By Walter Rutledge
What do you do when you need to replace a Tony Award winning actor? You replace her with anyone Tony Award winning actor! And that’s just what George Faison did with The Wiz: A Celebration In Dance And Music, the concert version of the 1975 Tony Award winning musical presented in the City Parks Foundation SummerStage series August 12 through August 14.
Dee Dee Bridgewater, who won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Glinda, the Good Witch of The South in The Wiz, opened the concert on Wednesday, August 12 at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. Due to prior commitments Bridgewater could only perform opening night. On Thursday, August 13 the production moved uptown to Marcus Garvey Park for two final performances and in true “The show must go on” style Tony Award winner Lillias White took over the role.
Again for a second night the audience began to arrive in the afternoon for the free performance and by show time the overflowed crowd spilled out of the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater. White did not disappoint she stepped into the role of Glinda and with an entourage of tuxedo clad men brought Dorothy and the musical home!
There is one final performance tonight. The evening begins at 6:45 with a master class by Darrin Henson. This is a free performance and seating is first come first served so you better arrive early!
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Good Morning Walter, I was there last eve. I only have one word to say about the production. It was FABULOUS. Miss Ellie