Slide Some Oil To Me - The Wiz Broadway 1975

The opening night of The Wiz on January 5, 1975 at the Majestic Theatre, with Stephanie Mills as Dorothy, Hinton Battle as the Scarecrow , Tiger Haynes as the Tin Man. Ted Ross as the Lion , Dee Dee Bridgewater as Glinda the Good Witch of the South, André DeShields as the Wizard, Mabel King as Evillene the Wicked Witch of the West, Clarice Taylor as Addaperle the Good Witch of the North, Tasha Thomas as Aunt Em, Ralph Wilcox as Uncle Henry, and Phylicia Rashād as a Munchkin.

[@lightningrodstudios2441]

I can see where the inspiration for Ne-yo’s version came from. I don’t know what they were thinking with Nipsy Russel’s version.

[@yosefdemby8792]

I think it was to get around Nipsey Russell's overall lack of professional singing skills. Sidney Lumet's original choice for the actor of the Scarecrow was Jimmie Walker, who starred on the 1970's sitcom Good Times. He thought he'd be able to write around Walker's inability to dance. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that was the reason he cut The Wiz's big number. Richard Pryor is a revolutionary comedian, but I doubt he's anywhere near as sensational a singer as André De Shields.

[@GalaxyNexus1]

​@@yosefdemby8792you doubt? He literally speaks the lyrics of the beginning of the song. Obviously he can't sing.

[@JJ-lq8fo]

Just imagine in 1975 at the bradway