The Wiz Live!

I am not a theater expert or a theater critic. I watch TV to be entertained and oh boy, was I ever entertained with "The Wiz Live!" I didn't look for flaws. I didn't listen for missed notes or lyrics. I didn't scour sets and costumes for flaws. I certainly did not inspect dance routines for missteps. I didn't unfairly compare it to the original Broadway production, subsequent movie, or the beloved classic that I so dearly adore. I simply watched and I was enchanted with what NBC put before me.

No, this viewer won't pick apart the production. I will just say again that I was entertained and I am so very glad I had the privilege of watching NBC finally get it right!

Of the NBC live productions, 'The Wiz' is by far the best, which is saying a lot seeing as 'The Sound of Music' and particularly 'Peter Pan' fell completely flat.

Also think that it is a big improvement over the 1978 Sidney Lumet-directed film with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. That did have a few good thing, such as Jackson, but generally it is down there with the worst film musicals with Ross being horribly miscast and the whole thing felt misconceived.

'The Wiz Live' is not perfect but entertained and was mostly well performed, far better than anticipated. The musical itself this reviewer likes a lot, there may be some bias though as someone who performed the backing vocals in our school production ten years ago and has fond memories of the experience. The songs, in a 1970s Motown style, are catchy with a great mix of the funny and the emotional, and are surprisingly accessible, and the story is a clever updated version of the classic 'Wizard of Oz' story.

Starting with the many good things, 'The Wiz' is by far the best-looking of the NBC live productions, 'Peter Pan' did look beautiful if a little confined sometimes in space while 'The Sound of Music' looked sparse and cheap. 'The Wiz' however is far more expansive in space and is bursting with colour with inspired use of video screen to create background sets. The costumes, apart from the cheap ones for the Winkies that are not right for dancing really, are beautifully designed and look great especially the breathtaking one for Glinda.

Choreography is full of energy, with a fantastic contribution by Cirque De Soleil who not only do some wonderful dancing and characterful acting for the Flying Monkeys and Poppy Girls but manage to solve potential problems with scene changes, was surprised at how well the tornado came off. The staging is similarly energetic and also boasts some very touching moments, though this reviewer has always found the ending rushed and abrupt and it's the case here. Less successful is the updated dialogue, with some jokes that badly jar and feel stale and out of date.

Musically, the production is mostly very good, with rousing and nuanced playing from the band, beautifully balanced and enthusiastic backing vocals and alert and sympathetic musical direction. Most of the performances are quite excellent, with standouts being Elijah Kelly's vulnerable and full-of-life Scarecrow, Ne-Yo's charming and sometimes witty Tin Man, David Allen Grier's purr-fect (pun intended) Lion, Amber Riley's sympathetic Addaperle and Stephanie Mills (a great Dorothy herself a long time ago) touching Aunt Em who makes the most out of "The Feeling We Once Had".

Unfortunately a few don't come off so well. Shanice Williams' inexperience does show in some rather one-dimensional acting and stiff and not-sure-of-the-steps dancing as Dorothy, though she does possess a good voice, especially in "Home" and "Ease On Down the Road". Uzo Aduba looks and acts positively angelic as Glinda, but while some of her singing is good she does sound strained and flat in "Believe in Yourself".

Mary J Blige and particularly Queen Latifah are more problematic. Mary J Blige sings well in the role of Evilene, though this viewer prefers a more gospel sound in "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News", but her acting falls flat, Evilene should be menacing but also funny, Blige is neither and looks ill at ease with the menace being non-existent and the scenery-chewing being ham-fisted and unnatural. In a gender reversal, Latifah is all wrong in the title role, she shouts her way as well as sounding somewhat drunk in her introductory song and her acting feels like a bizarre comedy skit with flat line delivery.

Overall, while an uneven production 'The Wiz Live' was far better than anticipated. By far the best of the NBC Live production and superior to the film. 6/10 Bethany Cox

I wasn't sure what to expect from the show. Well I'm not familiar with the wizard of Oz. (Did I hear a "shame on you"?) I didn't like the story, not a fan of fairy tales. But the songs, the music and the performances were marvelous. I didn't know Elijah Kelley but man, he's got a great voice. I knew David Alan Grier from his "In Living Color" days but now he really impressed me. And Ne-Yo was PERFECT in his songs. Queen Latifah is brilliant. Who would have guessed 30 years earlier that this young rapper would become such a charismatic actress and singer. Amber Riley, perfect as always. Uzo Aduba, was a pleasant surprise. Shanice Williams, was good too. But to be honest I didn't like Mary J Blige.

I think the show is a must-see for the music and the performers.

With a stellar cast, you might wonder how this production could be anything but great. Well, it starts off somewhat shakily.

The story is rooted in the 1939 classic film, though there are substantial changes--including the entire song list. But it is best to evaluate this work on its own, without comparisons to the MGM classic. It is easy to miss the film's "Over the Rainbow" barnyard ballad, but the viewer quickly gets past that if he accepts the new sensibilities of this modernized version, with its less stringent grammar.

But the beginning is plagued with a very obvious camera in frame. And the dance of the dust devils feels like nothing more than a time filler. And there is a product placement that draws the viewer away from the story. Overall, the first scene lacks magic. Granted Dorothy is not yet in a magical land, but it doesn't grab the audience's attention. Then, the Winkies dance in costumes ill-designed for dance.

Fear not. The best is yet to come. Indeed, this live performance exceeds expectations and gains momentum throughout the telecast. By the time we meet the Tin Man, "The Wiz" hits its stride.

With only an occasional misstep, the remainder of the show is stirring, clever and filled with great musical performances. ("Believe in Yourself"--a predictably strong musical number--does fall a little short due to straining on the high notes).

Another criticism is the inclusion of religious imagery in the dialogue and lyrics. This serves to undermine the story's message--look to yourself for strength.

I don't mean to sound too critical, because this is a show worth seeing. Take out that camera reveal, and this could be an annual favorite.

7/14/16: Received six Emmy nominations.

Well, that's a shame. I was really looking forward to seeing this one. But in just a few minutes I knew that I wasn't going to like it. I got as far as the tin man's entrance before I gave up, realising that you just can't beat the Diana Ross and Michael Jackson film version. I think they have just tweaked it too much in this rendition, modernising the music and changing the story in little ways. Maybe this is how it's meant to be from the original stage production and the film is the one that changed things, but there was so much I didn't like about it. Dorothy was a brat for a start, not someone I cared about and the other characters were all just a bit exaggerated, like they couldn't help projecting their voices so loudly and smiling like their lives depended on it, even when they weren't supposed to be.

It was a bit like a cheap Disney, you know the ones that they just don't want to commit too many resources to, but feel that they should try anyway, so they make it for TV. Except that there was clearly a lot of money spent on this one. With Amber Riley's appearance, it could almost be a dream sequence from an episode of glee. It was that sort of random.

I don't understand why they weren't showing the scene changes either? It felt like they were cutting bits out. And the sound was terrible.

I expected more from Ne-Yo, but at least now we know why he's gone in to obscurity. I'd be embarrassed too.

I'll stick with the film, which is just a bit more polished and jazzy. They've tried to hard with this one.

I can't score it, because I didn't finish it.