Ease On Down the Road...

As a child of a woman who appreciated great art, music, theatre and Blackness, one of the first films I remember from childhood is the 1978 film, The Wiz. If you've never seen The Wiz, what the hell is your problem?! you need to find it and receive all of it's goodness. The original The Wiz was a Broadway musical and was an all Black adaptation of  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that starred Ms. Judy Garland. A classic film, beautiful music, a memorable moment in musical film history.

But wasn't nan Black person in it.

So, here comes Mr. Berry Gordy, the creator of Motown records and Motown Productions and his ties with Universal Pictures and long story short, WALLAH, magic. This is before the cast included Diana Ross as Dorothy, Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man, Ted Ross as the Cowardly Lion, Micheal Jackson as the Scarecrow, Lena Horne as Glinda the Good Witch of the South, Mabel King as Eviline the Wicked Witch of the West and Richard Pryor as The Wiz...or the Atlantic City, New Jersey born Herman Smith.

                                                        DO YOU SEE THOSE NAMES?!?!?!

That doesn't even include the choir singing the BACKUP vocals and the musicians and writers of the songs. But I need for you to get your own life and research for yourself. Besides, I need to get to the point...

So NBC is doing a...I wouldn't say remake...but they're doing a new adaptation of The Wiz for TV and after re-watching the original film adaptation of The Wiz, I can't say that I agree with all of their casting choices. For example, I love Dana Owens. As a fellow Jersey girl and WHO YOU CALLIN A BITCH affiliate, I recognize that she's one of the best to ever do it. And her weave/press is always flawless, I admire that as well. Buttttttttttttttttt...I wouldn't have cast her as The Wiz, who was originally played by Richard Pryor. Not never. I know she's capable of all things, but I just...I just don't know. And Eviline?! Originally played by Broadway actress best known for her role as "the mom from What's Happening", Mabel King will be played by Mary J. Blige.

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                                                           I mean...again, I LOVE MJB but...

I sound like a hater and I'm not, I just don't stand in agreement with this. No amen from me.

I do believe that you should be the change you want to see in the world, so my friend Kersa and I decided to recast. Here's what we decided.

Kersa voted Ne-Yo in as the Tin Man, before I could get this blog out of my head, it was announced that Ne-Yo actually received the part! She called it.

Auntie Em, will be played by Stephanie Mills who originally played Dorothy for the Broadway debut of The Wiz could also be played Uzo Aduba or Loretta Devine. But we're not mad at the casting of Stephanie Mills at all.

The Cowardly Lion will be played by David Allen Grier. Who I believe would be amazing in the role after seeing him in Porgy & Bess on Broadway a few years ago. But we wanted him to play someone else lol so I cast Phillip Boykin as the Cowardly Lion. Boykin was in the same run of Porgy & Bess as Grier, Look him up!! 

Now being that the Scare Crow was originally played by Micheal Jackson, you KNOW there was some serious dancing involved, that being said, if Chris Brown could just pull himself together for 5 minutes he would be perfect!
Glinda the Good Witch of the South will be played by Uzo Aduba which again, I'm not mad at. But I'm suggesting that Uzo plays Auntie Em, because that voice!!!!! Superb. So in her place we chose Ms. Jill Scott.
Ms. One, one of the first "people" you meet in Oz, would be Queen Latifah  and was chosen by Devyn. She's in kindergarten and she knows what she's doing because Kersa and I couldn't agree more.

Now the reason we started all of this recasting, Eviline and The Wiz, himself.

For The Wizard we chose Mike Epps. A comedian who's proven he also has some serious acting chops. But being that he's playing Richard Pryor in a biopic, it might be weird. So Kersa suggested Kevin Hart. I'm not 100%  with that either, but David Allen Grieras The Wizard...I'm here for that. Hell, if they wanted to switch it it up and have a woman play The Wizard, I wouldn't be mad at Sheryl Underwood either.

Then there was Eviline. After much back and forth, debating and re-imagining, we remembered Fantasia. Vocals out of this world and acting cred to boot. A well reviewed run on Broadway in her pocket and everything.

So that's what/who we came up with. Watch the original film yourself and see if you agree!! Or just watch to watch and enjoy. Let me know what you think! And as always...

                                                               

   dig and be dug...

Relax. Relate. Release.

I'm frustrated. I'm trying to step up and make things happen for myself, mainly so I can repay everyone who's ever done anything for me. And I feel stuck. Like my feet are stuck in the La Brea tar pits or something. So I'm sinking and stuck. I'm not sure how I got here, I can't pinpoint it, but I need to figure it out so I don't make this mistake again. Whatever this mistake was.

But I'm not going to analyze the "whys" and "what ifs"on this here blog, because they aren't really the point of my needing to share my dilemma. Especially since the root of my dilemma seems to be typical for a lot of people I know. Not everyone. But more than a few. I think what might be different about my situation is...I feel SO guilty about feeling frustrated. Not sure if the two go hand in hand but, in this instance, they do.

Guilt started about a week and a half ago, now. My friend from childhood lost her father. Then that Friday, another friend lost her father. Then this past Thursday, my cousin lost her mother.

And here I am annoyed, angry even, that I can't even land an interview.

It just seems so small. EVERYTHING seems so small. I always try to focus on the positive in everything I do, in every obstacle. But for the life of me, I can not even begin to imagine my life without my parents. My mama went to Turks & Caicos for her and my stepfather's 15th anniversary and I couldn't figure out whether I should buy my lunch or just buy dinner because I forgot to take anything out to thaw before I left for work. I realized I couldn't call her and on the absolute lowest of keys...I panicked. Eventually Zaxby's was a blessing to me, but until I figured that out...yo...

It seems stupid. And it's not that I can't think for myself, or I'm so interdependent that I starve without any help from my mama making up my mind. But she and I are just that close. She says all the time that were supposed to be sisters and on some levels, I agree. Although I really couldn't handle my older sister being THAT much smarter than me. Nope. Be my mama, lady.

Anyway, I just needed to get things off of my mind. Keep my friends and family in your prayers, if you pray, or at least in your positive thoughts. Send them positive energy. Remember how blessed you are and how gifted you are, even if others don't take the time to see it.

I won't complain about my frustrations trying to plan my life and my friends and family are planning funerals. Some things are unnecessary. Spread love.

...dig and be dug...

Hi There :)

**Clears dust off your screen**

Hey.

It's been years since I've written anything and I've been bitten by the bug. Again.
A lot's happened since we last met in this place and I must say I've missed you. Yeah, you.

Since we last spoke in November 2012, I've moved outta my mama house (yassss) to Atlanta, I have only ONE job (say what?!) and I'M SINGLE. Ok, well that last part isn't new at all but, still.
As far as America is concerned, it's still spiraling into the abyss of 1930s race relations (Black folk are LITERALLY being lynched) and women's rights (planned parenthood is stealing birth tissue from abortions and sending it to medical facilities...WTF).

I just...I mean...a lot is happening and I need to let off some steam. My laptop crashed and I only get a total of 120 minutes in the library so we'll see how this works out. Hopefully I can maintain better than before. Only having one job gives you a little free time lol. I went through some drafts and I had some good ideas 3 years ago, maybe I'll expound. We shall see.

Stay tuned. She's got some things so say.




...dig and be dug...