I remember when this used to come after Soul Train on Channel 5 (when it was simply called KTLA, way before it became The WB CW), and whenever it came on during the holidays I used to pause everything to watch with fam. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…
1978
Starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson (before he was a monster), Nipsey Russell and Richard Pryor. You already know what The Wiz was all about. It was The Wizard of Oz but with soul! The movie was an adaptation of the 1975 Broadway musical originally starring Stephanie Mills as Dorothy.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZC_sdHwBAQ]
This was a long trailer but did you watch it all the way through? Did you peep it at about 2:25, when they were singing “Brand New Day?” That was New York City, especially Harlem, when Obama won. And I’m not even gonna pretend like I wasn’t amongst those people wilding in the streets jumping, dancing and singing for joy (OK, maybe I wasn’t singing lol).
Soundtrack:
The soundtrack featured original compositions from Quincy Jones and Charlie Smalls, who scored the play.
*Gangstarr Fact
I was vocal major at a performing arts high school in NYC (the “Fame” school) and on my first day in voice 1, I had to sing a song so the teacher could assess my vocal ability. I sang the Stephanie Mills version of “Home.” *blushes*
