The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical ” Wonderful Wizard of Oz” written and authored by William F. Brown, is a retelling of Frank L. Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, with lyrics by Charlie Smalls, Zachary Walzer, and the Luther Vandross. The musical garnered much success in its time. The movie version, starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, was also successful as a cult classic. Subsequent revivals of the musical achieved success as well. In 2015, there was The Wiz Live! done by Kenny Leon and Matthew Diamond, with a screenplay by Harvey Fierstein. Starring the incomparable Shanice Williams (The Six Triple Eight). In the spring of 2015, I performed The Wiz. It was the senior musical at Kell High School in Marietta, Georgia. I played the Lion. This post comes with a bit of bias. It also comes, thanks to Mecca and Jamila, at the Unhinged & Immoral podcast. On their January 8th release of the pod, they discussed what their version of a Wiz would look like*. They envisioned a cinematic version like Wicked (2024). In this article, I want to break down a modern plot of the Wiz. I will also analyze its music composition and film version, almost 50 years later. Don’t worry, I am already writing the script.
The Prologue
The original is based on the times, so let’s modernize this story. Dorothy S. Gale—the name can stay. I added the ‘S’ for Stephanie as an ode to Stephanie Mills, who brought the role to life. Also, we need to distinguish the past from the present, but also bring some Sankofa* element into it. The story would begin in Little Rock, Arkansas. Not Kansas; we are out of there and in Arkansas for the historical Black significance. Dorothy lives with her Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and her French Bulldog, Toto. The family owns a farm and lives with Great Aunt Dorothea, her namesake (ideally played by the diva, Diana Ross), and other relatives. Dorothy, afraid to move across the country to Atlanta for a job opportunity or for school, is struggling with leaving home. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry drive it hard to Dorothy to make a choice about her next steps in life. Dorothy and Aunt Em disagree about her lifestyle choices. They argue about what decision she should make. This disagreement ends up hurting her feelings. They reconcile after (“The Feeling We Once Had”) and how things were. Change is hard, and the aspect of “home” is introduced here.
Dorothy should be played by someone with a mezzo-soprano voice capable of hitting those soprano notes. Non-negotiable, brown and/or dark-skinned. Aunt Em, definitely played by Stephanie Mills, again, because we need that seasoned voice. Aunt Dorothea is present in a photo as an older matriarch. (An optional homage).
Act I
After an emotional day, of argumentation and holleration, Dorothy goes right to her hiding place, a small farmhouse, where she and Toto relax and unwind. Dorothy sings and hums a prelude of “Home.” Contemplative, overlooking the barn, the skies turn dark and green, with eerie whistling in the distance. As she scrolls over an acceptance letter/ or offer letter, her phone goes off, and it’s a Tornado warning. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry sound the bell. They yell for Dorothy to take cover. Dorothy closes the barn doors as the winds begin to pick up. (“The Tornado Cypher”) begins as we hear the beat drop and crash. Instead of the harsh sounds, we hear a syncopated rhythm. The voice of Tierra Whack and Missy Elliot exchanging bars in reverse, forward, spinning and spinning. This will occur until the barn is lifted and taken to Oz. It should feel like a Tierra Whack and Missy Elliot video, honestly, there should be more added to the cypher, but for time’s sake, no. I’m open to some suggestions.
While Evamene, the Wicked Witch of the East, is flying in her Flying Nissan Oztima (Altima), and Cackling Crows, she is on the line with her sister Evillene. They crack jokes and talk about how The Wiz is trying to expand into the Eastside and Westside. Evillene suggests that they take out the Wiz and capture Addaperle and Glinda, their cousins. Evamene says that it is a devilishly good idea, and with the combined forces of the Flying Monkeys and the Cackling Crows, they can win. Evamene tells her sister she hates her, and Evillene sends one right back at her, and they hang up. She types on the Oz Navigation System and sets course for the North. Evamene looks up above, and the Barn house crashes on top of her. The Cackling Crows disperse, and one gets away, flying to the Westside.
Dorothy and Toto step outside the barn. There is a field of flowers at the gate of Munchkin Land. It’s bright and early, and the raucous was heard by the residents of the land. A munchkin walks up to the barn and looks Dorothy up and down, and sees a broken Nissan Oztima. Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North, steps out the gate with her “lil Munchkins” and sets her eyes upon the scene. Dorothy looks at the mess and notices the legs and feet of Evamene. Dorothy holds Toto and her stomach; she is almost ready to hurl. Addaperle tells her to save her vomit and not to worry, that was her cousin Evamene. She probably came to do a drive-by and take her Munchkins. Dorothy gasps in awe. Addaperle and the munchkins welcome Dorothy into their city. Dorothy asks where she is, and Addaperle tells her she is in the Land of Oz. Where it’s magic, baby! Dorothy is perplexed and confused and just wants to go home. Addaperle says, that is no problem, pulls out a wand, and begins to twirl her wrist and sprays Dorothy. Nothing happens.
The Munchkins all murmur and chatter. Addaperle looks around, and they hush. Not to crush her credibility, Addaperle thinks that the best-case scenario is for Dorothy to see the Wiz. The Munchkins cheer and dance around. On the chalkboard, they write the Wiz,the black top the others put their shoes on, the random sounds of beats and clanging come together as they whisper “the Wiz.” Dorothy asks who is that? Addaperle tells her the Wizard of Oz is a powerful entity who rules over the land. All she has to do is take Toto and travel the Yellow Brick Road. This whole ensemble should feel like “Sticky,” from Tyler, The Creator, the old school kids in the lunchroom, recess, and classroom beat boxing and making intricate sounds to usher in the groove. We should have a big band, like those at an HBCU, thematically in blue, gold, purple, and orange. Something to bring in the childlike wonder the song conveys.
The munchkins explode with echoes of song. Addaperle explains who the Wiz is (“He’s The Wizard”). Addaperle gives Dorothy a bit of magic. She takes Evamene’s silver shoes and fits them to Dorothy. Though they come from a wicked gal, they’re powerful and will keep her safe. Addaperle, let’s Dorothy know, be mindful of the field of Poppies, they’ll get you real high…
Dorothy and Toto set off down the Yellow Brick Road, the munchkins follow, humming and riffing the song last sung. The birds and the exotic animals watch Dorothy and Toto. They chirp tunes. Fairies and gnomes work on their homes on the sides of the road. (“Soon As I Get Home”) Dorothy sings a tune to calm herself about what is ahead. She checks her phone, and there is no reception, but there is a picture of her family on the screensaver. She sees a vending machine of snacks and drinks, all bizarre and not like a Coca-Cola machine. She pulls out some coins, and they don’t work. A Gnome runs up and puts a token in, and she gets “Ozmosis Water.” She sits down by the cornfield along the road and sips. She notices the water is similar to Kroger Water. The Cackling Crows bother and caw at a struggling Scarecrow.
The Cackling Crows see the shoes on Dorothy’s feet, and they flee. Dorothy asks the Scarecrow if he is okay, and he tells her they couldn’t win anyway. (“I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday”) The Scarecrow and Dorothy become friends fast. She helps him to walk. Toto attempts to use him as a bathroom, but he jumps back. Feeling spry and ready to move, he tells her a bit about his story. He wishes to think more and have a brain just like other people. She says she’s on her way to see this Wizard and he can make anything happen, so join her. They gear up for the journey ahead and dance on the Yellow Brick Road. (“Ease on Down the Road #1) Where the instrumentals are rudimentary but finding itself and their tempo. Scarecrow and Dorothy feel much better because they are not alone. A sign to the next town appears on the path, plus how long until Emerald City.
***I did not add “You Can’t Win,” famously, because I think Michael owns that song and he’s made it so. I would be inclined to add it and the former song, to give the Tenor voice a good stretch, as I do love the Scarecrow. *** Ideally, if I were to add it, I would have the crows come back with a bigger bully Crow and talk mess about the Scarecrow, the Scarecrow, who’s not at wits end, stands up to the brawn and uses his seeming intelligence to pick off the crows. Which would end up in a diss. (“You Can’t Win”).
Dorothy and the Scarecrow go to this log cabin, an Inn where they can rest for the day. The innkeeper tells them that it’s a lot of money to stay the night. Dorothy and Scarecrow don’t have any money. The innkeeper suggests going to the scrapyard to collect items to sell and get some money. They head to the scrapyard and search around. The conveyor belt leading to a furnace where metal is processed is lined with a ton of weird-looking figures. They notice one mouthing “help.” Dorothy and Scarecrow scramble to figure out what to do. Dorothy realizes he can hardly move. He’s made of tin!
Dorothy finds some WD-40 and gives it to Scarecrow to spray the people on the conveyor belt and help them. Dorothy looks for a way to stop the machine. Before it gets to the Tin People on the conveyor, she puts on her thinking cap and thinks of what Uncle Henry would tell her and she figures it out. The Tin Man struggles, but the Tin people jump off the belt and move. (“Slide Some Oil To Me”) He tells them to search around. Scarecrow sees a box, it’s mislabeled, but inside its contents are cans of WD-40 and oil to lubricate the joints of the tin people. Dorothy and Scarecrow help them all out. The Tin Man feels better, but he sees Evamene’s shoes on Dorothy and steps back. He asks if she is dead. Dorothy nods. The Tin Man breaks out into a song, pulling his axe-guitar, and strums a tune about “Evil and Mean, Evamene.”
The Tin Man and company return to the Inn. The Tin Man has rare gold and jewels to give the Innkeeper. They get a room for the night. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man share stories. The Tin Man talks about his life, then he gets up and goes to depart. Stuck with the blues, he thanks them for their help. He would have been new parts for the Rustopolis. Dorothy asks what he wants to do next. He says he wants a heart to feel again. Dorothy suggests he join them to meet the Wiz, and he can bestow him a heart. The Tin Man is skeptical, as if he can really do that. Dorothy says she’s a girl from America, sitting with a Scarecrow and a person made of tin. The Scarecrow says, as normal as that might be in Oz, it is pretty crazy. The Tin Man says us or the America part? They laugh, and the Tin Man joins them.
They hit the road again, the yellow brick Road is alongside a train this time. The horn blowing gets them in a groove, and we head towards the Jungle of Oz. (Ease On Down the Road #2) This time, the beat should be a bit more stiff, shaky, and flowy with the three, plus Toto en route to the Emerald City.
At the same time, on the Westside…Evillene sits at the mirror doing her skincare routine. It’s dreadfully egregious. A Winged Monkey, named Bobo, hobbles in with Carlos the Cackling Crow. Evillene summons her Crystal ball and sees the shoes on Dorothy, Addaperle, and the munchkins. Carlos reports the current whereabouts. Evillene searches her “Mind’s Eye” and controls Carlos, seeing what the Crows see. She’s caught up. She wants to keep an eye on her. And nobody else better bring her any bad news.
An exaggeratedly long telescope watches Dorothy and company on the Yellow Brick Road all the way from Emerald City. The Jungle swallows them right up as the path leads there, covered in vines and jungle stuff. Toto barks at the sense of something watching them. The Scarecrow gets sneaked by a punch. The Tin Man gets pushed over by a tackle. The large figure rushes into the woods again. Toto runs after. A loud ROAR scares Toto back. “(I’m a Mean Ole Lion).” The large figure, a Lion runs up on Dorothy, and she slaps him in the face.
Dorothy scolds the Lion for running up on people. You don’t know folks like that. Street justice could have been served, and you would have been put on a T-Shirt or become the T-Shirt. The Lion begs for forgiveness, and the trio looks confused. Behind the Lion’s false bravado was a scared kitty. Dorothy tells Scarecrow and Tin Man that they’re blowing this Popsicle stand. Scarecrow and Tin Man discuss the plans to see the Wizard, which piques the Lion’s interest.
The Lion drops to his knees. He apologizes again and asks if he can join them. He has heard of the Wizard and is keen on his scent. He and Toto got the noses for the job. You can’t miss Emerald City; it smells like White Diamond, Baccarat, and Lemon Pepper. They all turn inward and think about it as a group. The Scarecrow says he is strong, and the Tin Man says he doesn’t mind. Dorothy says she’ll check him if he gets fresh. The Lion says no need to worry about all that. He just wants to see the Wiz get some courage, so he’s not all scared all the time. They nod in agreement. (“Ease on Down The Road #3). The Jungle creatures begin hooting and making some noise for the group and thus they cheerfully ease on down the road. This time, the beat is more hypnotic, groovy, and complete. Each of what they bring to the quartet works in sync.
The jungle critters stop as there is a mightier roar that stops the crew in their tracks. These creatures have a tiger’s head, but the body of a bear; the Kalidahs come in a trio and antagonize the group. Dorothy snaps off a stick, the Tin Man strums up on his Axe, and the Scarecrow gets into a kung-fu position, and even Toto posts up. The Lion stares at his bullies and runs in circles; the Kalidahs get into it with the crew. (“Kalidah Rap Battle”) I am thinking the Kalidahs should be voiced by or played by some famous rappers. The ones I know whose voices are distinct. So, The Lox would be cool, because it’s a built-in trio. And we could go for some Money, Power & Respect type of vibe before they get whooped. Before the Lion escapes, he hits vital parts, in fear, of each Kalidah.
Or, we got these fellas. The alternative is Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher, and Conway the Machine.
After they battle off the Kalidah’s rush out of the jungle and are overlooking a waterfall and sky where it’s storming. The Lion sits in the field along the Yellow Brick Road’s path, where he cradles himself in a fetal position. Dorothy asks about where he, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man needed him. The Lion is embarrassed by not pulling his own weight, and Dorothy sees him right there. She tells him that we’re all scared. It’s okay to be scared, sometimes we’re moved by fear, to fight for what we want to to run to get to safety. It is, in fact, because of the Lion’s strong blows that they got an advantage over them. Scarecrow says Fear is the same as faith, is the belief in the unknown, so maybe have more faith in yourself. They agree that’s really deep. Dorothy soothes the Lion with her words of encouragement and the added layer of love. (“Be a Lion”)
The sky breaks open and the clouds clear from the Lion’s mighty roar. They see the spotlights in the distance; it’s the city skyline. It’s Emerald City, they’re close, and they get back on their way. They wander into the Poppy Field. There are living flower creatures who crawl and seductively slide around the crew. One rises up and blows dust into the Lion’s face. Dorothy gets caught in the dust, too. The Scarecrow and the Tin Man are not affected but lose track of the two. The Lion begins to hallucinate, and he sees Dorothy and the Lion have an encounter, different than the encouragement. (“Lion’s Dream”). The Poppy pulls the Lion in deeper. Dorothy’s shoes protect her from experiencing the hallucination, but still have her in the Dream World. She helps pull the Lion out of it. The Lion and Dorothy reconnect and run, a whistle loud as can be wakes them.
The Mice Squad comes to the rescue and helps get the crew back together. They all have a good “kiki” and chat about those meddlesome poppies; they like to start trouble. The Mice Squad points them in the direction of the gates to Emerald City, but to enter, you’ll need to get there via the Train Car.
The quartet and Toto all ride the Train Car along a winding ramp into the city. They see the colors of jewels besides Emerald. They see the giant emerald palace at the center of it all. It’s beautiful and imposing. Dorothy talks about the journey so far, and she is so thankful for the companionship. The Scarecrow thanks Dorothy for leading the way, even though she just got here a day ago. The Tin Man is ready to get his heart. The Lion is ready to be brave. Toto barks too! The Train Car stops, and people are let into the city via their passes. But a light shines over the quartet. It is ruby red and rings loud. The Gatekeeper asks where are your glasses? This just won’t do, and you all look dirty, especially you, boo -that’s a dig at the Lion. She steps out and points a ray gun at them all, and they all get outfitted for the Emerald City Ballroom Extravaganza.
Dorothy is dressed in a dress, greener than green. The Scarecrow is adorned in a vest of dark emerald, and the Tin Man is shimmering with emerald glitter dust. The Lion and Toto have fancy emerald collars. The Lion additionally gets cuffs for his arms and legs, and a belt on his already African attire. Each of them is given some OzBans (like Raybans), and it’s to keep their eyes safe. The Gatekeeper gets them right and ready. They are covered in an emerald green light and an admitted entrance.
The beat is going off! The Emerald City Ballroom Extravaganza sets it off with a bit of House music, and the color is BLUE! Then it gets into an Electronic rhythm, and the color is YELLOW. Then it turns into a hypnotic disco, now the color is PURPLE. We then ebb into a DC Go-Go type of vibe, and the color is RED. Now, the real divas step out, and the party gets crazy as a soulful train of queens, dolls, divas, devos, and dancers galore pop out. The MC begins spitting on the mic and giving marching orders. 10/10/10 across the board. The color is….GREEN! (“The Emerald City Ball” in place of the “Emerald City Ballet.”)
Dorothy is excited and all, but she goes up to the MC and interrupts on the Mic, asking for the Wizard. The MC cuts the music and tells her that you didn’t need to kill the vibe. The crowd is pompous as all hell, laughs and shades Dorothy and crew. Then the MC looks down at Dorothy’s shoes and sees the pumps of Evamene…and girl, it’s getting spooky.
The MC and the rest of the party are silent. The MC asks the shoes what they have to say, and points the mic at them. Obviously nothing, as it was all tea, all shade, and no spoon in the lemonade. Dorothy and the crew are pointed in the direction of the door to the palace.
They are led into the throne room, and they are so excited. The Tin Man shared that it’s rare for an audience to be granted access to the Wiz. Someone had told him this at the ball. A giant green face asks who’s there. Dorothy introduces the quartet. A giant unlocking sound is heard. Bubbles, Lights, Explosives, and horns are heard in sync! The smoke blows in front of them and lies low as a platform rises out of the ground; they feast their eyes on the WIZARD! (“So You Wanted to Meet the Wizard”).
He stands before them, and a chair hovers over, and he takes his place in it. It floats around them, and they each bow. He tells Dorothy to go first, then Scarecrow, then The Lion, and the Tin Man goes last. The Tin Man serenades him with his blues. (“What Would I Do if I Could Feel?”) The Wiz smirks at Dorothy’s mention of Arkansas…and he steps down and tells them to follow him.
The Wizard shows them the balcony at the back of the palace and they look in the distance at the Westside. It’s do or die over there. The Wizard expresses to them that, if you kill Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, then he will make their dreams come true. His Emerald Servant fixes those glasses of Bubbly.
Dorothy is against killing, but the Wizard’s rebuttal is true: you’ve killed before. When you dropped your barn on Evamene’s Nissan Oztima. There are no more buts! Dorothy and crew are commanded to kill that witch! The Wizard’s goal is this, to kill the Wicked Witch of the West is a failure, meaning he can have less to worry about when she goes to take out her cousins, Addaperle and Glinda. Which means the Wizard can have the North, South, East, and West all to himself. It’s diabolically delicious.
He raises a glass, and they each solemnly raise a glass with him. “Shoutout to Murder!”
Act II
Cackling Crows and Winged Monkeys hover over the destitute land that is the Westside. The enslaved Winkies work the industrialized complex, the fields, the small town, and the giant palace shrouded in horror and terror. Dorothy and company walks path, the Yellow Brick Road is now the Red Brick Road. Evillene tells Bobo, Bozo, Mojo, and Jojo, her most loyal Winged Monkeys, that she needs Evamene’s shoes. She wants to increase her power. Her plan is to take out Glinda and Addaperle, then the Wizard. A Cackling Crow flies into Evillene’s evil lair. She walks down the hall and enters the Evil Cathedral. Winkies sit in pews putting together the book of Evillene and enduring harsh labor. The Cackling Crow tells her that Dorothy and her crew are approaching, and she has the shoes. They are also here to kill her. That sets her off. She summons her crystal ball and sees where they are. She walks to the altar and shuts all the Winkies up. Evillene shouts for her Negative Gospel Choir, and they assemble. (“Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News”). She is dressed for battle, and they put on her crown during her singing. She orders Bobo, Bozo, Mojo, and Jojo to kill them and bring the shoes.
Dorothy and company watch as the Winkies, many deformed and struggling, perform acts of slavery for Evillene. They are ambushed in the town’s square by the Winged Monkeys, where the Tin Man is busted up and broken apart. The Lion is knocked out. The Scarecrow is torn to pieces. All of this traumatizes Dorothy; they see her shoes and don’t hurt her, but put her in a cage. They fly each of them to the castle, and what awaits them is a fate far worse than death.
Evillene cracks her whip and follows Dorothy and the Lion. They are tasked to clean the furnace room. And with no water, because she absolutely hates water. The Lion says he can tell by that skin of hers. She expresses she’s all Shea buttered up, thank you very much. The Lion tells her she’s not welcome. She cracks the whip, and they get to work. She offers Dorothy a solution for the big mouthed Lion she skins him and wears him or she can hand over the shoes. She begs to let them clean. The Tin Man is hanging on the wall: in pieces. The Scarecrow is in a jar, hanging above them. Dorothy tells them she’s sorry for getting them into this mess. The Lion watches Dorothy’s sadness. Evillene asks her to think about it. She’s going to grab her blade.
The Lion goes to the back of the furnace. The Scarecrow points out to the Lion that sometimes combustion can create condensation. The Lion gets an idea. He sees a pipe, and there is a bucket! He grabs it, there is water..! In another room, Evillene picks out a blade; she looks at her skinned Kalidah. She says the Lion would look good next to this. She struts back to the Furnace room. Dorothy scrubs until her hands are black. The Lion whispers to Dorothy. Tin Man whistles to them. Evillene comes back in and shows off her blade. She tells the Lion to come. She controls his body and pulls him closer and closer. Dorothy screams. She rushes Evillene with the bucket of water, and Evillene lets out a scream so loud it alerts the kingdom. She begins to melt, and she, with the last of her power, lets out a zap of lightning. That brings the castle to a rumble. It’s coming down.
Dorothy and the Lion grab their friends, Toto, and run out of the castle as the Winkies follow and they make it to the castle steps. It all comes down. The Winkies begin to unravel and gyrate. Evillene’s spell on the Winkies is lifted, and they return to normal. The town looks brighter even, and as they shed their old skin into their original, they begin to sing. The Winkies, an elder, restore The Tin Man and the Scarecrow to normal. They are better than brand new. The outfits of white and gold are bestowed upon the quartet as they’ve been purified. They rejoice and are back together again.
The quartet returns to the Emerald City, and they demand to see the Wiz. They are admitted through the entrance, because of the shoes, and they walk into an empty throne room. The Wizard walks in, with an elegant robe, a durag, and a cup of tea, and shuffles along the floors. They catch his eye. He pops a smoke ball and runs. They chase him throughout the castle. Dorothy hustles, the Lion too, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man follow behind. Toto rushes ahead. The Wiz hides in a corridor. The Lion cranks the door open with his strength, and it reveals his huge, beautiful bedroom. Where an air balloon hangs over. Dorothy sees the room and the posters for various American cities. She realizes he’s a human too. They close in on him. (“Who Do You Think You Are?”)
He admits that he’s been scamming the Ozians. He’s actually from Tulsa, Oklahoma. His name is actually Herman Smith who traveled to Oz on an air balloon trip before he was to depart to Atlanta. He somehow got lost in some winds that were “rapping” in circles, and boom, landed in Oz. The Ozians had never seen a device like his, so they proclaimed him a wizard. They sit at the table with the tea and sip. Dorothy explains she’s from Little Rock, and the Wiz asks if she knows Pearline Shaw and them. He’s got folks in Arkansas. The quartet sips again. Then they ask why he asked them to kill the Wicked Witch, he states he knew the Blunder Twins were coming to get him and their cousins, Glinda and Addaperle. So, he was hoping they…he doesn’t go on, he just says congratulations. He has something for their troubles.
The Wizard takes them to a room; he doesn’t know much what it is, but it creates things. He pulls a lever, and these orbs come and scan the quartet. They begin to generate things based on their desires. As it’s calculating. The Wiz explains that on their journey, they’ve already had the things they seek. (“Believe in Yourself”). To ease the speculation. The orbs open, and the Tin Man gets a Heart of Gold. The Scarecrow’s open and he gets a Ph.D. The Lion opens, and he gets a bottle of Gin. He sips and does a spin, split, and flip, and he’s feeling right as rain. Liquid courage, if you will. Dorothy’s is a letter. It is an invitation to join him on his new hot-air balloon trip. He is returning to Arkansas the way he came. Dorothy asks him if he’s serious. He proclaims a heart attack. Dorothy suggests he tell the Ozians and tell the truth. Fearing the consequences, he reluctantly agrees. He heads out on his balcony that overlooks the Ballroom. The Ozians gather to see the Wiz, which is a rare sight.
The Wiz lets the Ozians know he’s going to leave them to take care of themselves. Keep on slaying, sashaying, and playing, he tells them. (“Y’all Got It”) He scurries as the city sings and shouts. Amid all the carrying on, Dorothy and company are dancing and singing. However, she misses the Air Balloon. Dorothy and company enter the palace. She hyperventilates. The Lion, Scarecrow, and the Tin Man comfort her. The Scarecrow asks what now? The Tin Man shrugs. Just then, in a flash of light and bubbles, a portal opens. Addaperle appears in the Emerald Palace. She sees Dorothy and the crew sulking. Addaperle thought that by hearing the news of Evillene and the Wiz, she would be home by now. She learns the truth about the Wiz, and she gets an idea. She suggests asking her older sister, Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. She can take them there, in a flash. They all watch as Addaperle takes out her magic chalk, and the ground etches some symbols. They then all step on their own summon circle. Addaperle starts humming a tune. They wonder what’s next and FLASH! They are carried to Glinda’s Castle in the red land of the south. They see a beachfront castle with a beautiful town of colors behind it. They land on the beach at Glinda’s gazebo.
Back at the Emerald Palace, Ozians gather inside, led by an Elder Ozian. The Elder Ozian insists that he’ll lead them to a prosperous time as their mayor. The Ozians cheer.
Back at Glinda’s…Dorothy and the crew are at the beach watching the ocean waves. Addaperle makes a phone call and summons Glinda. Torches are lit around the beach. Addaperle and company all sit down in chairs set for them. Dorothy and company are shocked at the presentation. Addaperle tells them Glinda is a showboat…
Handsome and buff men all walk out. One comes out, dressed like he’s the Ozian Coleman Domingo. He clears his throat and announces that “the red land of the South got something to say.” Glinda is carried onto the scene in a decorative palanquin. The mic is on, honey. She serenades the group. (“A Rested Body is a Rested Mind.”) Glinda is set down by her strong men. Her court of Quadlings marches out and takes their place around the Palanquin. Glinda emerges.
Glinda asks Addaperle why she summoned her. Addaperle talks to Glinda, and she locks eyes with Dorothy. Dorothy looks away. Glinda is now next to her. That spooks Dorothy. Glinda cups Dorothy’s face and tells her she is absolutely beautiful. She tells Dorothy, those shoes have the power to send her home, but she just needed to believe in herself, just like her friends needed to believe in themselves. The magic has always been inside of her. Because Black is magic, baby! (“If You Believe”). She tells her to make sure to say goodbye to her friends. She just has to click her heels three times. And one last thing, it’s about time we get some apologies and accountability in Oz. Glinda calls Addaperle, and a Quadling comes with a box of wands. Addaperle and Glinda do a chant. With the flick of their wrists, we see two dark tornadoes turn white. Appearing in purple and red dresses, respectively, are Evamene and Evillene. Glinda says that’s much better. Dorothy says, ” Why are they back?” Glinda says they needed to get back together and fix the problems in Oz. They’ve been too complacent, and plus, she misses her family. Dorothy does too. Glinda tells them to apologize, and they give half-assed apologies; they could have kept, but Dorothy accepts.
Glinda hugs Dorothy. Addaperle too. The Quadlings take the witches to the castle and depart. Dorothy turns to her friends. It’s all beginning to feel real. Dorothy begins to cry. The Scarecrow shares some loving and insightful words. The Tin Man hugs her and bids her goodbye with a hearty message. The Lion, who tries to keep the bravado but breaks, cries into the arms of Dorothy. Everything around them begins to turn to darkness. It’s just her, Toto, and the friends she made along the way. (“Home”). Dorothy clicks her heel once. Then the Scarecrow is gone; he fades. She clicks again, and now the Tin Man. She clicks one last time, the third time, and the Lion’s gone too.
Dorothy is back in Arkansas. She hugs Toto really tight. She walks into the house, and Aunt Em and Uncle Henry thank the Lord she’s okay. She is back home. Aunt Em shares she was worried about Dorothy, wondering if she had run off during the tornado, spooking them. Unaware that she was in Oz. Somewhere far away. Aunt Em apologizes and tells her she knows that she’s been considering leaving for Atlanta. Home will be wherever you plant your feet, but the true lesson is that home is where the heart is. So, whenever she is missing home, she knows she’s a drive away, a flight away, or a train car away. (“Home Reprise”/”Home Is Where The Heart Is”).***
***A proposed new track and rendition specially for Aunt Em and Dorothy.
Epilogue
Dorothy and Toto on a leash walk out of the MARTA train in Downtown Atlanta. She walks with Toto through the station and heads up the escalators, the very tall ones at Peachtree Station. She rides up, feeling invigorated. In the other escalator, A guy, reading a book, resembling the Scarecrow. In the other escalator, it’s a man who resembles the Tin Man. And lastly, a big gentleman, who looks like the Lion. They all lock eyes and smile. They all head up the escalator into the light.
Dorothy sits at a cafe. A menu comes down from someone across the way, it’s Herman, the Wizard, sipping on tea. Glasses up to Dorothy. She smirks. Glasses up.
The End.
The Composition
Let’s get into some more Black History. This list will compile a list of Black Composers who would be great for arranging a new and inventive sound for the Super Soul musical, while keeping what made it so legendary.
- Jon Batiste
- Terence Blanchard
- Daniel Bernard Roumain
- Courtney Bryan
- The Blacknificent Seven: Jesse Montgomery, Damien Geter, Carlos Simon, Joel Thompson, Dave Ragland, Jasmine Barnes, and Shawn Okpebholo
The composer list comes from researching their backgrounds, the sounds, and watching YouTube videos on how they each arrange music. I found that it’s either one of them, the group, or all composers taking a piece and working with it. Of course, we have some rappers in the cast. We also have singers and musicians. So, this will all be a collaboration of sorts. I wish we still had time with Richard Smallwood. He’s one of the classical masters. He would give this a good composition.
I encourage you to look up each and every one on the list’s musical work or pieces.
Concluding Thoughts
So, first I just wanna say: I’ve been thinking about this since I listened to the podcast episode (mentioned in the first paragraph) on January 27th. So, I thought of Durand before the Grammy win. I knew the good cousin was going to win, but he came to mind because we needed someone extra to be the Wizard. I am open to people sharing and engaging in a conversation about who their ideal cast of the Wiz and let me know in the comments on socials, on the website, or email me. I absolutely love the Wiz. It changed my life when I played the Lion. I don’t know who I was at 17/18, invoking the spirit of Ted Ross to pull off a successful run in my high school’s history. So, after 11 years of that, 10 years since The Wiz Live!, over 50 years of the original Broadway play, and nearly 50 years of the film. It was really personal to me, so I share with the world. I think this would be a good modern adaptation of the super soul musical. Incorporating elements of blackness that are relevant today. We got Rap, Soul, R&B, Blues, Gospel, and you name it. Because the movie, the world of Oz, the Wiz is special. It’s allowed to be Black and Big. The reason it can be done is that it’s on Public Domain to make anything you want out of these characters and create cool things in the wonderful land of Oz. That’s why Wicked is so cool. Because it’s its own canon.
I would do this movie big. I want a subtitled version, the sing-along version, and to make it an event. Double Feature, where you can watch the original movie, take an intermission, and then watch the new one. And with the original Wizard of Oz, Wicked, and Wicked For Good to join the double feature selection. The stories by Frank L. Baum have always intrigued me. I’m a sucker for those Spirited Away movies where the lesson is learned on the journey, and then you can return home.
I would ideally want this in the hands of a few companies, MACRO (Charles D. King), Higher Ground (The Obamas), Wondaland (Janelle Monae), or Blackmaled (Malcolm D. Lee). We’re talking the heavy hitters to come and make this happen. Whoever can add that level of care and really bring on the blackness.
What do you think of this version? Hate it? Love it? Indifferent? Want to make a better version or collaborate? Think the classic should stay classic? Happy Black History Month!
I’m Michael Adedeji, and I’m a writer/producer in the middle of developing a feature with my Golden Ticket team. I’m part of the founding team for the Black Lens and Pens Writers Group. And I’m the head of the World Rumble Company. I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it. AI was only used for 3 of the pictures generated in the piece; the rest is left up to imagination + production design. I was stuck with the music and the visuals in my head, and I wanted to pour it out on the page. Just in time for Black History Month. I thank God for giving me creative bones. It’s also good to just complete something. I got more writing to do and am on the hunt for my next opportunity!
I leave you with a quote.
“It’s the Magic within each of us that gives us the potential to inspire the world.” – Kobe Bryant
World Rumble 