To wit, Dorothy and crew famously Ease on Down the Yellow Brick Road, but they only do so after every cab they approach turns on its "Off-Duty" sign and refuses to pick them up. Quincy Jones was skeptical of Jackson . Here are some other slices of WTF? It's been used in a number of films. When it came time for the Scarecrow part, Michael stepped to the microphone and began to sing, not the bright-sounding Michael Jackson of I Want You Back but the 18-year-old MJ whose voice had evolved into something as smooth and powerful as the Concorde. In the 1978 film, Dorothy is afraid of life away from her Aunt Em, but over the course of the musical, learns to be more assertive and knowledgeable of her strengths. On that wonderfully logical premise, the classic Wizard of Oz was transformed into a Broadway musical named The Wiz, and then the most expensive movie musical ever made. The Wiz came along at a perfect time for Berry Gordy and Motown Records. And this also makes me think about the subway in Silent Hill 3. On the set, Michael took extremely seriously his choreography sessions with Louis Johnson, whod been a pioneering African-American ballet dancer over years of punishing Hollywood racism. Pay no attention: Critics like that wouldn't know a yellow brick road if they saw one. If any story could use a spoiler, it's this one. Though the future may not be certain, being strong after times of vulnerability is an alright thing. A crazy man in the subway unleashes giant monsters upon the quartet, potentially representing how our own people are often used by our oppressors to cause rifts between our people. What the Tin Man does not see in himself is the fact that he is one of the most compassionate members of the foursome, which juxtaposes his theory that he does not have a heart. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. Mabel King was then starring in What's Happening!! in terror. Join me below as I highlight some of the best of these location-transforming scenes. This could be us, but youre not social-distancing. The movie. Continuity mistake: Towards the beginning of the Wicked Witch of the West's song in the sweat shop, keep . Please don't list it on a work's trope example list. After watching on dozens of occasions, particularly the underwear dance scene, I cannot tell you if The Wiz is good, but I am certain that it is great. A reimagining of L. Frank Baum 's classic 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz featuring an all African-American cast, the film was adapted from the 1974 Broadway musical of the same title. It is based off the successful 1975 Broadway show of the same name. The name of the wicked witches in this version are Evilene and Evermean. We can't see enough of him to get to know him. Would love your thoughts, please comment. The songs get a little sticky about here (all sorts of unthrilling messages about how you can achieve anything if only you believe) but Diana Ross knows how to sell them, and she has a virtuoso solo in a totally darkened frame that reminds us of Barbra Streisand's closing number in Funny Lady.. To Aunt Em; Glinda and Aunt Em are the most wise and maternal figures in Dorothy's life throughout the course of the musical. Along comes Miss One, the Good Witch of the North (Thelma Carpenter), who apparently runs a gambling racket. that someone will find out that I'm a fraud. The Snow Babies in all of the closeup shots were related to the stars of the movie. Oooh yeah! There are so many liminal scenes within The Wiz! No matter how strict or conservative one's family was, nobody's parents seemed to mind the random scene midway through the film when a bunch of half-naked (well, really, three-quarters naked) dancers body roll for freedom. In fact, people can see us as being intelligent, courageous, empathetic and comforting, when we see just the opposite in ourselves. The show premiered on Broadway in 1975 and won seven Tony Awards. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (also known as The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3) is a 1974 American crime drama film directed by Joseph Sargent, produced by Gabriel Katzka and Edgar J. Scherick, and starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, and Hctor Elizondo. There, she makes new friends, battles evil witches, and seeks the aid of the all-powerful and mysterious Wiz. https://medium.com/media/aaaab1fb5e4ffb83dd8e892f7d03de03/href. Showing how much we care and displaying our thoughtfulness in the end for those around us is what is most important. Saw this on the tv in the late 1980s. He looked at Michael the way a jaguar looks at a goat, Cohen says. The Feature Film The Wiz (1978) was filmed at Astoria Studios in Queens, New York. In other words, we're watching prostitutes trying to kill our heroes by making them overdose. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Our heroine, Dorothy, has been transformed from a Kansas teen-ager to a twenty-four-year-old black schoolteacher. Everyone I knew had seen The Wiz dozens of times, owned the VHS, and watched it at family gatherings and on random Saturday afternoons. 2/The Wiz/Soundtrack Version) Quincy Jones 2:00 3 The Feeling That We Have (The Wiz/Soundtrack Version) Theresa Merritt 3:30 4 Can I Go On? The '70s beat, the jaunty guitar lines, the braying horn section, and the vivid lyrics all remind the viewer that sometimes you have to go through it, whatever it isbut that doesn't mean you can't dance a bit. This movie changed Dorothy's shoes from ruby slippers back to silver slippers, as in the original L. Frank Baum story. You can talk to me crazy. The Jackson 5's a Vegas act," the director told Cohen. open/close all folders Main Characters Dorothy Gale Scarecrow Tin Man Cowardly Lion The Wiz Glinda Evillene Addapearle/Miss One Aunt Em Supporting Characters Toto Uncle Henry Evamean Gatekeeper Lord High Underling Inhabitants of Oz Munchkins Crows Kalidahs Poppies But of course, no matter how many times we remake her story, Dorothy has to go through hell before she can get back to normal. The speech delivered by Glinda the Good Witch at the end of the film, and the song "Believe in Yourself", are particularly laden with est-ian concepts. 2. Eartha Kitt was first choice for the role of Evillene. It may represent the part in the book where Dorothy . Michael mostly listened, with mmm-hmms and an occasional whoo! When Quincy enthusiastically mentioned hed seen the Rolling Stones perform, Michael sniffed, You know its not talent, though. The key moment in this nascent partnership came when Michael said hed been writing songs: I hear something in my head. .css-5rg4gn{display:block;font-family:NeueHaasUnica,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-5rg4gn:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:-0.02em;margin:0.75rem 0 0;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:0.02rem;margin:0.9375rem 0 0;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;margin:0.9375rem 0 0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}When Do New Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Come Out? The Port Authority would not allow more time to fix mistakes. This is how he lives now. To wit, Dorothy and crew famously. The Wiz Directed by Sidney Lumet Produced by Rob Cohen Screenplay by Joel Schumacher Distributed by Universal Pictures Release date October 24, 1978 The Wiz is a 1978 movie musical released by Motown Records and Universal Pictures. So, obviously it was perfect for the spot where Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man meet the Cowardly Lion (Ted Ross). So the writers. With Evilene's signature song, the gospel-tinged "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News," the thesis is right there in the title, so I won't belabor an explanation or too heavily underline how closely it echos the ethos of a certain national leader. Not everyone was appreciative. The subway scene, from the growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and moving pillars. Obviously I relate. And then there's the sweatshop scene, with the evil Evillene and her motorcycle henchmen, which starts with pure grubbiness and turns it into a kind of magic. Those of you who know me probably know that I am obsessed with dogs. The song was cut from the stage version of the musical during previews, but was included in the film as the Scarecrow's song. 1978 Preview 1 Main Title (Overture) [Pt. His costume, stuffed with newspaper and bits of trash bags, was more cumbersome, but Jackson made it work. In 2003, Entertainment Weekly Magazine named the film #28 of the 50 Top Cult Movies. I will be sharing them with you, to hopefully create a sense of comfort and happiness in times that you are seeking courage, feeling a bit silly or simply needing to take a trip home. One of the fascinating things about The Wiz is that it is a strange, delightful hybrid: a super-soul fantasy and a pointed gloss on '70s black life in reality. It was a spectacular, flawed experiment. The subway scene, coming between the arrival of the Lion and the peril of the poppy field, does not have an analog in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Finally, at the very end of the journey, there's Richard Pryor as The Wiz, coward at heart, filled with doubts, hiding behind the electronic gadgets he uses to enslave the Emerald City and keep Evillene at bay. There are lots of good scenes in the Emerald City. http://cdn1.theodysseyonline.com/files/2015/08/10/6357476658062859301695594367_IMG_0396.JPG. I was a lil tyke at a cousins house and it just happened to be on TV. "A liminal space is the time between the 'what was' and the 'next.' The Wiz, directed by Sidney Lumet, is set in present-day New York City, and finds its locations in fanciful sets suggesting Harlem, Coney Island, school playgrounds, the subway system, and a sweatshop. She also said she would be able to guarantee Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow if she was cast. Strange eh? In any show, musical or play, there is always some sort of hidden message that is being relayed to the audience through the use of singing, dancing and/or acting. R. Eric Thomas is a columnist for ELLE.com, where he skewers politics, pop culture, celebrity shade, and schadenfreude. But I cant be the only person with an appreciation for TheWiz. The arrival of the baby and its family at Aunt Emme's party. The other is The Wiz, a movie you may have never seen, heard is terrible and which fortunately has a number of scenes uploaded in order that I might illustrate and defend its worth. During The Wiz post-production, he called Quincy unexpectedly during a rare home hiatus from touring. Diana Ross and Richard Pryor had previously appeared together in Lady Sings the Blues (1972). When Harlem schoolteacher Dorothy (Diana Ross) tries to save her dog from a storm, she's miraculously whisked away to an urban fantasy land called Oz. He's been sleeping even though it's the middle of the day, and he has a desperate, frantic energy about him: sad to be discovered but clearly grateful for human contact. Recently, the music licensing platform Artlist gave a behind the scenes look at how they built a fake subway set and used sound design, practical effects, and lights to make it feel real. Stephanie Mills, who starred in the Broadway production, was the top choice to play Dorothy in the movie before Diana Ross lobbied for the role. just stay with me a little while and talk. Maybe because it hedges its bets by wanting to be sophisticated and universal, childlike and knowing, appealing to both a mass audience and to media insiders. Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. Theres an instrument that can make the sounds you want. Cohen took Michael, along with other members of the cast, to Studio 54, the disco hot spot known for both its crazy sexual escapades and celebrity regulars like Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, Cary Grant, and Brooke Shields. Jones liked only three songs from the Broadway showHome, Brand New Day, and a funky ensemble number called Ease On Down the Road. But he felt indebted to Lumet, whod hired him for many film scores in the past. I owed him a lot.. (It's a villain singing to the audience about how threatening they are, trying to scare them). Woody Allen? After Dorothy meets the Scarecrow (Michael Jackson) in one of the less distinguishable set pieces, the two (plus Toto) Ease on Down the Road following the yellow bricks over an unidentified bridge probably nonexistent and built in the studio towards way too many Chrysler Buildings (if there were that many the architectural masterpiece wouldnt be so exceptional) and what turns out to be the Cyclone in the way background. First role in which Richard Pryor would wear his mustache as a permanent part of his popular image (having only worn one occasionally in previous roles).. Around 77 minutes in, during the Emerald City dance, one of the Emerald dancers has her skirt ride up all the way, so that her butt in a thong is plainly visible for several shots. Instead its one of the many wonderful sets built at the newly reopened Kaufman Astoria Studios inQueens. It was like, I want him. . Warder decided KING 5's Angela Poe Russell would perform in the first act of the. I want him as the Scarecrow.. Magical tornadoes can strike down anywhere, I guess, and spin you off to the land of Oz. He has nothing but straw encompassing his head and crevices of his body. A run-in with a roller coaster. Michaels a star., Lumet was harder to convince. The Wiz also has 2 two good witches, Addapearle and Glinda, like the original book, not the 1939 film. This was the first film shot at Kaufman Astoria Studios when it was reopened in the 1970s. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. I've spent the last week workshopping a talk show with my succulents and dreaming of the day we can safely and sanely meet each other in public again. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Well actually, everything did (especially the whole Tin Man reveal). An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience. The Wiz 's metaphors exist beyond an examination of character traits. (The Wiz/Soundtrack Version) Who can say! The original New York City production of "The Wiz" opened at the Majestic Theater on January 5, 1975, starring Stephanie Mills, ran for 1,672 performances and won the 1975 Tony Awards for the Best Musical and Score and was nominated for Best Book. Who couldnt love dogs? I just finished up participating in a local show titled "The Wiz". To finish Lady Sings the Blues, Gordy had to sink in $2 million of his own money because Paramounts top executive, Frank Yablans, had told him the maximum a studio could spend on a black film at the time was $500,000. The scene in which the Cowardly Lion emerges from one of the statues in front of the main research branch of the New York Public Library was shot on a set instead of the actual location because it was logistically impossible to film an entire scene devoid of people, save the main actors, without traffic and pedestrians getting in the way of the production. For their original book counterparts, click here. Its whacked-out, weird, gaudy and nightmarish and so very OZ-some. He, too, began to pay attention to Jackson. If you look closely the Lion has high heels on. With an infectious soul score, dynamic . The Wiz cost $22 million and did not perform well at the box office. From their slinky noises slowing turning into a constant. call me names." Additionally, unlike the 1939 film version of The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz doesn't suggest that the whole adventure was Dorothy's dream. The director who signed on, after a number of false starts, was Sidney Lumet, who had collaborated with a young Al Pacino on Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico. ", Press J to jump to the feed. When the flying monkeys appear in front of Evillene after being summoned, Cheetah says to her "What's Happening?" TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Diana Ross's Dorothy is played at a level of near-constant nervous breakdown that rivals Charlotte Gainsbourg in Melancholia. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. please don't. don't go. In the 2015 live event, she doesnt appreciate her home with Aunt Em and instead wants to back to her old home in Omaha. Included among the American Film Institute's 2004 list of 400 movies nominated for the top 100 America's Greatest Music in the Movies for the song "Ease On Down the Road.". Well, no, it's not (what movie could be?) NYCs Film Forum didnt even include the musical in its otherwise exhaustive retrospective of his work a few years back. He turned it down, and the part was given to Michael Jackson. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. By what name was The Wiz (1978) officially released in India in English? My love for dogs makes me do things like walk up to strangers on the street to pet their dog or cry uncontrollably when a dog dies in a movie. . In the early 1970s, the canned singing voices of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 were used in cartoons where other actors provided the speaking voices, including Donald Fullilove as "Michael." It's quite unnerving as a first impression of Oz. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles. Finally, Lumet and Jones saw the qualities that Cohen saw. Her three friends are also seeking things from the Wizard, and hope that they receive them upon their arrival as well. The Scarecrow's nose tip is the piece of brown paper that holds a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. We don't really understand why Dorothy's such a mope at her aunt's dinner party, and, after she and her dog Toto are whirled away by a snowstorm, the scene in the playground really drags. Everyone, including Motown head and ex-lover Berry Gordy believed that she was too old, but she insisted that the role of Dorothy was ageless (which it is). That a twenty-four-year-old schoolteacher should be too sophisticated to consort with cowardly lions and scarecrows and men made out of tin. As big and as spectacular and as musical as it was, he says, we never got a real solid distribution. Black films, aside from Shaft, were for black audiences. The Wiz Family 1978 2 hr 14 min English audio G CC Buy or rent Ease on down the yellow-brick road with The Wiz, starring superstars Diana Ross and Michael Jackson! Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from [email protected]. He is my work-from-home fashion icon but beyond that, he's pretty useless. At the end, the Wiz reveals he lives a lonely, fearful life, and begs Dorothy and her friends not to leave: The Wiz: " Please . How this guy isnt a steampunk icon, I dont know. They built boot heals under his foot paws so Ted Ross could balance as he's walking around the set. The final barrier was Joe Jackson, who wasnt thrilled about Michael doing a project that separated himself financially from the rest of his siblings. All dogs. The Wicked Witch of the East. She is scared of everything. The Tornado Ballet has a frightened Dorothy get flung through the air while storm clouds, lightning, and funnels appear in the background. from the 1978 musical free of charge! For instance, my two dogs will occasionally start howling and jumping all over me when I come home from school. At night, the young cast went out to play in New York City. The duet between Michael Jackson and Diana Ross on "Ease On Down the Road" was released as a single by MCA Records in September, 1978. Not because shes too old (although she is), but because she plays Dorothy the same way she played Billie Holiday, with an emaciated world-weariness, when the part, as Judy Garland had shown the world forty years earlier, called for a wide-eyed, childish wonder. The Tin Man is the last of Dorothy's friends, and he is seeking something that we all seek daily: a good heart. Relive all of the magic of this beloved musical when Dorothy is whisked away to the enchanting. At one point, he took Michael aside to explain a Scarecrow bit in the scriptthat the Greek philosophers name is pronounced Sock-ra-tees and not Sow-cray-tees. As Jones would tell the story, he asked Michael right then if he could take a shot at producing his next solo album. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from [email protected]. Train Scene 1: In the beginning of the movie, Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is in a subway and while travelling he keeps looking at a very attractive woman and the woman also responds to him with smile and all of a sudden her smile turns into a serious expression and tries . The thing that is best about them, though, is just how much they love us. Im thinking MANIAC, AMER. Asking for help and seeking advice shows strength, and displays to others the idea that we see their opinions and thoughts as worthy of listening to, and following. Dogs just all have such different personalities, which might be what we love about them. Before there was NBCs The Wiz Live!, starring Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, David Alan Grier and Stephanie Mills, there was The Wiz, a 1978 movie based on the musical of the same name. (1976). Tinman: The genius who created me only took care of my dashing good looks, my razor sharp wit and my irresistible attraction to the wrong women. Snow Babies shot in the background were dolls. Gordy and producer Rob Cohen cast Ross, then 33, as Dorothy. It's all sitting on the surface of the film. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/TheWiz. Many considered Diana Ross to old to play Dorothy, at 34, and Mills was 21. The characters of The Wiz. Maybe because he retrospectively looks like Bicentennial Man? The New York State Pavilion from the 1964 New York World's Fair was used as the set for Munchkinland. Garland played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939). The usually exuberant Lumet became despondenta quality that came out distinctively in the film, recalls production designer Tony Walton. In 1965, Diana Ross and The Supremes performed as a warmup act for Judy Garland at the Astrodome theater in Houston. And Charlie Smalls's timeless music seamlessly blends a funky spirit of adventure and celebration with deep pathos. "The Wiz" is a more soulful take on the famous classic "The Wizard of Oz". He wanted Jimmie J. The scenes in the subway, where Dorothy and her friends are chased by enormous, menacing trash bins that snap their jaws ferociously. Is the movie a match for the 1939 Judy Garland version? Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. Chrysler Buildinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Building. They dont judge us when they see us eating junk food that we really shouldnt; instead they just want us to share it. She comes across a man assaulting another woman who then escapes the scene. His career put him on the wrong side of the law he was issued summonses on several occasions and of New Yorkers who regarded graffiti as vandalism, not art. Dorothy is extremely reluctant to leave Aunt Em's home and branch out by herself in the 1978 film. 1. One of the fascinating things about The Wiz is that it is a strange, delightful hybrid: a super-soul fantasy and a pointed gloss on '70s black life in reality. When The Wiz began filming in New York, the 27-year-old producer moved Michael and La Toya into a Manhattan apartment, and Michael was on his own for the first time. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. The puppets are indubitably the scariest of the bunch. The Wiz asks for our suspension of disbelief and earns it (after a slow start) in that great shot of Dorothy and the Scarecrow dancing across a yellow brick bridge toward the towers of Manhattan. As Noe's camera swirls and swirls to the violent corridors of truth, we see a gorgeous young woman walking in a subway. Other authors have create their own names for the witches. Dance portions in the Emerald City during the Green and Red clothing. Maybe you can build a set at home. Now, let's look at how they did it. UNK SEZ: Subway scene, YOU are truly insane but lest we forget, there are many freaky images to withstand in THE WIZ. I have to admit that The WIZ is waaaaaay too long for me & is a bit of a chore but the visuals are cool in that wonked out seventies way & that subway scene is truly nuts. Quincy Jones was skeptical of Jackson, too, but Cohen arranged a meeting, flying 19-year-old MJ to New York. An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience.An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience.An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience. Maybe I just love subway scenes! When you think about it, the story is about liminal space. Their words of wisdom, on top of her personal meditation and advice-seeking is what leads her back home in the end. With Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross. Im not quite sure how my love for dogs got started, but I dont mind it. None of which was really in the script., The Wiz has its timeless qualities, especially the lovingly rendered scenes to Lumets home city, prominently showing landmarks such as Coney Island, Shea Stadium, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Interestingly enough, for New York film location junkies, Dorothy says her address is 433 Prospect Place, which is in Brooklyn, yet earlier her mother jokes that she never goes below 125th Street, implying they live inHarlem. The other was the Australian Twentieth Century Oz (1976). Original director John Badham stepped down when he objected to 33-year-old Diana Ross being cast as a teenage Dorothy. The Wiz is indeed a New York movie, featuring the most fantastical representations of the city's landmarks since the 1933 King Kong. The Scarecrow is seeking a brain, as you all know. Summer Stars staging of. The gay side of the dance floor would stop, Cohen says, and the hetero side would stop., During lunch on The Wiz set, Lumet, the director, told an oblivious Michael that women around him were like ricocheting bullets all over the place.. Ted Ross reprised his role as the Cowardly Lion from the 1974 Broadway production. There are so many liminal scenes within The Wiz! While Pepper, on the other hand, is occasionally a little mean and aggressive. 1. That's a big part of why I love it so much. Sorry, cat people, but I just dont get you. However, Diana Ross lobbied intensely for the role. Aunt Emma comments that Dorothy has never been south of 125th Street in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem. The WIZ A remake that is different enough to stand on its own talented batch of "Pros" who make the familiar story work: Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Mabel King, Richard Pryor, Lena Horne, Ted Ross etc New score 1939 is rural based, 1978 version is suburban There are parts that do not work, but those are small complaints. I felt I owed him more than one, Jones said of Lumet. Her reluctance to grow up in the musical; she neglects responsibilities in favor of running after Toto and. The classic 1939 movie has its witch and flying monkeys. The movie became the most expensive ever shot in New York City at the time. One thing about the movie thats rarely celebrated is the fact its directed by Sidney Lumet. "Michael Jackson's a Vegas act. He is also the author of Here for It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America, a memoir-in-essays. This movie was so iconic . When you press play on The Wiz, the 1978 movie musical based on L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, you probably already know what's coming: A ragtag group of new friends experiences all manner of traumas while trying to protect a pair of heels, and then learn that the power to change their terrifying surroundings was inside them all along. With that said, I always feel compelled to seek out these messages when watching or participating in a show such as this. Michael Martin, known as Iz the Wiz, was a prolific embellisher of New York subway cars, including this one painted in 1982. The Scarecrow tells us however, that it is alright to have moments of silliness, moments of being confident in the abilities that we do have and to have faith in our purpose. He's not the hero they deserve andwell, he's not the hero they need either. Thats the Austin J. Tobin Plaza between the towers repurposed as, I guess, the Emerald City plaza, and the central orb featuring the OZ letters is the Great Spherical Caryatid sculpture (aka The Sphere), which mostly survived the 9/11 attack and now stands in Battery Park as a memorial. They are always there for us, they love us unconditionally, and they treat us a whole lot better than most humans do. The cast of 'The Wiz' (L-R Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Diana Ross and Ted Ross) pose for a publicity shot in 1978 in New York, New York. Joel Schumacher's script for The Wiz was influenced by Werner Erhard's teachings and his Erhard Seminars Training ("est") movement, as both Schumacher and Diana Ross were proponents. Its an interesting moment for really bringing in replicas of recognizable NYC landmarks rather than using real famous landmarks and trying to sort of disguise (or at least alter) them with crazy, yet awesome, production design.