Casting has been announced for the beloved roles of the Lion, Tinman and Scarecrow in the all-new production of the groundbreaking, Tony Award-winning hit musical, THE WIZ, in advance of its highly anticipated Broadway return in the Spring of 2024.
THE WIZ will launch its US national tour in Baltimore, MD – home of the 1974 world premiere of the musical – from 23 to 30 September 2023. Following its run at the Hippodrome Theatre, the tour will slide into Emerald cities across the country before it begins its limited engagement on Broadway.
The cast will include Kyle Ramar Freeman (A Strange Loop) as the Lion, Phillip Johnson Richardson (Sharper, Apple+) as the Tinman, and Avery Wilson (The Voice) as the Scarecrow, respectively. Richardson and Wilson will be making their Broadway debuts.
Additional casting will be announced in the coming weeks.
Featuring a book by William F. Brown and a Tony Award-winning score by Charlie Smalls (and others), director Schele Williams (The Notebook, revival of Disney’s Aida), award-winning choreographer JaQuel Knight (Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” Black is King), additional material by Emmy-nominated writer and TV host Amber Ruffin (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Late Night With Seth Meyers”), Joseph Joubert (music supervision, orchestrations, & music arrangements), and Allen René Louis (vocal arrangements, music arrangements) are conjuring up an Oz unlike anything ever seen before.
A dynamite infusion of ballet, jazz, and modern pop will bring a whole new groove to easing on down the road.
THE WIZ design team will include scenic design by Academy Award-winning Hannah Beachler (Black Panther, Beyonce’s Black is King andLemonade), costume design by Emmy Award-winning and two-time Academy Award-nominated Sharen Davis (Ray, Dreamgirls), lighting design by Barrymore Award-winning Ryan J. O’Gara (Thoughts of a Colored Man), sound design by Jon Weston (Parade) and wig design by Academy Award-winning Mia Neal (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom).
