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It’s hard to believe, but it’s been 30 years since Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross first eased on down the road and into our hearts. Released in October 1978, The Wiz boasted an all-star lineup that read like a who’s who of entertainment both in front and behind the camera: additional cast members Lena Horne and Richard Pryor, executive producer Berry Gordy, music supervisor Quincy Jones, songwriters Ashford and Simpson, and, of course, director Sidney Lumet and writer Joel Schumacher. Even the chorus—filled out with R&B greats Roberta Flack, Patti Austin, Cissy Houston, and a then unknown Luther Vandross—dazzled.
Together, they all made history by flipping the 1975 Broadway musical of the same name into a grittier, decidedly more urban tale juxtaposed with unforgettable song-and-dance numbers. Gone was teenage Dorothy on her Kansas farm, and in her place was a young kindergarten teacher living in Harlem transported to Oz via a snowstorm. And who can forget Oz? Unlike the colorful fun world depicted in the 1939 classic, this Oz was inspired by the ’70s-era New York City where it was filmed: dark, sometimes dangerous, yet full of promise.
Though panned by mainstream Hollywood—it received poor reviews and was a box-office flop—The Wiz went on to be nominated for four Oscars and its soundtrack went gold. More important, it has stood the test of time, becoming a black cinema and cult classic. It seems “you can win” after all.
—Jessica Dufresne
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Riffs On Rides
