Twister-ed up and deposited in a strange land called Oz, a young girl named Dorothy sets off to meet the mysterious Wiz in hopes of finding her way home to Kansas again. Along her yellow brick path, she meets a brainless scarecrow, a heartless tin man, and a cowardly lion, each looking for somethin g they feel they’ve lost. Banding together to reach the Emerald City, the eclectic group soon learns that, with each step and every obstacle overcome, their resilience comes from the community they build and the strength that has been within them all along. Adapted from the well-known book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by author L. Frank Baum (and popularized by the 1978 film featuring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson), The Wiz is a musical reimagining of the fantastical, magical story — with a book by William F. Brown and music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls — told through the lens of the African American experience. A vibrant display of the music, language, fashion, and movement of Black culture, this national tour of The Wiz at the National Theatre is a joyful celebration of friendship, strength, and all the places (and people) we call home.  Cal Mitchell as The Lion, Phoenix Assata LaFreniere as Dorothy, D. Jerome as The Tinman, and Elijah Ahmad Lewis as The Scarecrow in the North American Tour of ‘The Wiz.’ Photo by Jeremy Daniel. Hurled into this bright and colorful new world is the intrepid Dorothy, played by Phoenix Assata LaFreniere. With a kind face and an open heart, LaFreniere’s Dorothy immediately endears you to her and makes you feel as though you too are easing on down the road. Barely ever off the stage, and with each song more vocally demanding than the next, LaFreniere delivers an impressively formidable performance with fluid, traipsing vocal runs and a brightness that brings warmth no matter the scene’s focus. While there are many standout moments for LaFreniere, her interpretations of “Wonder, Wonder Why” had to be my favorite for her agility and sensitivity, and “Home,” of course, for her declarative agency.  Bumbling onto Dorothy’s path, and into the audience’s affection, is Scarecrow, played by Elijah Ahmad Lewis (EAL). With a delightfully chaotic assemblage of larger-than-life personality ticks and facial expressions, EAL pushed his performance into every twitch, every gesture, and every vocal fry–soaked riff — particularly in “You Can’t Win.” In this part that lends itself to improvisation, I can only imagine EAL has unending fun mixing things up each night and trying to make his fellow actors break.  In balance to the jaunty Scarecrow, the silky smooth stylings of the Tinman, played by D. Jerome, are equally as captivating. A seemingly impossible mix of stiff and suave, Jerome’s Tinman was a standout from his increasingly unlocked pop locking of “Slide Some Oil to Me” to his captivatingly soulful rendition of “What Would I Do If I Could Feel.” Similarly, the Lion, played by Cal Mitchell, had a gorgeously raw vocal quality to his tenor — best on display in “Mean Ole Lion” and “Be a Lion” — that added both grit and vulnerability to a character who looks so large and yet could feel so small.  Powerful performers in their own right, a next level of magic kicked into gear when these four leads joined together. Be it in spirited dance breaks, affectionate teasing throughout, or the spine-tingling tight harmonies expertly showcased in “Ease on Down the Road – Reprise,” this quartet added up to a hundred.  Often guiding and sometimes detouring the group’s way, the Good Witches of the North, Addaperle, and South, Glinda, brought the flair, the personality, and the looks. From Dorothy’s first step in Oz, Amitria Fanae’s comedic timing and auntie energy gave Addaperle a warm, lived-in vibrance that was infectious — particularly leading up to “He’s the Wiz.” And glittering in gold and sparkles, Sheherazade infused Glinda with a hopeful effervescence, from her resplendent frohawk crown to her tinglingly inspiring rendition of “Believe in Yourself.” The diva foil determined to block Dorothy’s way was crowd favorite and vocal powerhouse Kyla Jade as Evillene the Wicked Witch of the West (also playing Aunt Em). With jaw-dropping vocal command and extraordinary, earthquaking soul, Jade brought down the house in “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News” with more agility and musical creativity than I’ve heard in a long time. Truly the definition of a joyful (and still evil) noise.  Equally in it for himself, but much less upfront about it, was the wonderful Wiz, played by Alan Mingo Jr. With a bright smile and an easy manner, Mingo’s Wiz was smooth talking, smooth singing, and smooth footing from “Meet the Wizard” to “Y’all Got It” — cape, cane, tracksuit, and all.  The ensemble in Emerald City in the North American Tour of ‘The Wiz.’ Photo by Jeremy Daniel. Rounding out this touring company was the hardworking ensemble — Sai Anthony, Lawrence Drandridge, Cynthia Elise, Gregory Hamilton, Omar Madden, Micah Jeremiah Mims, Nia Nelson-Williams, Charlotte Odusanya, Moriah Perry, Khi’Shawn A’Quez Robinson, Kameren Whigham, and Chanse Williams — covering every role from crows to roads to Ozians. Providing the sprightly latticework of the production, favorite moments for me were “He’s the Wiz,” “Everybody Rejoice/Brand New Day,” and every dance interlude in “The Emerald City” — all showing off the group’s wide-ranging singing and dancing talent. What I appreciated most about this cast is that each ensemble member had a distinct personality they wove into their many characters, and it was great fun to track them throughout the performance.  Shaping this playful world was direction by Schele Williams and choreography by Jaquel Knight. Together, they supercharged the lively pulse at the center of this show. As they wove in everything from modern jokes to African dance, it was clear that highlighting Black cultural touchstones for this beloved work was not only important but a delight. This same tapestry of reference and thoughtfulness was worked into the imaginative scenic design by Hannah Beachler, beautifully detailed costuming by Sharen Davis, colorful make-up design by Kirk Cambridge Del-Pesche, and intricate hair and wig design by Charles G. Lapoint. Lively lighting design by Ryan J. O’Gara and sound design by Jon Weston also gave the show range and dimension. The one outlier among the creative elements was the video and production design, which unfortunately fell flat due to their overuse of what appeared to be AI-generated animation. While I’m sure the attempt was to add depth and variety similar to that of the other creative and dramatic elements, what actually resulted was overly busy, often cartoonish projections that both clashed stylistically with the rest of the show’s artistic choices and frequently undermined the emotional depth of the scenes playing out in front of them. (Some examples being the star projections during “Believe in Yourself,” which pulled focus from the song’s stunningly emotional centerpiece, and the wicked witch lair projection during “Ain’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News,” which was so cluttered that even the wonderful choreography lost its visual impact.) For a show already so boisterous, vivid, and deeply layered, the projections served more as distractions and detractions from the whole, rather than enhancements to the rest of the production.In spite of the experimentation with this latest technological wizzbang, the national tour of The Wiz is a treat. Back at the National Theatre for one week only, The Wiz is a nonstop celebration of live performance, the luminous strength of Black culture, and the collective power of community. With a talented company and infinitely humable, toe-tappable songs, The Wiz is an exuberant reminder that with enough head, heart, and courage, we too can make home — inside ourselves and beyond. Running Time: Two hours and 20 minutes including a 20-minute intermission. The Wiz plays through April 12, 2026, at The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC. Purchase tickets (starting at $100.70) online or at the National Theatre box office. The national tour cast and creative credits are onlinehere. ...read more read less