I think this actress did a strong job with the material and has a great voice. HOWEVER, The Wiz was conceived with a black cast in mind, and is one of very few shows with a cast filled primarily with people of color. It's an iconic black piece in the American musical theater cannon, and is adored within the black community. This is NOT an attack on the performers in this production. There are a vast majority of shows that favor white actors over poc, and this show helped to even out the playing field and advance the careers of many black performers. The book and the score transcends race, but we should make sure we don't gloss over the shows origins as if they don't matter.
+Ariya Hawkins i get what you have to say, but our school is doing this and no coloured people offered to do it so we couldnt give coloured people roles.. also i dont think you can purchase The Wizard Of Oz so this is the best you can get
I think this is one of the dumbest comments I've ever read on UA-cam. If you want to see how silly it is, imagine if I protested that "The Wiz" was based on a White movie called "The Wizard of Oz" and that Black people shouldn't forget THAT. The reality is that Charlie Smalls would very likely have loved that Black AS WELL AS White people all over the world adore his musical so much. You wrote that the show is adored "within the black community" but you should realize that it obviously is adored by the White community as well--not to mention the Asian, Latino, etc., communities. Finally, would you have preferred that the show be performed by White people in black make-up--or that it not be performed at all by non-poc people, thereby denying other of the joy this musical brings...? Obviously, I'm being sarcastic, but your comment is silly enough as to warrant a little sarcasm. :)
I agree don't white wash our shit ....... And don't call it The Wiz because The Wiz was the black version... Now The Wizard of Oz was the white version
ok and if this was the wizard of oz all black and the white community said that the protests would be real bad, that's whats sad, we get called racist a lot by black people but they are actually racist a lot.
On one level: this girl nailed her audition. So I’ll give her that. And she is doing amazing in this part. But this is a black musical. But eh: it a high school production so... eh? Shoulda done the 1939 musics instead.
You did such an amazing job and are so beautiful! I found out I have been cast as Dorothy for my school performance of the wiz in june and was wondering if you have any tips seeing as you performed so well! x
Honestly, I think it would be cool to see a mixed cast, not just one of only one race. I understand that it was created to favor people of color, and that many feel it is wrong to include Caucasian people in the casting, however, in some areas of the US its just not possible to meet the ethnic demands. This performance was entirely stunning, I just don't think anyone should be giving hate based on the race of the actors and actresses involved.
I can only assume you're referring to the fact that The Wiz was originally staged with an all-Black cast on Broadway. That's maybe what made The Wiz unique but, at its heart, it's just a different take on the Baum material. I saw this production live and it was easily one of the most moving Theatre experiences I've had the honor to enjoy and it didn't matter what "color" the cast was. :)
I really don't get why people are getting so salty over the fact that she's white. Yes, the show was originally written for an all black cast, but that doesn't mean that white people are forbidden from doing it. The color of someone's skin has nothing to do with their talent or their ability to play a role.
Would you say this same thing to the All-Black cast of Hello Dolly when Pearl Bailey played Dolly in the 1970’s? Or when Nell Carter lead a multi-racial cast in the mid 1990’s? Just wondering.
Alan Collins Maybe you know this by now, but the underrepresentation of black people is general are the reason for these changes. White actors have plenty of other opportunities for roles, so making the cast or play purposefully black doesn’t take away opportunities, but rather gives them to people who may not have had them before.
![Diana Ross - Soon As I Get Home / Home [The Wiz] 1978](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OvfTZXiWAXE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Diana Ross - Soon As I Get Home / Home [The Wiz] 1978](/img/tr.png)
I think this actress did a strong job with the material and has a great voice. HOWEVER, The Wiz was conceived with a black cast in mind, and is one of very few shows with a cast filled primarily with people of color. It's an iconic black piece in the American musical theater cannon, and is adored within the black community. This is NOT an attack on the performers in this production. There are a vast majority of shows that favor white actors over poc, and this show helped to even out the playing field and advance the careers of many black performers. The book and the score transcends race, but we should make sure we don't gloss over the shows origins as if they don't matter.
+Ariya Hawkins i get what you have to say, but our school is doing this and no coloured people offered to do it so we couldnt give coloured people roles.. also i dont think you can purchase The Wizard Of Oz so this is the best you can get
I think this is one of the dumbest comments I've ever read on UA-cam. If you want to see how silly it is, imagine if I protested that "The Wiz" was based on a White movie called "The Wizard of Oz" and that Black people shouldn't forget THAT. The reality is that Charlie Smalls would very likely have loved that Black AS WELL AS White people all over the world adore his musical so much. You wrote that the show is adored "within the black community" but you should realize that it obviously is adored by the White community as well--not to mention the Asian, Latino, etc., communities. Finally, would you have preferred that the show be performed by White people in black make-up--or that it not be performed at all by non-poc people, thereby denying other of the joy this musical brings...? Obviously, I'm being sarcastic, but your comment is silly enough as to warrant a little sarcasm. :)
Ariya Hawkins fuck you, you racist piece of shit. If you don't like it don't watch.
I agree don't white wash our shit ....... And don't call it The Wiz because The Wiz was the black version... Now The Wizard of Oz was the white version
ok and if this was the wizard of oz all black and the white community said that the protests would be real bad, that's whats sad, we get called racist a lot by black people but they are actually racist a lot.
On one level: this girl nailed her audition. So I’ll give her that. And she is doing amazing in this part.
But this is a black musical. But eh: it a high school production so... eh? Shoulda done the 1939 musics instead.
YOU DID INCREDIBLE! I'm so excited to play Dorothy!!! ❤️
U r a great singer and u shouldn't give a damn about the haters they are just jealous ! U have a gorgeous voice !!
Amazing singer
entertaining though. wonderful singer!! :D
Wow you sound Amazing...
All white version of the Wiz (O_o)
In all fairness, though, it's a pretty great performance.
You did such an amazing job and are so beautiful! I found out I have been cast as Dorothy for my school performance of the wiz in june and was wondering if you have any tips seeing as you performed so well! x
MsJessVg how did you do as Dorothy?
It went amazing I got the songs nailed by the shows (although they were so hard to master!)and having a real dog made it even better!
Doing this for an audition on Sunday! Any advice anyone? :)
I certainly don't care what color the cast is ... if there was a production of an all black Wizard Of Oz ... that wouldn't bother me either.
Honestly, I think it would be cool to see a mixed cast, not just one of only one race. I understand that it was created to favor people of color, and that many feel it is wrong to include Caucasian people in the casting, however, in some areas of the US its just not possible to meet the ethnic demands. This performance was entirely stunning, I just don't think anyone should be giving hate based on the race of the actors and actresses involved.
I can only assume you're referring to the fact that The Wiz was originally staged with an all-Black cast on Broadway. That's maybe what made The Wiz unique but, at its heart, it's just a different take on the Baum material. I saw this production live and it was easily one of the most moving Theatre experiences I've had the honor to enjoy and it didn't matter what "color" the cast was. :)
your a really good singerkellianne! you shoulg go for movies seriously
@Alayna Roberts actually it is Whiz the musical .
She starts singing at 0:44
the wiz is a different version of the wizard of oz
why is she white? 🤨
Im a girl and im doing this play at my school and in dorothy
I might too the dorothy at my school musical The Wiz :)
I really don't get why people are getting so salty over the fact that she's white. Yes, the show was originally written for an all black cast, but that doesn't mean that white people are forbidden from doing it. The color of someone's skin has nothing to do with their talent or their ability to play a role.
1:40
This is not The wiz!!
we know
......
YOU HAVE THE WIZARD OF OZ. DO NOT PUT YOU ALL WHITE CAST IN A VERSION OF A BLACK SHOW JUST DON'T, THIS IS SO DISGUSTING
Would you say this same thing to the All-Black cast of Hello Dolly when Pearl Bailey played Dolly in the 1970’s? Or when Nell Carter lead a multi-racial cast in the mid 1990’s? Just wondering.
Alan Collins Maybe you know this by now, but the underrepresentation of black people is general are the reason for these changes. White actors have plenty of other opportunities for roles, so making the cast or play purposefully black doesn’t take away opportunities, but rather gives them to people who may not have had them before.
this is not like the wiz at all.