Local stars Wiz onto stage

THE volunteers chorus will tread the boards from June 24, joining a cast of seven professional actors in a glitzy production of this African-American, soul-inspired, retelling of L. Frank Baum’s classic tale The Wizard of Oz. 

The Wiz is a soulful, musical adaptation of a story we all know and love, featuring Motown classics Everybody Rejoice, If You Believe, Ease On Down The Road and the beautiful showstopper Home. 

Treyc Cohen entered the X Factor in 2010 and was chosen from thousands as Cheryl Cole’s ‘wild card’ act, but having got to the final 16 performers for the live final, she was eliminated during a sing-off with controversial contestant Katie Waissal. 

She makes her professional musical theatre debut as the feisty Dorothy who wishes to escape from her dull and dreary life in the north of England and is transported to the magical world of Oz. Dorothy slowly comes to recognise that there is more to home than she ever realised.

The Wiz is a soulful, musical adaptation of a story we all know and love, featuring Motown classics Everybody Rejoice, If You Believe, Ease On Down The Road and the beautiful showstopper Home. 

Originally produced on Broadway in 1975 this inspiring musical won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Choreography before being made into the cult 1978 film starring Diana Ross as Dorothy, Michael Jackson (bizarrely) as The Scarecrow and Richard Pryor as The Wiz. 

Easing on down the road with Dorothy are her friends the Lion (Clive Rowe), the Scarecrow (Wayne Robinson) and the Tinman (Horace Oliver), who are all in search of The Wiz (Peter Straker).

 A high quality cast is led by Clive Rowe who was nominated for the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in Carousel, and won the 1997 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for Guys and Dolls. He is also well known for playing Duke in the long running children’s TV series, The Story of Tracey Beaker.

The Wiz will be choreographed by former Eastender Paul J Medford with musical direction by Warren Wills.

Tickets for THE WIZ which is likely to sell out fast can be reserved by calling West Yorkshire Playhouse Box Office on 0113 213 7700 or by visiting www.wyp.org.uk