Prepare yourself because this December, Fatima Robinson will choreograph the NBC live production of The Wiz. Oh yes, Fatima. Robinson.
The iconic show is a perfect fit for the versatile and inventive Robinson who has choreographed and directed numerous music videos for artists such as Janelle Monae, Michael Jackson, Pharrell, Mary J. Blige, Aaliyah, The Black Eyed Peas, etc. She is also no stranger to musicals and film with her work in Save the Last Dance, Sparkle, and Dreamgirls. Robinson is one of Entertainment Weekly’s “100 Most Creative People in Entertainment” and is one of only two African-American women in history to choreograph the Academy Awards- the first was Debbie Allen. She has set the standard for exciting and imaginative dances of every style for over 25 years making her one of the most sought-after choreographers in the world.
The original 1975 production of The Wiz featured music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and a book by William F. Brown and is a re-imagining of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The Broadway production won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical. In 1978, Motown Productions and Universal Pictures produced a film adaptation (that played in this writers living room every Sunday in the early ’90s) starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Lena Horne, and Richard Pryor as “The Wiz”.
This upcoming retelling of The Wiz will be directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon (Raisin in the Sun) and will feature stunning acrobatics by Cirque du Soleil Theatrical along with updated material by Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots, La Cage aux Folles, Newsies).
The Wiz will air live on NBC on December 3rd.
Learn more about Fatima Robinson in this really great StyleLikeU interview below.
