07/08/09 The WIZ (Emergency Meanwhile Movie) @ Wealthy Theatre

The Wiz (1978)

Directed by Sidney Lumet
Starring Michael Jackson, Diana Ross & Richard Pryor

In this version of the classic story - based on the smash Broadway musical - Dorothy is a shy 24-year-old Harlem kindergarten teacher who is brought by a snowstorm to the mysterious Land of Oz, a sprawling, decaying, nightmarish, and dangerous megalopolis that resembles the physical characteristics of New York City. The re-telling of the tale includes various urban settings, extreme sadness and melancholy, and features themes of rising above one's background and the expectations of others.