The North American Tour of “The Wiz” is celebrating 50 years with a stop in Indianapolis this month.
The Tony Award-winning musical, which debuted in 1975, is coming to Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University March 17-22. Directed by Schele Williams with choreography by JaQuel Knight, “The Wiz” offers a soulful, Afro-centric retelling of “The Wizard of Oz,” following Dorothy Gale on her quest to find home.
“The Wiz” gained notoriety for the “groundbreaking twist” it put on L. Frank Baum’s classic story, later inspiring the 1978 film adaptation of the same name, starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor. Though the show still retains its iconic score featuring gospel, soul, rock and 70s funk songs like “Ease on Down the Road” and “A Brand New Day,” “The Wiz” was updated in 2024 to include rewritten and additional material by Tony and Emmy-nominated writer and TV host Amber Ruffin.
Sheherazade, a performing artist from Brooklyn, New York, plays the role of Glinda in “The Wiz,” and told the Recorder that the show is a timeless, beautiful tale about finding oneself. Rather than viewing home as a place, “The Wiz” invites audiences to discover that home is a state of knowing — knowing your heart, mind and courage.
“It challenges you to remember that everything that you need is in yourself,” Sheherazade said. “We have a long life to live, hopefully, and there are a lot of things that go on, but when people come to the show, I want them to feel excitement … but more importantly, you’ll know whatever you do in your life, you have everything that you need within yourself to get things done.”
D. Jerome, who plays the Tinman, said “The Wiz” showcases resilience alongside great music and even better storytelling. The chemistry between the four friends — Dorothy (Phoenix Assata Lafreniere), Scarecrow (Elijah Ahmad Lewis) and Lion (Cal Mitchell) and Tinman — as well as the magic of the ensemble and characters like Glinda, Addaperle (Amitria Fanae), Evillene (Kyla Jade), The Wiz (Alan Mingo Jr.), do a great job of “bringing joy to the community in a time when we all really need it.”
Jerome grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he started training in ballet, modern dance and jazz from a young age. After earning a bachelor’s degree in dance and choreography from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Jerome moved to New York, where he pursued a career on Broadway, beginning with a role in “Hamilton.”
Now, Jerome is playing his dream role in the touring production of “The Wiz,” and said he’s blessed to be part of “a legacy that speaks so well on its own.” Thanks to Ruffin’s updates to the script, Jerome said he’s able to play Tinman a little differently than before because of how much humanity lies behind the character’s lines.
“Tinman is so cool. I think he’s the guy that wants nothing more than for his community to be together and showcase love, uplift one another,” Jerome said. “That said, I think he’s always down to lend a hand to see that maybe someone else can kind of benefit outside of himself. I think while doing that, sometimes he could forget that he is important like that.”
Sheherazade is new to the theatre world but not performing, as her career has revolved around vocal performance and studio work, having sung background for artists like Chaka Khan and Christina Aguilera. However, stepping into the role of Glinda in “The Wiz” has been a journey that “opened up a whole new world of what I’m capable of,” she said.
“This is something that forced me to come out of the background and into the front and to get more acclimated in myself as an artist,” Sheherazade said. “I’ve been enjoying the experience of learning a different discipline, of acting, not just being myself, and now portraying a different character. I play make-believe every night to inspire people who come to the show.”
“The Wiz” broke barriers when it came out, as there weren’t many shows featuring an all-Black cast telling Black stories on Broadway,” Sheherazade said. The creatives behind the show opened the door for more shows highlighting Black characters and culture — like “Dreamgirls,” “Ain’t Too Proud” and “Once on This Island” — to follow.
(Photo/Jeremy Daniel)
However, the legacy of “The Wiz” transcends the characters, storytelling and messaging, as Jerome said knowing people all over the country get tickets just to feel a little joy continues to uplift the cast.
“I think that’s what keeps me driven to perform at my best each time,” Jerome said. “Sometimes we’re really low on energy when we’re coming from each city. … Just knowing that folks are coming out, they’re spending their hard-earned money, they’re offering a bit of time to kind of stay with us. It means the world. It means that, hey, this story is still important after 50 years, this music and this legacy and this idea of overcoming still rings true.”
Although “The Wiz” is considered a bit nuanced, especially with the changes in the revival, Jerome said he hopes audiences lean into hope rather than just despair.
Sheherazade used to dream of performing on stages like these, and now gets to sing “Believe in Yourself” as Glinda every night. The song not only aims to inspire Dorothy to believe in her dreams and trust her heart, but also encourages audience members to do the same.
“There’s a sort of cathartic feeling to being joyful in times of sadness, but I think if we’re able to see how our community has always been resilient, and we’ve always moved mountains when we work together, I think that that is the message I want us to walk away with,” Jerome added.
“The Wiz” is onstage March 17-22 at Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University, 4602 Sunset Ave. The show is approximately two hours and 20 minutes, including intermission, and is recommended for audiences aged 5 and up. Tickets start at $46.80.
For more information, showtimes or to purchase tickets, visit indianapolis.broadway.com/shows/the-wiz
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
