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Health & Fitness

Move Over Diana Ross: Theatre Company Brings 'The Wiz' to Chicago Heights

As the Drama Group prepares to unveil its May production of 'The Wiz,' a Chicago Heights business owner revisits his past experience with Charles Smalls's classic black spin on 'The Wizard of Oz.'

I'm excited about something. 

Something that involves yellow brick roads, witches, slippers and a wizard. Something that doesn't involve Disney, James Franco or Mila Kunis. Something that I can only see in Chicago Heights.

The Wiz is coming to town, folks!

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The Drama Group is rehearsing the nearly 40-year-old musical at its studio, working toward a big debut on May 3 at the Bloom Auditorium Theatre, located at 10th Street and Dixie Highway in Chicago Heights. The cast, filled out with a heaping supply of munchkins and winkies, is currently rehearsing several days per week and is ramping up for an impressive show, led by director Tyler McMahon.

Part of my curiosity about this show comes from my cursory familiarity with the musical. When I say "cursory," I really mean "barely existent." I am only familiar with The Wiz through the 1978 movie, starring Diana Ross. I was a big fan of Michael Jackson and saw the film at a young age because I knew he portrayed the Scarecrow. Though I loved Jackson's performance, I wasn't moved by the rest of the film and had little urge to ever see The Wiz again. End of story.

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Then I had kids.

Without much ado about apples falling from trees, I'll say my oldest son also became a big fan of Michael Jackson. While I was never a fan of the The Wiz, I saw it as a fun new way for my son to see Jackson perform. He, like I, was impressed with Jackson, but largely bored by the rest of the film. End of Story No. 2.

But it didn't end there. 

See, the older me is more inclined to question the popularity of things I don't like, rather than write them off as boring. On top of that, Google is one of my newer best friends (perhaps a sad truth). So I plugged "The Wiz" into the ol' search bar to see if I could learn a little more about the history of the musical and, hopefully, understand why other people liked it. 

It was there that I learned I wasn't alone in my unenthusiastic response to the film version of Charles Smalls's classic. Panned by critics and initially ignored by movie goers, The Wiz was far from the well-liked film I assumed it was. Upon reading about the award-winning stage musical and its powerful social commentary on race and pride, I was able to chalk the film up as the poor delivery of a monumental message. Since then, I've wanted to see a live performance of The Wiz, if only to introduce my son (and myself) to the story we were supposed to be seeing when we watched that film.

Now I'll have that chance. 

Over the past 80 years, the Drama Group has grown into a respectable staple of the Heights and may be one of the city's best kept secrets. Even I, a three-year resident who has considered himself a credible source on the Heights, am embarrassed to say I've never been to one of its productions.

That will change in May. I am eager to have my mental image of The Wiz turned on its head by a talented, longstanding icon of theatre in the South Suburbs. I'll be following the Drama Group's journey from rehearsals to opening night, taking a closer look at its interpretation of a modern classic. So stay tuned.

If you would like to buy tickets to The Wiz, look no further, as I have kindly transformed this ordinary sentence into an extraordinary link to where you can purchase them

Also, feel free to visit The Drama Group website to see what other shows are coming this summer (Hint: There's a pretty girl named Maria in one of them).  

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If, for some reason, you are interested in following me, you can find my media production and public relations business, Paicely Productions, on those same social networks:

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