www.knowitalljoe.com DIANA ROSS in "THE WIZ" Also Srarring MICHAEL JACKSON · NIPSEY RUSSELL TED ROSS · LENA HORNE and RICHARD PRYOR (as "THE WIZ") J.oducnon Des1gn & Costumes by Songs by Mus1c Adapted & Su perv1sed by TONY WALTON · CHARLIE SMALLS · QUINCY JONES Executive Producer Ed1tor Direcror of Photography KEN HARPER · DEDE ALLEN · OSWALD MORRIS G.s .c. Speoal V1sual Effecrs by Screenplay by Produced by ALBERT WHITLOCK · JOEL SCHUMACHER · ROB COHEN D1recred by SIDNEY LUMET Oased on rhe ploy 'THE WIZ' o Oool~ by WILLIAM F GROWN o Music and Lynes by CHARLIE SMALLS Prod uced on rhe New Yorl~ Stage by KEN HARPER o A MOTOWN PRODUGION o A UNIVERSAL PIGURE o TECHNICOLOR • 1978 Universal City Studios, Inc. All rights reserved. · - uE WIZ is a trademark of and licensed by Universal CitY Studios, Inc. ---~ /"'-. ' . ·- DIANA ROSS Born and reared in Detroit, Diana Ross, as a teenager, was part of a trio called T he Pri­ mettes. They sang around the area until the trio gravitated to Motown Records. Renamed The Supremes, the rest became musical his­ tory. Las Vegas, New York, television, world ­ wide tours, the Supremes were just that- su­ preme. Then, Miss Ross left the group in 1969 to become solo performer. She was soon nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in her first fi lm, Lady Sings the Blues. She followed with Mahogany, for which she was not only the star but also the costume designer. During her singing career, she super­ vised or designed many of her costumes for the stage, preparing her to combine her fav­ orite hobby with her acting career. Her record­ ing of the Theme From Mahogany went to No. 1 on the charts and was also nominated for an Academy Award. That year- 1976- she was named "Female Entert ainer of the Century" by Billboard Magazine. Early in 1976, Miss Ross made a triumphant tou r of Europe which was followed by her Broadway debut at the Pa lace Theatre breaking the a ll -time, 63-year­ old house record and winning a "Special T ony Award" fo r this outstanding Broadway achieve­ ment. She followed these personal appearances with an NBC-TV Big Event Special-the first 90- minute one-woman prime-time special in tele­ vision history . Laced throughout this phenom­ enal rise were her No. 1 single records, Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand) and A in't No Mountain High Enough, in addition to her numerous top-of-the-charts albums. Surrounded by her three daughters, Rhonda Suzanne, T racee Joy and Chudney Lane, Miss Ross delights in them as the main focus of her life. Being a de­ voted mother, and creating a warm , happy and secure environment for her children, are prior­ ities in Diana's life. t\11CHAEL NIPSEY TED JACKSON RUSSELL ROSS --<K-gh he was only five years old at the time, With a reputation as "the fastest ad lib any­ In 1969, Ted Ross cam e t o New York from San Jackson joined his four brothers where," Nipsey Russell is in constant demand Francisco, w here he had been w orking as an e T i to, Ma rion and Randy in what w as to in night clubs and on television-f or game actor. After some months of sea rching, he f in­ a musical phenomenon, "The Jackson shows, talk shows and celebrity panels. Rus­ ally lan ded a small role in Big Time Buck White, :hen being formed by their father. Mich· sell w as born in Atlanta, Georgia, where at t he remaining wit h the show u ntil it closed. He the!' age of four he was doing a tap dance and won a role in James Weldon Johnson's touring Jacksons," was born in Gary, Indiana, on rhythm routine in an act called "The Ragam uf­ company of Trumpets of the Lord but dropped 29, 1958. After signing with Motown, fins of Rhythm." College-educated at Cincinnati out w hen he was offered the chance to work iP Jackson Five" recorded four singles, each University, Russell claims his real learning came Purlie in 1970. When Purlie closed three years ·•ch reached the No. 1 spot on the charts- from the streets and backstage at various clubs later, he won a featured role in Raisin. He he played. Abandoning the dance, he soon be­ moved directly f rom that into The Wiz winning 'J Be There. T hey have sold sixty million came know n as one of the youngest comic com­ a T ony Award for his perfo rmance which he es and albums worldwide including 14 mentators in show business and devel oped an repeats in t he screen version. His su mmer holi­ and Plati num singles and 15 Gold and enormous and enthusiast ic follow ing at New day that year w as spent in Georgia, appearing ,.,um albums. In recognition of the group's York's Baby Grand Club where he w as installed in Th e Bingo Long Traveling A/1-Stars and e.ements, they were cited by the N.A.A.C.P. for years-billed as resident comedian, folk phil­ Motor Kings with James Earl Jones, Billy Dee times with the Image Award as "Musical osopher and humorous observer of life's foibles. Williams and Richard Pryor. The following year p of the Year." The Jackson Five have Ru sse ll's stage appearances include an updated he was back in t he South f ilming a televisior .ed two Grammy nominations, for ABC version of Cabin In the Sky, summer stock movie in Mississ ippi, entit led Minstrel Man. ;.. • 971 and for Dancing Machine in 1974. productions of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple few months later, he was signed for an N BC also received the "Group of the Year" and the original Broadway production by The series, Sirota's Court. Ross was born in Za nes­ :•ds from both Sixteen Magazine and Soul Theatre Guild of Langst on Hughes' Tambourines ville, Ohio, and was raised in Dayton. Upon - ·cctions. The Jacksons have had their own to Glory. Russe ll is a "regular" on the long­ graduat ion from high school, in 1952, he was shows and perform everywhere from L as running television show, To Tell the Truth, and inducted into the U .S. Air Force. In 1957, he :-;as to a Royal Command appearance at the has been seen nationally on many other show s joined an instrumental-vocal group called "The Jubilee in Scotland. Now w ith Epic on the home screens including The Tonight Fabu lous T ones" and moved w ith the group to Places, Show, Rhyme or Reason and on seve ral D ean Los A ngeles. He t hen moved on t o Seattle, ther rwo numbers they have written. Martin Celebrity Roasts. to San Franc isco, and finally to New York The Stage Musical Scarecrow (Hinton Battle). T inman (Tiger Haynes), Lion (Ted Ross), The Wiz (Andre de On January 5, 1975, The Wiz opened on Broad­ Shields), Evillene (Mabel King), Glinda (Dee way. The musical comedy produced by Ke n Dee Bridgewater). Aunt Em (Tasha Thomas) Harper had its premiere in Baltimore on Octo­ and Uncle Henry (Ral ph Wi lcox). ber 21, 1974 and proceeded to Detroit and The MGM Movie Musical Philadelphia before arriving in New York. It was in 1970 t hat the idea for a contem­ Eve n before the film had opened, The Wizard porary all-black version of the classic was con­ of Oz was being proclaimed as a cinema classic. ceived by Ken Harper, who had been working The world premiere on August 15, 1939 at for WPIX-Radio in New York as disc jockey, Grauman's Chinese Theatre was one of the music director and public affairs director_ great Hollywood events of its generation. The After a shaky start, The Wiz went on to con- magic was repeated t wo days later at the Capitol . quer Broadway, winning seven of the 1975 Theatre in New York, where the film was ac­ Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score companied by stage appearances of its star, (Charlie Smalls). Best Director (Geoffrey Hold­ Judy Garland, and her frequent film partner, er). Best Choreography (George Faison). Mickey Rooney, during the f irst week. Best Costumes (Geoffrey Holder), Best Sup­ No expense or effort was spared by MGM porting Actor (Ted Ross, the Lion) and Best Studios, headed by Louis B. Mayer, in the pro­ Supporting Actress (Dee Dee Bridgewater, duction of the film which cost $2.777,000. T he Glinda). producer was Mervyn LeRoy, whose ca reer was The stage musical also won the 1976 Gram my principally as a director, and the associate pro­ Award for Best Original Cast Show Album. ducer was Arthur Freed, a songwriter who went Other participants in the production in­ on to become Metro's top musical producer. cluded: William F. Brown, who wrote t he book; The director was V ictor Fleming, who left Tom H. John, settings; Tharon Musser, lighting; the film three weeks before the completion of Harold Wheeler, orchestration; Charles H. Cole­ shooting on March 16, 1939, to take over the man, vocal arrangements and Tom Pierson, direction of Gone with the Wind. The six-month musical direction. shooting schedule began in September, 1938 The original cast featured the following per­ with Richard Thorpe directing, but filming was formers in key roles: Dorothy (Stephanie Mills) , halted t wo weeks later, when Buddy Ebsen playing the T in Woodman became ill from h is silver make-up and was replaced by Jac k Haley.