NY Public Library's Rosenberg Curator of Exhibitions Barbara Cohen-Stratyner, Ph. D. on Finding THE WIZ

BroadwayWorld.com continues our exclusive content series, in collaboration with The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which delves into the library's unparalleled archives, and resources. Below, check out a piece by Barbara Cohen-Stratyner, Ph. D., Judy R. and Alfred A. Rosenberg Curator of Exhibitions for the Shelby Cullom Davis Museum, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts on: Finding The Wiz at The Library for the Performing Arts.

It is that time again. On December 3, NBC will present a live broadcast of a beloved Broadway musical comedy. Once again, television reminds the public that broadcasts were meant to be watched with others, just like theater. We at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts enjoy the annual process of speculating which show will be selected, how it will be cast, and how it will work live on television. When The Wiz was announced, I was thrilled. As happened with The Sound of Music and Peter Pan, The Library for the Performing Arts can document the show from first ideas behind the scenes to how it reached the stage, and how it became the well-remembered hit.

Making a musical out of The Wizard of Oz was a great idea. But it was not a new idea. The first one to reach Broadway was in 1903, as a vehicle for the song-and-dance team of Fred Stone and Dave Montgomery, who played the Scarecrow and Tin Woodsman respectively. The continuing popularity of the books by Frank Baum and the annual broadcasts of the musical film of The Wizard of Oz made a new musical production an attractive idea for many. Ken Harper, aiming at a production with contemporary African American music and performers, made it happen. The long journey between motivation and reality can be found in the many versions of story treatments and scripts in his two archival collections - the Ken Harper Papers in the Billy Rose Theatre Division at The Library for the Performing Arts, and The Wiz Collection at the Schomburg Collection. Harper brought in William F. Brown to do the book and Charlie Small to create the lyrics and score, which can be found in the Music Division here at The Library for the Performing Arts. Geoffrey Holder provided direction and costume design, while George Faison did the choreography. The show, Smalls and the creative team won Tony Awards.

Two of the things that makes The Wizard of Oz so special in the novels, the Stone & Montgomery version, and the MGM film are maintained and magnified in The Wiz : the all singing, all dancing inanimate objects; and the focus on the companions, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion. In The Wiz, the Tornado and Yellow Brick Road come to life and have spectacular dance numbers. The companions have ample opportunity to create characters and show their prowess while paying tribute to verbal and physical comedy traditions of African American popular entertainment. Dorothy learns to believe in herself. The Wizard and witches get solo songs and dances and have much more stage time in memorable costumes than their film equivalents.

The Wiz is often cited as a musical that was rescued by its television advertising campaign, which invited viewers to "ease on down the road" to the theater. You can learn more about that aspect of the production in The Library for the Performing Art's Merlin Group Records, which document the company that created the advertising campaign. The resulting long Broadway run of The Wiz and its 1984 revival are illuminated by the many images created by two of the Library's prolific photographer collections. The show, its cast and creators were frequently photographed by both Kenn Duncan and Martha Swope in rehearsal and performance.

Enjoy The Wiz next week. Then, follow the yellow brick road to The Library for the Performing Arts and learn more about the journey.

Photograph courtesy of Kenn Duncan/Billy Rose Theatre Division