Theater Ease on down the road with your first look at The Wiz revival Get ready for a brand new day with this exclusive look at 'The Wiz' revival, headed to Broadway this spring. By Maureen Lee Lenker Maureen Lee Lenker Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over seven years of experience in the entertainment industry. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and more. She's worked at EW for six years covering film, TV, theater, music, and books. The author of EW's quarterly romance review column, "Hot Stuff," Maureen holds Master's degrees from both the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford. Her debut novel, It Happened One Fight, is now available. Follow her for all things related to classic Hollywood, musicals, the romance genre, and Bruce Springsteen. EW's editorial guidelines Published on December 5, 2023 10:05AM EST If you don't want nobody to bring you no bad news, then keep reading. EW has your exclusive first look at The Wiz revival, which is currently playing a national tour before opening on Broadway on April 17 at the Marquis Theatre. Kyle Ramar Freeman as Lion, Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy, Phillip Johnson Richardson as Tinman, Avery Wilson as Scarecrow in The Wiz. Jeremy Daniel The photos take viewers into the wonderful world of Oz to meet Dorothy (Nichelle Lewis), the Scarecrow (Avery Wilson), the Tinman (Phillip Johnson Richardson), the Lion (Kyle Lamar Freeman), Glinda (Deborah Cox), and Evillene (Melody A. Betts). The photos also feature Alan Mingo Jr. as the Wiz himself. Mingo is currently touring with the production, but Wayne Brady will take over as the Wiz on Broadway, as well as on the San Francisco and Los Angeles legs of the national tour. Jeremy Daniel The Wiz remains one of the most enduring adaptations of L. Frank Baum’s children’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Premiering on Broadway in 1975, The Wiz transforms the story in an all-Black musical extravaganza, following Dorothy as she travels to the land of Oz and encounters good witches and bad in her journey down the yellow brick road. Joined by the friends she meets along the way, she seeks out the Wiz in the hopes that he can help her get home. The original production won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and it ran for four years. A 1978 film adaptation stars Diana Ross as Dorothy, Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, Lena Horne as Glinda, and Richard Pryor as the Wiz. Jeremy Daniel This production will mark the first Broadway revival since 1984. Schele Williams (Aida) directs with choreography from JaQuel Knight (Beyonce's "Single Ladies). The show will feature the original book by William F. Brown and score by Charlie Smalls, with new additional material from writer Amber Ruffin (Some Like It Hot), orchestrator Joseph Joubert, music arranger Allen René Louis, dance music arranger Adam Blackstone, and music director Paul Byssainthe Jr. The revival brings a blend of ballet, jazz, and modern pop to this reimagined production. It will also feature tracks from the original musical, "Everybody Rejoice" with music and lyrics by Luther Vandross and "Emerald City Ballet" with music by Timothy Graphenreed. Jeremy Daniel The ensemble also includes Maya Bowles, Shayla Alayre Caldwell, Jay Copeland, Allyson Kaye Daniel, Judith Franklin, Michael Samarie George, Collin Heyward, Amber Jackson, Olivia Jackson, Christina Jones, Polanco Jones, Kolby Kindle, Mariah Lyttle, Kareem Marsh, Anthony Murphy, Cristina Rae, Matthew Sims Jr, Avilon Trust Tate, Keenan D. Washington, and Timothy Wilson. More photos of the revival can be found below. Jeremy Daniel Jeremy Daniel Jeremy Daniel Jeremy Daniel Jeremy Daniel Jeremy Daniel Jeremy Daniel Related content: Stranger Things: The First Shadow cast pulls back the curtain on prequel stage play Watch Sara Bareilles & Co. in the opening number of Broadway's Waitress — now a movie Eddie Redmayne to reprise Cabaret role on Broadway opposite Gayle Rankin