The new rendition of the classic The Wiz featured a cast of mostly talented singers, dancers and actors and a few completely packaged Broadway personalities who could really do it all. Unfortunately the lead, played by Ashanti, did not stand out as a star. Her only stage presence was while singing, her acting and miniscule dancing parts falling short. Her co-star, the actor who played the Lion, had slick dance moves, comical acting and a great voice which all went together very well.

The Lion demanded most of the attention while the group (the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion and Dorothy) performed together, although they each had their highlighting acts. What was once a touching and inspirational story line was turned comical in The Wiz. Most of the real sentiment and self-discovery was lost and replaced with cheesy jokes that received many laughs.

The cast itself looked great, each with costumes that showed off their characters personality, especially those of the witches. All three witches had theatrical personalities and were fun to watch. Although the sets on stage were not elaborate, transitions from one scene to the next were. The dancers all sported very impressive and fluid moves as they brought the actors from scene to scene. The little amount of stage props was used impressively to create the illusion of the yellow brick road, as did the complex stage lighting. Overall the story remained true and intact to its original script while the funkier music and dance moves brought it to the current era. Those searching for upbeat theater will enjoy a performance of the new The Wiz.

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