, She was confident in Her role, sang well, acting was on point......not much to say about this one.Lion: The actor who played the Lion was very good as well, I am not sure He is Broadway material per-say.....but was good enough for the stage play. This Man didn't draw my eye in a positive way, or a negative way, He was just.......mediocre at best.Oz: I believe I hated this character portrayal most of all! (No pun intended) Queen latifah was without a doubt one of the worst actresses in the whole production! Her line delivery was flat, She did not posses any of the mannerism's "OZ" would have, and Her singing was totally and utterly to say the least, off key. We all know Queen L. is quite manlike in real life, but that is no reason to cast Her as OZ! She just didn't fit the part, something about it just didn't sit right with Me.The other few character's are not relevant enough to even mention, so I will just skip ahead to my other thoughts.The music: The lyrics to the music were breathtaking, unfortunately the singers who preformed the pieces were not, particularly Shanice, Queen L., and Glenda.Shanice was trying to hard to sound like a professional, it was obvious She didn't have much experience with singing or being on stage. Often times She was off-key and shaky with Her delivery of the lyrics.Queen L.: She cannot sing, end of story. Queen L. sounded like She was talking more than singing, Her deep, gruff voice didn't fit the song at all.Glenda: Her singing was atrocious. She was off-key in "believe in Yourself" and was trying to hard to sound authentic.The Dancing: I thought Shanice's dancing was stiff, and lifeless. She was just going through the steps and thinking to much, She didn't feel the music or get into it like Her co-stars. Other than "Dorothy's dancing, I thought it was good.Pacing: The play started off slow, and nearly uneventful. By the end it was basically still slow and uneventful. Even the climax scenes were not all that interesting in My opinion. I also believed that the ended was slightly rushed, and looked foolish. Didn't Aunt Em' wonder were Dorothy had gone? If She was outside during a tornado wouldn't She have been presumed dead? Were are the other members of the cast at the end of the play that were present in the beginning? Such as Uncle Henry or the other farm hands? Wouldn't they be running out to greet Dorothy as well? Costuming: The costuming was fine, except for accuracy. Dorothy was dressed as a modern day teen-aged girl, while the other characters were stuck in the 1800's time period. It made no sense to have one modern themed character, while the others look like farm hicks from 1812.Overall I thought the play was weak, slow, tedious, and a chore to watch. I would not recommend this abomination to anyone who would like to see a good musical, not even my worst enemy. Avoid this musical disaster at all costs!!!!!!!!!

With a stellar cast, you might wonder how this production could be anything but great. Well, it starts off somewhat shakily.The story is rooted in the 1939 classic film, though there are substantial changes--including the entire song list. But it is best to evaluate this work on its own, without comparisons to the MGM classic. It is easy to miss the film's "Over the Rainbow" barnyard ballad, but the viewer quickly gets past that if he accepts the new sensibilities of this modernized version, with its less stringent grammar.But the beginning is plagued with a very obvious camera in frame. And the dance of the dust devils feels like nothing more than a time filler. And there is a product placement that draws the viewer away from the story. Overall, the first scene lacks magic. Granted Dorothy is not yet in a magical land, but it doesn't grab the audience's attention. Then, the Winkies dance in costumes ill-designed for dance.Fear not. The best is yet to come. Indeed, this live performance exceeds expectations and gains momentum throughout the telecast. By the time we meet the Tin Man, "The Wiz" hits its stride.With only an occasional misstep, the remainder of the show is stirring, clever and filled with great musical performances. ("Believe in Yourself"--a predictably strong musical number--does fall a little short due to straining on the high notes). Another criticism is the inclusion of religious imagery in the dialogue and lyrics. This serves to undermine the story's message--look to yourself for strength.I don't mean to sound too critical, because this is a show worth seeing. Take out that camera reveal, and this could be an annual favorite.7/14/16: Received six Emmy nominations.

The only spoiler that I have is that it's a great version of the movie. From the stage set / costumes/ singing/ acting/ personnel in the production, all came together like a moment in time that can't be replaced. I have always loved 'the Wiz' movie, from the original with Diana and MJ to the current with... well everyone that I love in our culture. This is the first time in a long time that I can't say anything bad about it. There's no reason not to endorse/support and completely embrace this production. I'm so filled with joy from the this play that I want to see it again. I would love for it to be on Broadway for a time. I will absolutely purchase the DVD/blu-ray (without hesitation). OK... I believe it's enough, but one more thank you for this piece of art.