Nichelle Lewis Follows Stephanie Mills As Newest Dorothy In ‘The Wiz’ Broadway Revival
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Nichelle Lewis has some big shoes to fill as the 24-year-old thespian has been recruited to play the role of Dorothy in the revived Broadway show The Wiz. A role that was originally trail-blazed by Stephanie Mills, Lewis will now show the world her version of the character.
According to The Associated Press, the “triple threat” has already been a part of the live musical Hairspray, as well as American Idol as a contestant. However, it was Lewis singing “Home” on TikTok that landed her on the radar of casting directors for the comeback of the 1975 Broadway show.
“I’m so excited that this is a part of my story, because I feel like there’s so many people out there who started out with such a small following and I feel like they’re hard on themselves about it,” she told AP on Monday (Aug. 14). “But I’m like, ‘You never know who’s watching those videos.’ I never knew that ‘The Wiz’ was looking at my videos.”
Lewis will tour with the production this fall and make her Broadway debut next year. “It’s been a pretty crazy journey,” the Virginia native said about the opportunity. “I’m honored to be making my debut as Dorothy. I know I’m following in some really big footsteps.”
The Wiz will premiere in Baltimore before making its way to NYC’s Broadway in 2024. Lewis will join a talented cast including comedian/TV personality Wayne Brady and Alan Mingo Jr., who both will take on the role of the Wiz. R&B singer Deborah Cox is set to play Glinda, Kyle Ramar Freeman as the Lion, Phillip Johnson Richardson as the Tin Man, and Avery Wilson as the Scarecrow.
The production originally debuted on Broadway in 1975 and starred Stephanie Mills as Dorothy, Dee Dee Bridgewater as “good witch Glinda,” and Andre De Shields as the Wiz. The show went on to win seven Tony awards, including one for Best Musical. Deemed the “Black version” of The Wizard of Oz, the playbill boasted classic songs including “What Would I Do If I Could Feel” and “Ease On Down the Road,” and “Home.”
For Lewis, taking on the role of Dorothy means much to her as she identifies with the character: a young woman “alone on a journey of self-discovery in a new world, while also helping others along the way find themselves.”
“I feel like it’s extremely important for people, especially right now, to see that they can be powerful just by being themselves and just by being individual and unique,” she added. “So I think that’s how the show speaks to me.”
In 1978, The Wiz made it to the big screen as the adapted movie starred Diana Ross, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor as the Wiz. Michael Jackson co-starred as the Scarecrow, with Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man and Ted Ross as the Lion. In 2015, NBC premiered The Wiz Live! with Queen Latifah, Ne-Yo, David Alan Grier and more.
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