The Wiz will then go on Broadway for 2016-17 season. Acting along side of Michael Jackson was Diana Ross as Dorothy, Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man, Ted Ross as the Cowardly Lion, Lena Horne as Glinda the Good Witch, and Richard Pryor as “The Wiz”.
Who played the lion in the original Wiz?
Theodore Ross Roberts (June 30, 1934 – September 3, 2002), known as Ted Ross, was an American actor who was probably best known for his role as the Lion in The Wiz, an all-African American reinterpretation of The Wizard of Oz.
What was the lion hiding in front of in The Wiz?
Along the way to the Emerald City, Dorothy, Toto and the Scarecrow meet the man made out of tin in an abandoned early 20th-century amusement park (“If I Could Feel” / “Slide Some Oil to Me”) and a lion named Fleetwood Coupe DeVille , a vain dandy who hid inside one of the stone lions in front of the New York Public ...
Who was supposed to play Dorothy The Wiz?
For the off-Broadway show, actor Renee Harris played Dorothy. However, Harris decided to leave The Wiz before it made it to the Broadway stage. In 1975, Mills was cast as Dorothy. The then-17-year-old singer originated the character and starred alongside Phylicia Rashad, Tiger Haynes, and Hinton Battle.
Is Ted Ross some kin to Diana Ross?
Ted Ross, no relation to Diana , reprised his stage role as the Cowardly Lion, ironically singing “I’m a Mean Ole Lion.” Ross died in 2002.
How old was Michael Jackson when he made The Wiz?
He, too, began to pay attention to Jackson. When it came time for the Scarecrow part, Michael stepped to the microphone and began to sing, not the bright-sounding Michael Jackson of “I Want You Back” but the 18-year-old MJ whose voice had evolved into something as smooth and powerful as the Concorde.
Did Michael Jackson play in The Wizard of Oz?
Michael portrayed the Scarecrow in the 1978 movie version of The Wiz. He was 20 years of age when he portrayed the scarecrow. ... This is Michael’s most famous film role, however he was best known for being one of the greatest American pop artists of all-time.
What happened to Nobody Beats the Wiz?
In 1998, after having expanded from roughly 20 stores to over 80 stores in less than a year, the chain filed for bankruptcy and was purchased by Cablevision for $80 million . Cablevision eventually dropped the “Nobody Beats the Wiz” slogan.
How much did it cost to make the Wizard of Oz?
Budgeted at an immense $2 million – the average big budget M-G-M movie cost $1.5 million in 1939 – ”The Wizard of Oz” actually cost $2,777,000 . It didn’t make its money back for nearly 20 years.
What was the name of the poisonous flower ladies in The Wiz?
The group then encounters the poison “ Poppy Girls “. Stopping to have some innocent fun, Dorothy, the Lion and Toto are put to sleep, with magic poppy glitter to poison them to stop Dorothy from reaching the Emerald City.
How is The Wiz different from the Wizard of Oz?
They both basically have the same story, except the most glaring difference, the age difference between the two Dorothy’s . As stated, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz is a kid while Dorothy in The Wiz is an adult. ... Everything The Wiz did, The Wizard of Oz did much better. It had the better Dorothy who was the correct age.
Is The Wiz blaxploitation?
Once (and sometimes still) viewed as a prime example of late-70s excess and credited as the death knell of the once thriving blaxploitation film genre, The Wiz, in recent years, has found new life as a black cult classic. This is due in part to its fabulously eclectic cast of African-American heavyweights.
Where was The Wiz subway scene filmed?
Hoyt-Schermerhorn Street Subway Station, Brooklyn, New York City , New York, USA (subway sequence)
What age is Diana Ross?
Diana Ross was born on March 26, 1944 . She was the second eldest of six children for her mother Ernestine and father Fred Ross. Ross grew up in Detroit, Michigan and started singing as a teenager, which eventually led to her discovery.
Who played the piano in The Wiz?
Charlie Smalls was born on October 25th, 1943 and passed away due to an emergency appendix surgery in 1987, at the age of 43. As a child, Smalls started playing piano at a very young age, and by the age of five was putting on piano concerts.
How old was Diana Ross in The Wiz?
Many considered Diana Ross to old to play Dorothy, at 34, and Mills was 21. Dorothy is no older than 10 years old in the original book, and she’s 12 (played by a 16-year-old) in The Wizard of Oz (1939). For Diana Ross, Dorothy’s age was adjusted to 24 .
