After beginning preview performances November 24, Hope Mill Theatre’s production of The Wiz officially opened in Manchester November 28. The show is scheduled to play through January 16, 2022.
A Black re-imagining of The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz tells the story of Kansas farm girl Dorothy as she works to find her way home after being transported in a tornado to a magical land. The musical, which boasts a soulful score by Charlie Smalls and a book by Will F. Brown, first opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre in 1975, earning seven Tony Awards including Best Musical.
The Hope Mill Theatre production stars Cherelle Wiliams as Dorothy, Tarik Frimpong as the Scarecrow, Llewellyn Graham as the Tin Man, Jonathan Andre as the Lion, Cameron Bernard Jones as The Wiz, Anelisa Lamola as Addaperle, Bree Smith as Aunt Em and Glinda, Kofi Dennis as Lord High, and Ashh Blackwood as Evillene. Rounding out the company are Andile Mabhena, Shayna McPherson, Dylan Gordon-Jones, Samantha Shuma, and Marisha Morgan.
Directed by Matthew Xia with choreography by Lea Hill, The Wiz features musical supervision and orchestrations by Sean Green, musical direction by Ehsaan Shivarani, designs by Simon Kenny, sound design by Tony Gayle, projection designs by George Reeve, associate projection design by Kira May O’Brien, associate costume design by Maybelle Laye, lighting design by Simisola Majekodunmi, casting direction by Ryan Carter, and casting mentorship by Anne Vosser.
The Wiz is produced by Hope Mill Theatre, Ameena Hamid Productions, and Chuchu Nwagu productions.
