Schele Williams, Nichelle Lewis, Avery Wilson, Phillip Johnson Richardson & Kyle Ramar Freeman discuss Broadway’s The Wiz.
Everybody look around, there’s reason to rejoice! The Tony Award®-winning Best Musical that took the world by storm is back. Based on L. Frank Baum’s children’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Wiz returns home to the stage with an all-new adaptation.
Get tickets here: https://goo.gle/3UZv4CT
Learn more about the show here: https://wizmusical.com/
Schele Williams is a director committed to cultivating new musicals and devised work with authentic representation on stage and off. Profiled in Variety’s Top 10 Broadway to Watch, she is currently directing the upcoming Broadway revivals of Aida (Disney Theatrical Group) and co-directing the Broadway-bound production of The Notebook. She will also be helming Hidden Figures, currently in development (Disney Theatrical Group). Schele has directed at regional theaters and festivals across the country and has a long history of work on Broadway in Rent, Aida, and Motown: The Musical. Passionate about pairing social justice with the arts, Schele is a founding member of Black Theatre United, an organization committed to dismantling systemic racism on our streets and stages. She has been a member of Broadway Inspirational Voices for over two decades and serves as Chairperson of the Board, and also serves on the board of Broadway Care Equity Fights AIDS. Schele is the author of the children’s book Your Legacy: A Bold Reclaiming of Our Enslaved History, recipient of a 2022 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor.
Nichelle Lewis (Dorothy) is a 24-year-old native of Virginia, and she is thrilled to portray Dorothy in the revival of The Wiz, marking her Broadway debut. The New York-based singer-songwriter has performed in the national tour of Hairspray (Dynamite/Cindy Watkins), Little Shop of Horrors (Chiffon/Crystal), Bare: A Pop Opera (Ivy), and most recently, Labelless, a new musical. Nichelle says all of this to say that she is unbelievably grateful for the amazing opportunity to portray Dorothy. A character who, much like herself and others, overcomes many trials and tribulations in life that only help to make her stronger, wiser, and more determined. Nichelle is grateful to her mother, who raised her children with a will like no other and encouraged Nichelle to stay on the path, remain hardworking and kind, and to never stop listening to her heart. And finally, she would like to thank her friends and family, both present and looking down from above, for their love and immense support.
Kyle Ramar Freeman (Lion) is a Miami native who has been singing and acting from an early age. Now based in Harlem, Kyle made his New York debut in the original Broadway cast of A Strange Loop, a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Best Musical. Kyle is currently leading the cast of A Strange Loop in London. Other credits include: 1st national tour of Once on This Island (Asaka), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Calypso). Kyle is a graduate of AMDA.
Phillip Johnson Richardson (Tinman) is a native of North Carolina and a graduate of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Phillip can be seen in the A24 feature film Sharper starring Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan and John Lithgow streaming now on Apple+. He was a series regular in the Apple+ series Little Voices. His first job out of school was with the Chicago company of Hamilton. His television appearances were guest appearances on The Last O.G., Chicago PD, Proven Innocent and The Other Two. Phillip has released several of his own singles on Apple Music and all streaming platforms under the moniker of Phil.
Avery Wilson (Scarecrow). The New Haven, Connecticut, native spent his entire life working towards this moment. Encouraged by his family, he went from singing at McDonald’s every Wednesday to dropping a series of independent releases, culminating with On Top of the World in 2012. A year later, music legend Clive Davis personally signed him. Throughout 2015, he made headlines, performing at the BET Awards, and dropping “Change My Mind” (feat. Migos). The latter impressively racked up 7.7 million Spotify streams and cemented a fervent fan base around him. Going independent, he maintained his momentum on 2018’s FYI EP before dropping the 8:34 EP in 2019. The latter received acclaim from Rap-Up, Soul Bounce, and more right out of the gate. Along the way, he continued to cross paths with super producers and songwriters, Grammy Award-winning Claude Kelly, Damon Thomas and James Fauntleroy to work on his upcoming music he will be releasing in 2023.
Moderated by Jessica Guerrero.