Just last weekend, April 26-28, theater and band students came together to perform the musical “The Wiz” over a span of three days for three shows. It is interesting to know that this musical has some really interesting origins, given that this was a Broadway readaptation of a classic story. “The Wiz” takes its name from the children’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” by L. Frank Baum, made in 1900. It has many different productions, the first of which was made in 1975 for the Broadway production, while tryouts for it were hosted in 1974. This musical was meant to make it appealing to the African-American audience, given that the music is entirely based on Jazz/Soul. The 1975 Broadway production won seven “Tony Awards,” which recognizes outstanding performance in Broadway theater. The show went on tour in 1976, and two Broadway revivals were hosted; one in 1984, and another in 2024.
Even though this entire show had nothing to do with Broadway, the TPHS production was well put together and struck the hearts of many audiences with its appealing visuals and its catchy music. In addition to the cast and the band, it was evident that Ms. Deering and Mr. Aiello put lots of effort into putting the show together in terms of acting and music, respectively. Work started as early as January of 2024, when cast tryouts started. Music was handed out in February and the band has been working on it alongside many other performances. Throughout that period, the cast worked on their lines and songs, the crew worked on props and costumes to help with the visuals of the play, and the band struggled through many rhythms of music until they played the right ones. Regardless, the cast, crew, and band worked well together to put together an amazing production.
