Stephanie Mills played Dorothy when “The Wiz” had its world premiere in Baltimore in 1974. Diana Ross had the role in the 1978 movie. Now the producers of the new Broadway-bound touring production of “The Wiz” have found their Dorothy too.
Broadway newcomer Nichelle Lewis, a 24-year-old Virginia native, was selected over 2,000 others who sought the coveted role of Dorothy in the revival of “The Wiz” that’s launching at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre from Sept. 23 to 30 and traveling to 12 other cities before opening on Broadway next spring.
Casting agents discovered Lewis on TikTok — a platform never used by the Munchkins in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” the L. Frank Baum novel from which the musical is adapted — and invited her to audition. It will be her Broadway debut.
Here is a TikTok video of Lewis singing “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston:
@iamnichellelewis I tried to sing with my recording, but clearly messed up lol sorryyy 💕 #whitney #whitneyhouston #ihavenothing #singer #songwriter #musical #tiktok #reels #recording #nyc ♬ original sound – Nichelle Lewis
Named to play Dorothy this week, Lewis joins an all-Black cast that includes Deborah Cox as Glinda, Kyle Ramar Freeman as the Lion, and Baltimore native Melody Betts as Aunt Em/Evillene. Alan Mingo Jr. will be in the title role in Baltimore and other cities until Jan. 14, 2024; Wayne Brady will play the Wizard starting on Jan. 16 and continuing when the show gets to Broadway.
A 2021 graduate of Molloy University in New York, Lewis has previously performed in the national tour of “Hairspray” (as Dynamite/Cindy Watkins); “Little Shop of Horrors” (as Chiffon/Crystal); “Bare: A Pop Opera” (as Ivy), and “Labelless,” a new musical.
She won first place in the Young Adult Popular Voice category at the 2021 Music International Grand Prix. She also competed on the latest season of “American Idol,” winning a Golden Ticket but not making it to the Hollywood round. https://youtube.com/watch?v=e0aHjEG4v94&feature=share
Here are clips of Lewis singing, including her rendition of “Home” from “The Wiz”:
“It’s been a pretty crazy journey,” The Associated Press quoted her as saying. “I’m honored to be making my debut as Dorothy. I know I’m following some really big footsteps.”
Getting a call from “The Wiz” was a surprise, she added.
“You never know who’s watching those videos. I never knew that The Wiz was looking at my videos” on TikTok.
Lewis had started her career singing in church and show choirs while booking gigs at weddings when “American Idol” contacted her on Instagram to audition for the show last summer, according to a bio on wizmusical.com.
“Nichelle always felt she had a calling much bigger than herself,” the bio states. “It wasn’t until she was asked to sing a solo tribute to her late father at age 10 that she realized what that calling was. She mustered up as much courage as she could to sing, “My Help,” and by the end of the song the whole church was moved to tears of love and joy. In that moment, she knew she was called to inspire others through song. Nichelle truly believes the voice she sang with that day could have only been a gift, one she continues to hone and discover new things about over the years.”
Starting this month, the cast and crew of “The Wiz” will spend about five weeks in Baltimore for rehearsals and other technical work before the show opens – a boost for the local economy.
Ticket information about “The Wiz” and other shows at the Hippodrome is available at BaltimoreHippodrome.com.
