THE WIZ at Pantages Theatre

A brand new day at last! The musical production adapted from the “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum is headed on a pre-Broadway national tour, and it’s stopping in Hollywood.

THE WIZ is returning home to stages across America in an all-new Broadway-bound tour, revived for the first time in 40 years. The groundbreaking adaptation of The Wizard of Oz changed the face of Broadway, with its iconic score packed with finger-snapping 70s musical funk and Dorothy’s iconic journey in finding her place in the contemporary world. The Wiz is an “entirely reimagined revival” directed by Schele Williams and featuring additional material by Amber Ruffin.

In 2024, the Tony Award-winning Best Musical will be ready for a limited engagement at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, California, from the 13th of February to the 3rd of March 2024. Get ready for an infusion of ballet, jazz, and modern pop at this famed Broadway revival!

The Wiz Tickets:

“fun and spirited grand ole time even without blowing the silver slippers off my feet!” – BroadwayWorld

“It’s entertaining, energetic and brimming with talent.” -Theasy

“A charming and absolutely valid approach to “The Wizard of Oz.” -Los Angeles Times

he Wizard of Oz, a beloved children’s tale by L. Frank Baum, is the subject of the incredibly soulful musical adaptation The Wiz. Dorothy finds herself in the mythical world of Oz after being caught in a storm. There, she meets new people, faces off against wicked witches, and asks the all-knowing, enigmatic Wiz for help. In the end, Dorothy learns that you can always find your way home if you have a strong enough belief in yourself.

William F. Brown’s stunning musical adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s well-known novel stars an all-black cast and is infused with soul and gospel music, made its Broadway debut in 1975 and won seven Tony Awards, including the coveted Best Musical award. The total of 7 Tony Awards include Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Ted Ross), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Dee Dee Bridgewater), Best Choreography (George Faison), and in a Broadway first, Best Direction of a Musical and Best Costume Design (Geoffrey Holder). That production ran for four years, and a 1978 film adaptation starred Diana Ross, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Richard Pryor and Lena Horne, and marked Quincy Jones’ first collaboration with Michael Jackson. This family-friendly performance is brought back by The Muny for its 100th season in a new version that pays homage to the original while updating it for a “Brand New Day.”

Director Schele Williams (The Notebook, Disney’s Aida revival) is leading the creative team, which also includes choreographer JaQuel Knight (Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”), William F. Brown (book), Charlie Smalls (music & lyrics), Amber Ruffin (additional material), and Joseph Joubert (music supervision, orchestrations, & music arrangements) to conjure up an Oz unlike anything before. Along with them are scenic designer and Academy Award winner Hannah Beachler (Black Panther, Beyonce’s Black is King, and Lemonade), costume designer Sharen Davis (Ray, Dreamgirls), lighting designer and Barrymore Award winner Ryan J. O’Gara (Thoughts of a Colored Man), and Academy Award winner Mia Neal (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom). Davis is also an Emmy and two-time Academy Award nominee.

Director Williams is making her Broadway debut with The Wiz. She’s also directing the upcoming revival of Disney’s Aida “I wouldn’t be on Broadway if it wasn’t for The Wiz…the music, the costumes, the choreography and Stephanie Mills! Seeing that show changed my life. It is, in every way, a celebration of Black excellence. I am honored to helm this production and I can’t think of a better time to tell this story.”

The Wiz gives a modern spin on the original, with an all-black cast who make the show 10x better than the original. The representation of the African-American culture is something highly valued today, with the modern era pushing for acceptance and equality. It’s no doubt that The Wiz sets itself up for a high standard, and influences many other productions today.

The NBC News spoke highly of the revival and said: “’The Wiz’ is more than an award-winning Broadway musical. Its evolution into a feature film and many revivals emerged to become a reflection of African-American culture. As this franchise gets revisited during tonight’s “The Wiz Live!” special on NBC, it would behoove us to recognize its contributions to entertainment and the influence of black performance art on pop culture 40 years later.”

In 2024, get ready because The Wiz is making its way to the well-loved Pantages Theatre! Located in the heart of Hollywood, the Pantages is the perfect venue for the highly-anticipated breakthrough revival. The Hollywood Pantages’ history is as illustrious and varied as the stage and film productions that people have flocked to see there for the past 50 years. The five highest-grossing weeks in Los Angeles theatrical history all featured performances at the Pantages; it is also a popular “location” for television series, films, and music videos today. This is an exciting event, so come and join the production as the cast takes you down the yellow brick road!

“It is a dream come true to be a part of what I consider the epitome of Black excellence,” said The Wiz choreographer Knight. “There’s not one piece of art that has had an influence on popular culture like The Wiz. I’m humbled to not only have the opportunity to leave my own mark on a true work of art, but to continue the storytelling and legacy building on the beauty of blackness through dance, movement & attitude. I’m honored to stand on the backs of those greats who’ve opened this door, such as Louis Johnson and George Faison; and I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to help show kids who look like me that the Theater is a world where they can see themselves.”

The Wiz will be live at the Pantages Theatre from the 13th of February to the 3rd of March 2024 with shows every single day, including multiple times on weekends. You can get your tickets here by clicking ‘get tickets.’