The Wiz

Alexander Road High is delighted to celebrate our 70th birthday with the production of The Wiz in May 2025. The Wiz is a family friendly interpretation of the classic ‘Wizard of Oz’ and follows Dorothy on her journey through Oz as she tries to get back home to Kansas. She meets some interesting characters along the way, namely Scarecrow, Lion, Tin Man and The Wiz himself, to name a few! The musical encompasses music from the gospel, R&B, jazz, funk, disco and soul genres to tell the beloved story, supported by hip hop, contemporary, African, vogue and musical theatre dance styles. 

The Wiz is unique in its interpretation of the original story, as the show is centered around African American culture, and opened on Broadway in 1974 with an all-black cast. The original production won 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical! This was the first musical on Broadway that was created, produced, and performed fully by African Americans. The themes within The Wiz are universal, such as believing in yourself and your vision, growing a strong team, taking risks, communicating clearly, and leading with empathy and compassion in the face of adversity. The Wiz, although taking inspiration from the classic story, is an independent take on the world of Oz with an entirely original score, and the characters are all unique and fantastical in their own way. 

The Wiz has become a cult-classic amongst many communities, largely due to the film of the same name that starred Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Lena Horne (to name a few) spreading the toe-tapping, heart-wrenching, and joy-inducing score of The Wiz! The Wiz has been revived many times since 1974, and a recent NBC Live special cast Ne-Yo, Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah to great critical acclaim. Just last year, The Wiz had a revival on Broadway and is currently on tour throughout the US. 

The Wiz is directed by Amber-Dawn Burnhams, choreographed by Chireen Ferreira, and in her musical direction debut is Caryn Pretorius, recent Top 5 finalist of The 2025 South African Composer Competition.

The musical runs from the 7th-17th May and will be at The Percy Walker Hall at Alexander Road High. A tuck shop and coffee truck will be available at interval.

We look forward to seeing you at this joyous show in its GQ debut!