The Wiz

On Episode 3 of "Sing It, Sister!" Clare and Ellen discuss the
1978 film, The Wiz. And somehow go the whole episode without
talking at all about Richard Pryor, besides mentioning him in the
set-up. 


 


Show Notes:


According to IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes, The Wiz is
actually rated G, not PG. Again, keep in mind this is a
1978 G-rating.


"The Wiz was Ken Harper's brainchild. He was the program affairs
director at WPIX Radio in the early 1970s and hit upon the idea
of an all-black version of The Wizard of Oz. He soon left his job
and devoted all of his time to seeing his dream become a reality.
He convinced executives at 20th Century Fox to put up the entire
backing in exchange for film rights." from TheWizTheMusical.com
which appears to be VERY new and very exciting! 


These People Complaining About "The Wiz" Seem To Have Forgotten
That "The Wizard Of Oz" Exists from Buzzfeed.com


People Complaining That The Wiz Has An All-Black Cast
Know Nothing About Musical Theatre from TheMarySue.com. Written
by Maddy Myers, this piece discusses the backlash to The Wiz live
having and all-black cast and her thoughts on all-white
productions of The Wiz.


15 Things About ‘The Wiz’ You Probably Never Knew from
SheKnows.com


Ellen’s recommendation for a podcast listen that delves into the
problematic art and person of Michael Jackson: Still Processing
from the New York Times, March 7, 2019.