Happy Hour #20: A Wizarding Wipeout – ‘The Wiz’

Discuss on Reddit ➤ Support the Show ➤ Ease on down to this week’s podcast where we’re hitching a ride on a balloon all the way to Oz; we’re chatting all things ‘The Wiz’! Jimi and Tommy discuss the significance of the show in musical theatre history, go head to head on the movie and give thanks to Shanice Williams for giving us life! The Wiz (Original Cast Album) Amazon / iTunes / Spotify SHOW NOTES We’ve talked about it before, but there’s always time to relive the camp television moment that is the exit of the Dorothys on BBC’s ‘Over the Rainbow’ - now with bonus voice cracking from EmFlem! The 80s brought out some of the most twistedly dark and amazing kid’s films. Could ‘Return to Oz’ be the crowning glory? Phylicia Rashad is much more than just Mrs. Cosby! Did you know she was the first black woman to win the Tony Award for Best Actress? Here’s her beautiful acceptance speech. We obviously don’t endorse bootlegs, but if you really wanted to you can watch the entire 1984 revival online with Stephanie Mills doing her stuff! But you didn’t hear it from us… It’s a travesty that Michael Jackson never got to do anymore musical theatre before he died. The commitment he put into developing The Scarecrow was exemplary. Check out him and Miss Ross easing on down that massive sound stage. Shameless plug alert! Check out part one of Jimi’s YouTube series on live musical theatre recordings and the future of musical theatre! Take a look at some of the exciting changes NBC are making to their annual televised broadcast after the successes of ‘The Wiz Live!’ and ‘Grease: Live.’ Check out the incomparable Shanice Williams breaking everyone’s hearts in the finale of ‘The Wiz Live!’ - and bask in the glory of that perfect cyclorama usage. Then as if you think it couldn’t get any better, have a look at eleven year old (yes, eleven!) Jazmine Sullivan riff the house down with her rendition of ‘Home’ in her high school production - and learn how to do it with Natalie Weiss! On Thursday the 20th October it’s Rocky Horror night on FOX! Crack out your fishnets and squirt guns and get ready to (potentially) have the night of your life! Here’s the most comprehensive (and R-rated) guide to the audience participation we could find, but for all you virgins out there (it’s a technical term) we’ve got you covered! But hey, it’s a whole new show so maybe it’s time to make a new set of memories! A LIFE-THREATENING QUIZ QUESTION During which musical are you more likely to die in Stuttgart than you are in Los Angeles? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices