The Wiz (film) as the film was Ross's final theatrical feature. In his book "Blockbuster", Tom Shone referred to "The Wiz" as "expensive crud". In the book "Mr. and Mrs. Hollywood", the author criticized the script, noting, ""The Wiz" was too scary for children, and too silly for adults." Ray Bolger, who played the Scarecrow in the 1939 "The Wizard of Oz" film, did not think highly of "The Wiz", stating ""The Wiz" is overblown and will never have the universal appeal that the classic MGM musical has obtained." Jackson's performance as the Scarecrow was one of the only positively reviewed elements of
The Wiz Live! The Wiz Live! The Wiz Live! is a television special that aired live on NBC on December 3, 2015. Produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, it is a performance of a new adaptation of the 1975 Broadway musical "The Wiz", a soul/R&B reinterpretation of L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". The broadcast is performed live from Grumman Studios in Bethpage, New York. This adaptation of the musical combines aspects of both the Broadway play and its 1978 film adaptation. Pit voices were provided by Broadway Inspirational Voices. Source: Broadway World All numbers composed by Charlie Smalls save