Nipsey Russell or Jack Haley? Yuk. Neither. Haley’s a bit too snivelly, Russell…well…the less said, the better.
Jackson/Bolger: Bolger…barely. It’s the humor that does it. He’s got the right attitude. That said, Jackson was great.
Ross/Lahr? Hmmm…Lahr’s Bronx/Brooklyn accent was so poifect for da lion dat I can’t pict’re da lion widdout it. Lahr wins, easily.
Margaret Hamilton vs Nell Carter? Hamilton was a better scary wicked witch…Carter just rocked. Tie. The comparison is apples and oranges anyway since Hamilton didn’t sing.
Fenris
Having just played piano and assistant conducted a production of The Wiz, I am biased to the point where I prefer it over The Wizard of Oz. Yes, the movie sucks, but the stage version is really wonderful. Plus, during rehearsal I think I heard certain songs more times than I’ve heard Over the Rainbow in my whole life, and I didn’t get tired of THOSE.
What? The Wizard of Oz has music? I always listen to it muted with Dark Side of the Moon in the background. And for that reason among many others, The Wizard of Oz wins in my book.
Return to Oz freaked me out big time. That thing should have been PG-13 at least.
I love 'em both. Wizard of Oz brings back good childhood memories & The Wiz brings back good pre-teen memories.
Having said that, the last time I watched The Wiz (sometime last year), it seemed like all Diana Ross did was make her eyes bug out and look scared. Did it seem like that to anyone else?
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is one of my faves, and so is “Be a Lion”: “There is a place we’ll go, where there is mostly quiet…flowers and butterflies, a rainbow lives beside it…”
