Next spring will see the first Broadway revival of The Wiz, the iconic Black musical reimagining of The Wizard of Oz, in 40 years. But Chicagoans can get a look at the production before then, when it hits town as part of a national tour. Among the leads for the new staging is Chicago actor Melody A. Betts, playing a juicy pair of roles: Dorothy’s aunt Em and the wicked witch Evillene. Betts, who was born in Baltimore but raised here, works regularly at such local theaters as the Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, and the Marriott, and she most recently appeared in Lyric Opera’s world premiere of The Factotum. We spoke to her about the local production, which runs November 28 to December 10 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.
Q: I was rereading interviews about the 2015 live TV production, and all its big stars talked about having grown up with the movie soundtrack or doing productions of The Wiz in school. Do you have that kind of a personal connection to the show?
A: Yes. You know, The Wiz is a staple in our community because it gave so many of us the opportunity to see ourselves on film and onstage and hear ourselves recorded. When I was just about 2 or 3 years old, my mother bought me the vinyl recording of the soundtrack, with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson and all of them, and it intrigued me so much that I just listened to it repeatedly. It would be years before I actually saw the movie, but the soundtrack was part of my daily life for I don’t know how long, that’s how much it affected me even as a little bitty human being with a barely developed brain. I believe it’s one of the reasons I’m in musical theater.
Q: Will you use this production to introduce young people in your own life to The Wiz?
A: I have a 19-year-old daughter at home. She’s well versed in the theater, since it’s been her mother’s career her entire life. But this will be the first time I’ve ever done this show, and the first time she’ll ever see me in a role like this. Also, I have a master’s from Western Illinois University, and my alumni organization, Dumela, supports the students of color in the theater department. I’m looking forward to bringing them out to see the show.
Q: Second City alum Amber Ruffin, a Tony nominee last season as cowriter of Some Like It Hot, is writing some new material for this production. What tweaks is she making?
A: First of all, I just want to speak to the genius that is Amber Ruffin. She is quite hilarious. And yes, there are some rewrites happening, so there’ll be a fresh eye and a fresh take on this production. The thing that Amber has done, which is quite magical, is that she figured out a way to include each of our personalities into our roles. So some of the lines are really specific to who we are and what we bring to the table. That mind of hers is something of a wonder.
Assassins
Evanston’s Theo Ubique takes its shot at Stephen Sondheim’s dark-humored musical about nine individuals who made attempts on the lives of American presidents. Through Oct. 27–Dec. 17
The Lifespan of a Fact
A fastidious magazine fact-checker faces off against a writer who believes a good story is better than a true one in this comedy of errors and corrections at TimeLine Theatre Company. Nov. 1–Dec. 23
The Lion in Winter
Court Theatre’s Ron OJ Parson revives James Goldman’s acerbic portrait of scheming and squabbling royals in 12th-century England. Nov. 3–Dec. 3