Tuesday, November 5

Tag: Leah Hill

The Wiz – Hope Mill Theatre
North West

The Wiz – Hope Mill Theatre

There are a few big secrets in musical theatre. One of the biggest is that aside from one overwrought and over-covered number there’s not a lot of great music in The Wizard of Oz. It’s not the only retelling of L. Frank Baum’s original story, so why is it considered a classic when The Wiz remains unknown to many? Unknown despite having more songs, better music and a lot more heart? Why have there only ever been three professional UK productions of The Wiz on stage? Why has it never made it to the West End, whilst a lordly revival of the Judy Garland movie was deemed worthy of a primetime TV show? Important questions. I will leave the answers to others except to say there was something incredibly powerful about taking a seat in the Hope Mill Theatre in front of a sparse stage and a...
Hope Mill Theatre to stage the first new UK production of The Wiz
NEWS

Hope Mill Theatre to stage the first new UK production of The Wiz

Hope Mill Theatre has announced that this Christmas it will stage the first new UK production of The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” in 10 years.  With music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls, book by William F. Brown and original orchestrations by Harold Wheeler, The Wiz is a retelling of L. Frank Baum’s classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This new production will be directed by Actor’s Touring Theatre’s Artistic Director and previous Royal Exchange Associate Artistic Director Matthew Xia, Musical Supervision and Orchestrations by Sean Greenand and Choreography by Leah Hill. Hope Mill Theatre are also thrilled to be co-producing alongside producer Ameena Hamid and brin...