WARNING: THIS CONTAINS THE ENDING TO THE MOVIES I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. I DON'T NORMALLY DO THIS BUT I MADE AN EXCEPTION BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE A POINT TO THE MESSAGE TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHILDHOOD STORIES. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE WIZARD OF OZ THEN GO AND SEE IT IF YOU CAN IN ORDER TO AVOID SPOILERS. IF YOU ARE ALRIGHT WITH SPOILERS THEN BY ALL MEANS READ ON. CONSIDER THIS YOUR FINAL WARNING.
So in December 3rd of 2015 after the performances of The sound of music live and Peter Pan live, NBC decided to do another musical none other than The Wiz. No, not the Wizard of OZ, The Wiz.
If you don't know what The Wiz is, then just think of the Wizard of Oz, mainly the 1939 musical movie staring Judy Garland as Dorthy and Frank Morgan as the title character...If not...God bless your soul.
The Wizard of Oz was first a book written by L. Frank Baum and was adapted into the classical movie we all know or at least I know today. But in 1975 there came the birth of The Wiz with Charlie Smalls writing new music and lyrics that is different but kinda brings the same message the original musical. For example instead of singing " We're off to see the wizard" our characters sing " Ease on down the road." But there is another slight differences to these two musical that basically tells the same story...All of the cast is black.
Now I'm not trying to pick a side here calling this racist or anything more but this version of Frank Baum's book is very much the same as an all white cast, maybe even better? I stand to this statement I love this musical, and for this to come to Broadway in 1975 and gain the popularity it has now it's really ground breaking!
So for a story that has the same story- the only difference being one is black one is white- Who told the better story? Well I've seen The Wizard of Oz since I was a little girl and I recently discovered The Wiz thanks to NBC Live with newcomer Shanice Williams as the starring role and many other well known artist and actors playing various timeless roles.
And you might be thinking where am I getting to this? I am suppose to review only one movie not two especially since NBC hasn't come out with a disc yet and it's only been a month since NBC Live The Wiz. So technically you might think that The Wiz doesn't even count as a movie right? Wrong! Because thanks of Nostalgia Critic he and a guest reviewer reviewed the 1978 movie starring Diana Ross and Micheal Jackson!...yes I said Micheal Jackson.
So that still doesn't explain why it seems like I'm reviewing two movies...Well that's because I kinda am. I'm reviewing the story of The Wizard of Oz and the reason why is because I grew up with The Wizard of Oz but as a almost adult I was glad I watched NBC Live version of The Wiz because it gave me a true light to what the Wizard of Oz meant to me as a child and I had more of an understanding to the message than to what I experienced as a child.
Now am I doing what bandgeek8408 does with his book .vs. movies reviews ( By the way I love him, you should go check him out ) Yes very much like that. But instead I am comparing the 1939 all white cast Wizard of Oz .vs. the 1978 all black cast The Wiz .vs. NBC's 2015 The Wiz. I know that sounds confusing and unfair but hear me out all of the other versions I saw were either sequels, prequels, or Muppets. And just like any other remake and stage production, the 1978 and 2015 The Wiz is slightly different from each other with the choices they make.
Okay so let me give you a brief description to the story of The Wizard of Oz because the overall storyline is practically the same.
A girl named Dorthy Gale lives in a boring farm with her Aunt 'Em and Uncle Henry in like the middle of Kansas. Don't ask me which town it takes place in Kansas the state. One day a tornado blows in and Dorthy along with her Aunt and Uncle's house is transported from Kansas to the wonderful colorful land of Oz, specifically the town called Munchkin-Land home of- what else?- the Munchkins. Things take a turn when just so happens that the house that followed Dorthy to Oz also killed the witch that was visiting there. The Munchkins rejoice because the witch Dorthy killed was wicked and that she singled-handed freed them from the wicked witch of the east. Just then another witch comes along telling Dorthy that if she wishes to return home she must see the wizard of Oz. The other witch is otherwise known as the good witch of the north and she gives Dorthy her dead sister's shoes that has magical abilities but then doesn't tell her what they are and leaves. The Munchkins then tell her that in order to see the wizard she must head to the Emerald City at the end of the yellow brick road, and they also warn her of the wicked witch of the east who would want her shoes and will do anything -even kill Dorthy- to get them. So Dorthy embarks on her journey to see the wizard.
Along her way Dorthy meets this talking Scarecrow who wishes to have a brain and Dorthy takes him with her to see the wizard as well. Then Dorthy and the Scarecrow meets the Tinman -a man made of tin- and after they rescue him by sliding oil to him, the Tinman says he wants a heart because he is heartless. So Dorthy and Scarecrow takes the Tinman with them to see the wizard. Then the trio enters and dark and scary forest where they meet a lion who was trying to scare them but turned out to actually be a coward. The Lion says that he wants courage and the trio becomes a quartet and they continue their journey to see the wizard. And before they even reach to the Emerald City, they ran into poppies, Dorthy and Lion fell asleep, and Tinman and Scarecrow had to find a way to wake their friends up.
What I did right there was describe about four chapters starting when Dorthy met the Scarecrow, this story is that simple.
So they make it to Emerald City and they do see the wizard, and the wizard said that he will grant their wishes for a price...they have to go and kill the wicked witch of the west. The gang is unsure with killing the witch but goes anyway, and what they don't know is that the witch is planning to capture them in order to get the shoes from Dorthy. So Dorthy is captured and her friends go to save her, once they do the witch makes an attempt to kill her but then Dorthy throws water on her which melts the witch and the heros are saved and the minions that worked for the witch are free. The gang goes back to the Emerald City and they found out that the wizard is a fraud but the wizard does give Scarecrow, Tinman, and Lion what they wanted and he attempts to take Dorthy home on a hot air balloon but the wizard doesn't know how to fly it and it accidentally takes off without Dorthy. But then the good witch of the north comes back and tells Dorthy that the shoes she was wearing can take her home. So Dorthy says goodbye to her friends and leaves and she is back home in Kansas.
Now that is a very simple story and if you have heard of it you might have noticed that I left out some of the little details that makes a big impact on the story. Well let me tell you this...What version are you talking about? Because the little details that I left out is different to The Wizard of Oz 1939, The Wiz 1938, and The Wiz 2015 but not all that much to 1978. This is what I want to talk to you guys about.
Lets go in order and talk about the farm and why Dorthy is sucked into Oz. Well in the all white cast we learn that the mean old neighbor, Miss Almira Gulch is given permission to take away Dorthy's dog Toto when he bites her. Now Toto is a big part of the story and forgive me for leaving him out. He is always by Dorthy's side except for the 2015 The Wiz live. A lot of people thinks that it's because this is on stage and with all of the dance numbers in The Wiz it makes sense for Toto to stay in Kansas. But even in the 1978 The Wiz Toto is still there and is the reason why Dorthy is transported to Oz. Also that in the 1978 version it doesn't take place in Kansas, but in New York...and Dorthy is in her early 20s.
Now about the witches... Yes I am aware they have names but the only name that seems to stay in any version of The Wiz or The Wizard of Oz is the name Glinda. In the 1939 version Glinda is the good witch of the North, but in The Wiz and in the original book that name belongs to the good witch of the south and in the book the good witch of the north is not given a name from what I heard from Matt ( bandgeek8408). However in The Wiz her name is Addapearle. So in the 1939 version both good witches are one character instead of two. Now the wicked witches of the west and east are never given a name throughout the movie except it you count Elphaba and Nessa from the musical Wicked which is also a book. But in The Wiz the evil witches are given names Evilene for the west witch and Evermean for the east. I like all of these names and they're all extremely clever at giving a Oz like name that will describe them.
And about the Lion, Scarecrow, and Tinman. Their encounters with Dorthy are fairly the same but we see more backstory in The Wiz than The Wizard of Oz. for starters is that of course the farmer that made the Scarecrow forgot to give him a brain but in the Wiz the Scarecrow is being verbally abused by the crows. He constantly begs to get down but the crows keep on mocking him and to the point where he and the crows sing about not being able to win. And I swear Elijah Kelly gave the same performance as Micheal Jackson who played the Scarecrow in 1978, it was fantastic! But the difference is that in the performance given by Micheal Jackson is that the Scarecrow reads quotes to make himself feel smarter but the crows just ignore it and keeps making fun of him until Dorthy comes to save him. I love the performance in both Micheal Jackson and Elijah Kelly and they were wonderful and heart filled performances. I even think that Micheal Jackson should've been more of an actor that an artist. I love Thriller by the way.
As for the lion it is the same except in the 1978 the lion is banished from the forest and lives in the library. But I don't really want to talk about the Lion just yet.
But for the Tinman it is the same for the 1939 and 1978 versions except that in the 1978 version it's not the woods with apple throwing trees but an abandoned amusement park...and the Tinman's entrance is really funny. But in the 2015 The Wiz the Tinman wasn't made, he was human once too. It turns out that Evermean was in love with the Tinman but he was in love with someone else. So Evermean cursed him into the form we see him as now and she took his heart so that he'll never love again. Now that is tragic! And from the books .vs. movies review of The Wizard of Oz I'm sure Frank Baum wouldn't put that in his story. But it brings so much depth to his backstory and gives him more reason to join Dorthy and Scarecrow.
Now the poppies. Or should I say obstacles the gang has to go through to get to the Emerald City. In the book there are a sh*t ton of obstacles made by the wicked witch of the west. I don't remember if there were that many before they had to kill the witch but when Dorthy and Lion fell asleep in the poppy field, the Tinman and Scarecrow prays for Glinda to help them and she does. The same happens in the 1978 but Tinman and Scarecrow does the job and not Glinda (Thank god!) But the 2015 NBC live is where I want to talk about the Lion.
So instead of poppies just yet there are the Kalinda who are mind readers and shapeshifters. They knew about Dorthy's shoes and wanted them so one of then disguised themselves as Dorthy's mom and tries to convince Dorthy to give up the shoes until her friends come to save her. However Lion hides and the Tinman makes fun of him leaving him really hurt and Dorthy sings to him about being a Lion. And when we finally get to the poppy scene nobody falls asleep because one, there is a whole different story to that, and two, it seemed like Lion knew what they were so he tricks the poppies and tied them up proving he is a lion. Now the poppies in the 2015 version are creatures who will lure you and make you do work until the first winter which will set you free. I know I haven't talked much about character growth between the Tinman and Scarecrow but its there, I just think that the 2015 version allowed Lion to grow the most.
Now I don't really care about the witch's death but the people that were slaves to the witch sings this song called " Brand New Day" when the witch is killed and it is one of the best songs in the musical, you can find it on Youtube.
Now for the wizards true form. Of course they find out the Wizard is just a regular man like Dorthy is. But that is now such a big difference to the musicals. The difference is how does the Wizard give the Lion, Tinman, and Scarecrow what they wanted to make them take this journey with Dorthy all along. In the 1978...he does nothing. He just gets scared and begs for forgiveness while Dorthy tells them that they don't need those things. The 1939 wizard isn't much better. Well in a way. He basically gives the trio items and tell them that it'll give them what they were looking for but no one ever points it out. Granted, in the Muppets version the wizard does the exact same thing but Dorthy had the sense to point it out that they don't need anything because they were already smart, brave, and kind. Now in the 2015 version the wiz is exposed and the trio feels stupid for even going to kill the witch, but the wizard ( Who happens to be Queen Latifah) tells them that they already have what they were looking for, and I think that's more perfect. Like Matt said sometimes people will give you something and tell you it'll give you what you didn't have, and that'll prove that you had it all along. But the balance is that the person receiving the item has to find out that it's a fake in order to learn that the magic is inside of them. We never got that in the 1939 version. And to make matters worse the trio are now kings of the Emerald City. Well what if they lose that plastic heart, or accidentally burn that piece of paper, or again lose that medal?! Then we'll be back to square one! That is why there are so many plotholes and problems with the 1939 Wizard of Oz movie.
The exist for the Wizard and the entrance for the last of the witches are pretty much the same except the 1978 version I don't remember if the wizard even left. And in the 2015 version the wizard leaves but Dorthy decides to stay because...I'll tell you later.
People were so mad that in the 1939 version Glinda knew the shoes would bring her home but didn't tell her about it because of the stupid reason that Dorthy wouldn't have believed her. And The Wiz did the better job of explanation because one it was in song form, and two- much like the book- the only other person who knew about the shoes powers were Glinda and she showed up at the end. Now that was Brilliant!
I love all three version of this story and I am not hatting on the 1939 version. It's just that the technology and logic updated so much that it made me love the 1939 version even more now because I understand the story behind it and the message, I mean this was one of the three childhood movies I watched that wasn't Disney. The other two being ' The Land before Time', and 'An American Tale'.
People were also mad that the actresses that portrayed Dorthy was bland and boring, well I didn't mind because that gave me the ability to put myself into Oz! I mean Dorthy is like the Wendy of Oz.
Otherwise the only other Dorthy that did a good job was Shanice Williams and I think that was because of the backstory they gave Dorthy. So we learn that Dorthy is forced to live in her Aunt 'Em and Uncle Henry's house because of her parents being lost in a accident (by a car crash no doubt). But she doesn't want to be there and she tries to run away back to Omaha Nebraska where she was born. When she finally does escape to the land of Oz she asks Addapearle to take her home to Omaha and Addapearle tells her to see the wiz and...YEEAH! This sounds about right. I mean where are her parents in the 1939 movie? This makes perfect sense with the message to the story.
This brings more character growth to Dorthy when she travels to the Emerald City. In the first real solo that Dorthy sings in The Wiz; 'Soon as I get Home' talks about getting home but also about this new place she is visiting but we're only thinking she wants to get home to Omaha. And when we do finally meet the wizard, he questions Dorthy about which home she is talking about and at the time it seemed like she's not even sure. It was at that moment when she decided not to go with the wizard to Omaha that she finally realized what home was to her and isn't that the message to the story?
What are also interesting choice comparing The Wiz-1978- and The Wiz-2015- is the introduction to the Tinman. I've already talked about how in the 1978 version the Tinman was in an amusement park. I'm not sure where the Tinman was in the 2015 version though. But there are two solos for the Tinman in this musical which are called ; ' Slide some oil to me' and 'What would I do'. But the way both productions chooses to cue these songs are very different, both meaningful, and oddly enough tells the same massage.
So 'Slide some oil to me' is basically telling us about getting unrusted. If that makes sense. The song is pretty much self explanatory. But 'What would I do' tells us how much the Tinman wants to feel but since he doesn't have a heart he thinks he can't do it and he's basically saying that he'll do anything to get a heart. In the 1978 version both songs are played in one scene before we start up 'Ease on down the road' again, with ' What would I do' coming first...the Tinman cries, gets rusted up, and then he sings 'Slide some oil to me'. It's a good transition and it's funny too. But in the 2015 version it is very different the two songs are not back to back. At first the Tinman -just like in the 1939 movie- he is rusted up when Dorthy and Scarecrow meets him and we get the song 'Slide some oil to me'. And we don't hear 'What would I do' until we meet the wizard so the Tinman is telling the wizard that he'll do anything to get a heart and the scene is much more powerful and it's a great transition. All of the transitions from dialogue to song is just great. None of the songs feel like they're singing just for the sake of singing and like all musicals the songs are suppose to move the story along or tell us how the person is feeling and we do get that more with the 2015 The Wiz.
Speaking about transition I really like the solo that the Lion sings ' Mean ole lion' (Hey If I miss typed that, I'm sorry) because at first Dorthy, Tinman, and Scarecrow are singing 'Ease on down the road' when suddenly... A LION! it's really funny how Lion just interrupts them and starts singing ' Mean ole lion'. I already talked about the character growth from Lion but how about before that? 'Mean ole lion' is a song that he sings about how scary he is but you can see if you look closely enough that he's not even sure himself. This is a song meant to praise himself of how brave he is but it feels like he's just acting it, which is points for the actor that plays him. We see this more with the 1978 version because you can actually hear where he is stuttering and losing his cool and once Dorthy or Toto hurts him we see how scared he is and it brings so much growth when he and Dorthy sing 'Be a lion' and/or when he shows that he is brave.
Two final things I would like to say songwise before I get to the cast lists, song list and facts. First a comparison between 'Ease on down the road', and 'We're off to see the wizard'
Now these are both continuing songs which is played throughout the encounters with the Lion, Scarecrow, and Tinman. And before this causes problems I'm just going to say you are confusing 'If I only had a/the brain/heart/nerve' with 'We're off to see the wizard' those are two very different songs from the same musical.
Both of these songs have two very different meanings. 'We're off to see the wizard' is praising how powerful and amazing the wizard is before we even get to see him and that makes us more disappointed when we find out he isn't all that great. And 'Ease on down the road' is just your standard travel song. But the main difference is that the lyrics to 'Ease on down the road' changes with each new character we meet. I'll show you.
For Scarecrow:
Though there may be times where you think you lost your mind and the steps your taking leaves you three, four steps behind. But the road you're walking may be long sometimes. You just keep on steppin' and you'll be just fine!
For Tinman:
Pick your right foot up when your left ones down, come on legs keep moving don't you lose no ground. You just keep on keepin' on the road that you chose. Don't you give up walking cause you gave up shoes!
For Lion:
Oh there may be times when you wish you weren't born and you wake one morning just to find your courage gone. But you know that feeling only lasts a little while you just stick with me and I'll show you how to smile.
I know, I know Tinman's doesn't make any sense with the problems he has but that doesn't matter that much you barely even notice it.
The other song is called ' We got it' which is not originally in the Broadway musical but it was added in when they did it for NBC. Ne-Yo ( Who plays the Tinman) and Elijah Kelly ( Scarecrow) wrote it and it was sung after the Wizard ordered them to kill the wicked witch of the west. In the song Lion, Tinman, and Scarecrow wants to quit and have Dorthy do the work since it was her fault any of this has ever happened. And they're not trying to be jerks about it because their reasons are legit. Tinman doesn't want to do it because of the last time he got involved with a witch; Lion doesn't want to do it because he is still scared; and Scarecrow doesn't want to do it because he is afraid to fail Dorthy. As Ne-Yo said in a interview for The Wiz that this is a song about Dorthy rallying up the troops; the gang. And you can really hear it in the lyrics and the emotions on their faces when they finally do decide to go with Dorthy to kill the witch. Also with expressions I finally noticed this with a Youtube comment that after Tinman gave his reason why he doesn't want to do it, we can see how guilty he is to the point where he can't bare to look at Dorthy. The song is also on Youtube and I really recommend you see it even if you didn't watch the musical just because it's such a powerful song and you can get a lot of the character's thoughts and feeling in this one song.
So at this time I usually lists the cast and songs in the movie if there are any but... Yeah this review is already 4,000 words long but oh well let's make it to six thousand and do both the cast list for The wizard of Oz and The wiz!
Oh and I'm only doing the main cast so the citizens of Oz do not count because of naming reasons but they are important to the story
The wizard of Oz cast
Dorthy Gale: She is a girl from Kansas who has big dreams and we follow her throughout her journey to Oz. She is played by Judy Garland
Aunt 'Em: Aunt 'Em is Dorthy's Aunt and she is loving to Dorthy and symbolizes as Dorthy's mother-like figure. She is played by Clara Blandick
Uncle Henry: He is just the uncle...not much to is played by Charley Grapewin
Glinda: She is the good witch of the north ( at least in this story) and she gives Dorthy the magical ruby slippers and sends her on her way to the Emerald City. She is played by Billie Burke
The Wicked witch of the west: She is what her name is in this story and her goal is to kill Dorthy to obtain her sister's magical ruby slippers. She is played by Margaret Hamilton
The Scarecrow: He is the first companion Dorthy meets and in this story serves as Dorthy's best friend ( As said by Matt Hatter) and all he wants is a Brain. He is played by Ray Bolger
The Tin Woodsman: Dorthy and Scarecrow first met the Tin Woodsman while picking apples from a talking tree and they take him to see the Wizard because he desires a heart. He is played by Jack Haley
The lion: He is the last companion Dorthy meet and after he tries to prove he is scary but fail to, Dorthy and her friends take him to the Emerald City to get some courage.
The wizard of oz: The Wizard is just an ordinary man from the states with a talent of putting on a magic show that accidentally made him the all powerful Wizard of Oz. He is played by Frank Morgan
Toto: Toto is the all cuddly and cute companion that exposes the Wizard and is Dorthy's dog who in reality starts Dorthy in this magical journey. His real name is Terry.
The Wiz cast (1978)
Dorthy Gale: She is a 24 year old school teacher who must learn to take risks and try new things. She is played by Diana Ross
Aunt 'Em: She is again Dorthy's Aunt and she tries to convince Dorthy to take a new job teaching high school students and start a life of her own. She is played by Theresa Merritt
Uncle Henry: He only shows up in like one or two scenes. But he is played by Stanley Greene
Addapearle: She is the good witch of the north that gives Dorthy her shoes and sends her on her way to the Emerald city. She is played by Thelma Carpenter
Glinda: She shows up at the end to show Dorthy how to get home by believing in herself. She is played by Lena Home
Evilene: She is the wicked witch of the west with one of the best songs in the musical. She is played by Mabel King
Scarecrow: He is the loveable companion with all of the latest quotes. Played by non other than Micheal Jackson
Tinman: He is the caring companion of the group wishing for a heart. He is played by Nipsey Russell
Lion: He is funny, and his entrance is to behold. He is played by Ted Ross
The Wiz:...EH? I never cared much about him and neither does the movie. Played by Richard Pryor
Toto: I can't find his name but he is the same as his 1939 counterpart
The Wiz cast (2015)
Dorthy Gale: She is determined to get home the question is which one. She is played by Shanice Williams
Aunt 'Em: She is loving and caring and has a fantastic number. She is played by Stephanie Mills
Uncle Henry: He's not in here woops!
Addapearle: She is the good witch of the North and she gives Dorthy the shoes and sends her on her way to the Emerald City. She is played by Amber Riley
Glinda: She appears at the end and tells Dorthy to believe in herself to get home. She is played by Uzo Aduba
Evilene: She is the evil witch of the west and she hates water. She is played by Mary J. Blige
Scarecrow: He gives as much heart and laughter to the group and could easily be mistaken as Micheal Jackson's voice twin. He is played by Elijah Kelly
Tinman: He is always by Dorthy's side when she needs him the most. He is played by Ne-Yo
Lion: He is brave when he needs to be and scared when he doesn't. He is played by David Alan Grier
The Wiz: Being a fraud is not the only secret this Wizard has ( He is also a woman!) She is played by Queen Latifah
Toto: Not in here for very long
We also have Common playing the role of the bouncer that guards the entrance to the Emerald City.
Okay now for the songs.
The Wizard of Oz songs
Somewhere over the rainbow
Munchkin land Sequence
Follow the yellow brick road/Your off to see the Wizard
If I only had a brain
We're off to see the wizard (part 1)
If I only had a heart
We're off to see the wizard (part 2)
If I only had the nerve
We're off to see the wizard (part 3)
The merry old land of Oz
If I were king of the forest
The jitterbug ( which is a deleted song from the movie but can be found in a extended edition cd) You can find it on Youtube and it's a really good song
Okay so for The Wiz I'm only taking songs from the 2015 version and I just got the CD for Christmas so I'm going off of that I know that there might be one or two songs in the 1978 movie but I don't really know, correct me if I'm wrong.
The Wiz songs
The feeling we once had
He's the Wizard
Soon as I get home
You can't win
Ease on down the road (part 1)
Slide some oil to me
Ease on down the road (part 2)
Mean Ole Lion
Ease on down the road ( part 3)
So you wanted to meet the Wizard
What would I do if I could feel
We got it
Don't nobody bring me no bad news
A brand new day
Y'all got it?
Believe in yourself
Home
So some facts about the Wizard of oz ( and I'll try to find at least ten for each)
1)Mervyn Leroy -One of the directors- considered having a man play Toto
2) The horses in the Emerald City was colored in Jello which they kept trying to lick it off
3)Disney's Snow White's voice actress made a voice cameo during the Tinman's song: "If I only had a heart" She is the one that says; " Wherefore art thou Romeo?"
4) Margaret Hamilton ( the wicked witch of the west) was a former kindergarten teacher before becoming a actress. HAVE GOOD DREAMS TONIGHT KIDS!
5) There is a debate over a scene during which Scarecrow, Tinman and Dorthy were walking away people thought that a munchkin was hanging himself on set. The said truth was that it was a bird at a weird angle and it was not a hanging munchkin. For that the movie was re-released with the scene changed. You can still find the original scene on Youtube
6)Terry the dog who plays Toto is female
7)Over the rainbow was almost cut from the film due to length reasons
8) The original choice for the cowardly Lion was going to be MGM studio's mascot ( But boy that would've been interesting)
9) The wicked witch's paint was flammable
10) An early design for Dorthy's ruby slippers had curl up toes
The Wiz ( 1978)
1) The first song that Michael Jackson sings, "You Can't Win," was originally written for the stage version for the Winkies to sing to Dorothy about the futility of escaping from Evillene.
2) This was Micheal Jackson's film debut
3) Dorthy is a grown woman in this movie
4)The munchkins that greet Dorthy were actually children and teenagers and not little people
5)The Tinman is an old amusement park animatronic instead of a woodsman
6)The Lions banished from the jungle
7)The Emerald City citizens constantly change colors
8)Dorthy's friends were tortured like in the book
9)The Wicked Witch has a factory instead of a castle
10) None of this was a dream
The Wiz ( 2015)
1) Ne-Yo auditioned for the Scarecrow thinking he would get it but got the Tinman instead
2) Elijah Kelly ripped about ten crotches during rehearsals
3)Queen Latifah was Aunt Em' in the Muppets Wizard of Oz
4) So was David Alan Grier as Uncle Henry
5) Toto was not the one to expose the Wizard but the lion was
6) Stephanie Mills was the original Dorthy
7) This is Shanice Williams film debut
8) Uzo Aduba is in Orange is the new Black
9)Beyonce was going to play Glinda
10) None of this was a dream
Now I already just praised both versions of The Wiz and I know I bashed The Wizard of Oz a ton. But I still love it because it was a big part of my childhood. What I would say about The Wizard of Oz is that I love the transition from Technicolor to full bright colors because it really stands out. Also as Matt said and I agree that even though the set looks like a stage it still looks cool because hell if it is a stage it sure is a big one! Also that in his books .vs. movies review he said that Frank Baum didn't have any scary elements because he wanted it to be for kids. I am glad that the 1939 movie didn't make it exactly like the book because I love the dark elements in this movie and in The Wiz live. I couldn't say much about the 1978 movie because I felt like there was a little too much darkness.
I can't find anything wrong with NBC's The Wiz because I feel that they took elements from the 1978 The Wiz, The Wizard of Oz, and strangely enough the Muppets Wizard of Oz. I don't know maybe it's because two of the actors from here was also in the Muppets Wizard of Oz!
I love the songs, story, and character and this might as well be my favorite movie musical. I'm sorry Peter Pan you're good on Broadway, so are you Newsies. But the Wiz and The Wizard of Oz is just so awesome!
I'll recommend all three to you if you have the chance to see it, all of them are worth watching. And hopefully I will own the book and I will read it
Also I am working on other reviews for Frozen, Kung-fu Panda, and The Rescuers, so I am busy.
I would also like to know your thoughts on The Wizard of Oz or the Wiz, and what else stands out to you the most?
That's all I have for today, Happy New Year! And I'll see you in 2016 for the next Review.
