Victor P

My thoughts on the not-so-nice reviews of the most recent theatrical release of The Wiz. No, no, no, no... not more "academic" reviews of The Wiz. I get it, everybody has an opinion or cinematic analysis. However, for many of us, The Wiz isn't just a movie; it's a touchstone, a source of comfort, and a celebration of community, resilience, and the enduring power of love and memory. Being Black and gay growing up in the South in the seventies and eighties, this movie represented far more than technique or opinions. I understand, on an intellectual, "technical" level what some reviewers say about this movie musical, but that really isn't what it's about for so many people who grew up watching it and, hopefully, still do. It's all about feeling. It's about meeting people who are not like you, who are on a shared and individual journey, and making the best of it by helping each other get there. I wish more people who criticize and review this production would make a greater effort to understand the deeper cultural context it represents for so many. As a baby boomer who moved away from the South and my family to find the proverbial Emerald City, The Wiz is an ever-enduring reminder that there really is no place like home, and one can always go back, whether that be physically or in the memories of the heart. Each of those characters continues to beautifully represent a family member or friend or a neighbor whom we loved or who loved us as a child—back then, or the one who still lives within. Don't nobody bring me no bad news about The Wiz! Stop it, and let us continue to just believe in ourselves.