The Enduring Legacy of The Wiz: Afrofuturism, Identity, and Imagination

When Dwandalyn Reece was a kid, in the 1970s, her mother took her to see the original Broadway production of The Wiz, the groundbreaking all-Black stage adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Watching Stephanie Mills play the role of Dorothy, and “telling this story from this point of view—it made an impact,” recalls Reece, who is now the associate director for the humanities at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

A Groundbreaking Musical: Reimagining Oz

The musical not only reimagined the story with Black characters, but it also carved out its own identity, with new songs written by, among other artists, the composer Charlie Smalls and the R&B legend Luther Vandross, from “Ease on Down the Road” (a soulful take on “Follow the Yellow Brick Road”) to “Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day.” The latter song, like many Vandross classics, is jubilant, and its exaltations of liberation and hope take on special meaning when sung by Black characters, speaking to the long struggle for freedom.

The show, directed by the Trinidad-born American actor and dancer Geoffrey Holder, who also designed the costumes, earned seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Direction and Best Costume Design. Sidney Lumet’s 1978 film version, starring Diana Ross, Richard Pryor and Michael Jackson, further cemented the story as a part of American pop culture.

André De Shields and the Iconic Wiz Character

Essential to The Wiz was, of course, the Wiz, played on Broadway by André De Shields. “This character was modern, he could move to soul music and he had something to say,” Reece says. He wore a tight white jumpsuit, boots and a spectacular emerald-lined cape. With that cape and collar, De Shields says in an interview with Smithsonian, “he’s a superhero.” De Shields, now 79, brought his electric style and charisma to the character. His famous introductory number is “So You Wanted to Meet the Wizard,” and De Shields’ Wiz was somebody everyone would want to meet.

Even 50 years later, fresh off reprising a Tony-winning role in Hadestown in London’s West End, De Shields remembers the creative joy of bringing the Wiz to life. “That’s the deliciousness of being an actor,” he says. “You become a chef. You get into that kitchen and you see what you’ve got in your cupboard. You take a little of this and a little of that, a pinch of this and a pinch of that, a morsel of this and a morsel of that, and you throw it all together and you make something new, different, exciting, surprising and medicinal.”

Underneath the Wiz’s bravado, De Shields says, he’s just as lost as young Dorothy, who only wants to get back home. He wears the mask of an all-powerful wizard to hide the fact that he’s an ordinary person. He discovers that by helping Dorothy and her friends realize that they had the brains, heart and courage they sought all along, he is also empowering himself. Turns out, he really was the Wiz all along, too.

Afrofuturism: The Wiz’s Distinctive Visuals and Message

Geoffrey Holder’s Vision

A big part of the show’s identity is its distinctive look. Holder, describing his inspiration for the stage production in an interview years later, said, “I wanted to make it an American fairy tale,” and as Reece points out, the Wiz costume’s aesthetic fits squarely in the realm of Afrofuturism, an artistic movement that blends Black history with science fiction, fantasy and other speculative elements. It also often specifically represents the African diaspora: At the heart of Afrofuturism, says Steven Lewis, curator of music and performing arts at the museum, is “wanting to celebrate and affirm not only African American culture but different Black cultures around the world.”

Reece has previously described Holder’s costume design as embodying his interest in African heritage, his own Caribbean upbringing and his eventual diasporic perspective, which made The Wiz a “down-to-earth folk interpretation” of the original material. For example, Holder’s Tin Man, which is also in the museum’s collection, brings various influences together: His oilcan was fashioned from a Dominican percussion instrument known as a güira, his hat was a skillet, and his beer-can-and-scrap-metal suit looked as though it was collected straight from the streets of American cities. Holder’s designs feel rooted in the past while envisioning new horizons. As De Shields puts it, “You cannot know where you’re going if you do not know where you’re coming from.”

The Wiz’s Costume: A Symbol of Liberation

And for a man who famously escapes Oz in a hot air balloon, the Wiz is fittingly dressed: His costume is “a flight jumpsuit, it’s a spacesuit,” Reece says, symbolizing an endeavor that, literally and figuratively, exemplifies reaching new heights. “That liberation of aspiring toward space—that’s a very clear message.”

Imagination as a Tool for Survival

Afrofuturism’s message is still relevant, as is The Wiz’s legacy. A new production of the musical is currently on a national tour.

Reflecting on Afrofuturism’s special resonance for Black audiences, De Shields zooms in on one word: imagination. His Wiz character, he says, created a persona to make it in the Land of Oz, just as people do in reality. “Our strongest tool for survival is imagination.”