Some stories just stay with you, and The Wizard of Oz has always been one of those for my daughter and me. We
watched it together when she was little, loved the characters and the music, and at one point she even dressed as Dorothy for Halloween, ruby slippers and all.
Then, as she got older, she fell in love with THE WIZ, discovering a whole new version of a story she already knew so well. I still have that photo of her as Dorothy, and when I saw that Broadway Utica was opening its new season with THE WIZ, September 29–30, it immediately brought me back to those years.
That is probably part of why I am so excited to see this show. We all know Dorothy, the yellow brick road, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion, but THE WIZ takes that familiar story and gives it a completely different life.
The original Broadway production opened in 1975 and became a sensation, winning seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Songs including “Ease on Down the Road,” “Everybody Rejoice” and “Home” became part of the show’s lasting legacy, and for generations of audiences, THE WIZ became its own way of experiencing Oz.
Now, more than 50 years later, an all-new production is bringing that story back to stages across America, direct
from Broadway. Directed by Schele Williams, with choreography by JaQuel Knight and additional material by writer and television host Amber Ruffin, the production takes everything people love about the show and introduces it to a new generation.
For me, that is what makes seeing it now so much fun. I know the story, and I want to see the costumes, the choreography and the way Emerald City comes to life. I want to hear those songs performed live and see how this creative team has taken a show with so much history and made it feel fresh again.
At the center of it all is still Dorothy and her journey to find her way home, but as with so many stories we first discover as children, you begin to see something different in it as you get older. It is about finding courage, recognizing your own strength, leaning on the people beside you and understanding where you belong.
Maybe that is one reason the story has endured for so long. There is also something especially meaningful to me about getting to experience it with my daughter now. A story that was once part of her childhood, complete with a Dorothy costume and ruby slippers, and that she later rediscovered through THE WIZ, is something we now get to share together. Instead of watching it at home, we’ll get to sit in a theater together and see that familiar journey live onstage.
That is one of the things I love most about theater. Even when you know the story, there is still something exciting about the moment the lights go down and the music begins. No two performances are exactly the same, and for the next few hours, the entire audience gets to step into another world together.
We are incredibly fortunate to have Broadway Utica bringing productions like this to our community, and THE WIZ feels like the perfect way to open the season. It brings back the Oz we know while making it feel completely new.
I have a feeling when the curtain goes up, I will be thinking about that little girl dressed as Dorothy all those years ago. There really is no place like home.
Lila and I will see you at the show!
