Nearly 50 years ago, The Wiz took Broadway by storm. Subtitled âThe Super Soul Musical,â the show was a modern re-telling of L. Frank Baumâs The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. More importantly, it was a celebration of Black artistry and excellence. MGMâs The Wizard of Oz had âOver the Rainbowâ and âFollow the Yellow Brick Road,â while The Wiz had R&B break-out hits âHomeâ and âEase on Down the Road.â
And leading both of those iconic numbers as The Wiz's Dorothy was a then-total newcomer, Stephanie Mills. Not even 18 years old when she was first cast, Mills danced and sang her way into the hearts of millions, becoming a beloved R&B artist in her own right after sheâd hung up her silver slippers. (Yes, the slippers in The Wiz were not ruby, but silver, as they were originally in Baum's book.) Thereâs not much thatâs more exciting than watching a performance from an unknown knowing that youâre likely witnessing the birth of a star.
Now in 2023, The Wiz is poised to make a triumphant return with a brand-new production thatâs touring the U.S. before bowing on Broadway, the showâs first major staging in decades. And producers are looking to rekindle that special magic with another fresh face as its leading lady: Nichelle Lewis. You might not know that name yet, but after you hear her sing, youâre not likely to ever forget it.
Lewis came to the production in an unconventional way, which is to say it didnât start with an audition. This young star-to-be was found on social media, a TikTok video of her singing to be exact.
âIt's kind of wild, because I used to not really like social media. I used to try and stay away from it,â Lewis told us over the phone during the showâs rehearsals. âI wanted to do something so that I could continue singing when I wasn't able to do it for work a little while ago, and so that's why I started [posting videos]."
And those social media posts have really worked out for her. Before it put her on the path to becoming Dorothy in The Wiz, it also got her noticed by the producers of American Idol. Lewis was invited to be a contestant on the singing competition's 2023 season. âJust knowing that people have seen it and they've seen my passion and my love for itâitâs wild, that that's what got me to this point,â she says with the wide-eyed happiness of an incredibly talented 24 year-old.
That passion and love is very purposeful for Lewis. She started singing because of a tragedy, the death of her father. What started as a tribute to her dad in church soon became a way of bringing happiness back to her life when that seemed nearly impossible. It also showed her she could give that happiness to other people. âThereâs something very soulful about [singing],â she shares. âIt heals me and makes me happy. It keeps me grounded and reminds me of why Iâm doing this.â
And that backstory might just be why Lewis was a perfect fit for The Wiz. Every moment of the show was crafted to create an explosion of joy, whether itâs the joke-heavy book (featuring new material from comedian Amber Ruffin in this iteration) or Charlie Smallsâ soulful, energetic score. The Wiz is the type of show that is tailor-made to plaster a big smile on the face of everyone in the audience.
âDorothy leads with joyâall the characters do,â says Lewis. âWe want to be hopeful and remain hopeful. I think everyone in life feels that wayâthey just want a little bit of hope. Being able to be in a show that celebrates that joyâthat Black joy, Black excellenceâI just think itâs really beautiful.â
But that joy is about more than simply being happy, according to Lewis. Itâs about being at peace and feeling free, which Lewis says is the real heart of The Wiz. Having sung the showâs iconic finale song âHomeâ several times while studying musical theatre at Molloy College, she went into this production thinking that song would be her favorite. But she says sheâs actually been connecting more with one of Dorothyâs other songs, âBe a Lion.â That song, which doesnât have a counterpart in the MGM movie musical, is sung by Dorothy to the Cowardly Lion after theyâve come up against a terrifying foe. Dorothy sings the powerful anthem to help the Lion find his inner strength, a concept The Wiz doesnât wait to introduce until its final moments like the MGM Wizard of Oz.
âDorothy is getting a little bit of confidence and sheâs seeing that she can give that to someone else,â shares Lewis about the song. âThatâs something a lot of Black individuals in this world need today, to be told âitâs okay to be who you are and to love who you are.ââ
Lucky for us, the powers that be sawâand heardâwho Nichelle Lewis is on TikTok. And now she gets to share that with all of us from the stage.
For a full itinerary of The Wizâs pre-Broadway tour, visit WizMusical.com.