ORLANDO, Fla. – “The Wiz,” now performing at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, is soup for the soul, warming hearts and minds as it kicks off the 2025-2026 Broadway in Orlando lineup.
First premiering on Broadway fifty years ago featuring an all-Black cast, this seven Tony Award winning musical is honoring its roots while offering a fresh new tour to delight today’s audience.
Full of quick-witted lines, the cast of characters kept people laughing while also dazzling the audience with incredible singing, high-energy choreography, enchanting set designs and vibrant costumes, yet also serving up a side of nostalgia from a simpler time.
“The Wiz” loosely follows the story of the classic “The Wizard of Oz.” While there were no Munchkins or mentions of Toto, Dorothy, starring Dana Cimone, is still blown away to the land of Oz by a tornado. Wicked witch, Evillene, and good witch, Glinda, kept the plot highly entertaining as Dorothy longs to return home to Kansas.
Cimone’s beautiful voice captivated the audience. Along her journey, she encounters Scarecrow, performed by Elija Ahmad Lewis, whose impressive moves nailed dancing hay.
I personally fell in love with the Tinman, performed by D. Jerome, whose voice boomed throughout the theater, as well as the humor of the Lion, performed by Cal Mitchell, whose search for courage tickled the audience throughout the show. Alan Mingo, Jr. who played The Wiz seemed made for the role.
Numbers like “Ease on Down the Road,” “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News,” and “Home” land with the kind of vocal power and rhythmic drive that make them feel newly essential rather than old standbys.
Visually, the staging is a triumph. The creative team has embraced color, texture, and motion. Set pieces unfold with the precision of a pop-up book while lighting projections ripple across the theater without overwhelming the performers.
This year’s Broadway season at the Dr. Phillips Center is set to be spectacular, with Tony Award-winning productions like “The Outsiders, ”& Juliet," “Six,” “Hadestown” and more all on the schedule. There will also be a special Orlando debut of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” while novels like “Water for Elephants” and “The Notebook” will be brought to life in the Walt Disney Theater.
“The Wiz” is performing in Orlando through Oct. 5, 2025.