The magic yhrifr is an ancient tale passed down through generations. It is said to possess supernatural powers and bring immense luck to those who possess it. The yhrifr is a small, mysterious object, believed to have been created by a powerful sorcerer long ago. Legend has it that anyone who is fortunate enough to stumble upon the yhrifr will be granted three wishes. These wishes can be anything the possessor desires, whether it be material wealth, love, or even immortality. However, it is said that the yhrifr must be used wisely, as each wish comes with a consequence.

Black Hollywood by Connor O’Rourke

Diana Ross’ The Wiz (1978) is the most notable black remake of an older film; however, it is not unique in this characteristic. There have been many popular remakes of older movies with predominantly black casts, including Steel Magnolias (2012), Cinderella (1997), and Annie (2014).[1] The Wiz does an amazing job of introducing black culture into a classic film, utilizing the greater platform to speak on social issues that might normally be ignored. The Wiz comments on the hard times African Americans faced in the 1970s, portraying Munchkinland as a fantasized version of Harlem, with the Munchkins being enslaved to factory labor through the steam punk characteristics of the fantasy land. The famously evil character The Wicked Witch of the West runs the slave state, representing the historical treatment of black people in this country, while The Wicked Witch of the East represents white governance, as she trapped all of the munchkins in the graffiti in Harlem.[2]

Using Hollywood as a platform to fight against social issues is a very common and effective strategy that is often used by black actors and filmmakers. This allows them to reach all generations and demographics, and gives a way to get a message across in a friendlier and arguably more effective way. There are two modern day films that I would like to focus on that, although they are not remakes of originally white films, follow in The Wiz’s footsteps. Get Out (2017) and The Black Panther (2018) were two widely popular films that used the hype created around them to get across a meaningful message. Get Out was the 15 th highest grossing film of 2017, and Black Panther currently sits atop the rankings for 2018 by an extremely large margin.[3]

Get Out, the thriller hit by Jordan Peele, exposes the hypocrisy of racism among white liberals. Most films that comment on racism portray the villains as either skinheads or rednecks, while Get Out has a cast of villains that seem very relatable and friendly at first. Get Out screams to the audience that the problem of racism is greater than most Americans believe it to be.

The Black Panther focuses on the oppression of blacks throughout the nation due to the vicious poverty cycle. In the futuristic superhero film, the villain is trying to take over the world in order to bring power to those who have struggled for centuries, making him very relatable, and very likeable. Once again, a very deep and meaningful message is pushed to the crowd through an entertaining platform.

It seems like more so than ever, black filmmakers and writers are using either movies or television to promote a message that they want to get across to a large audience. I feel that this strategy is extremely effective, and through entertaining and relatable media, people may be more open to listening to their ideas.

[1] Doriean Stevenson, “10 Classic Remakes That Gave Minority Actors The Spotlight,” Buzzfeed, March 28, 2014, https://www.buzzfeed.com/dorieanstevenson/films-that-were-remade-with-a-minority-cast?utm_term=.bxJwEPwQYj#.mnnMzVMa4N

[2] Vann Newkirk, “The Wonderful Afrofuturism of ‘The Wiz’”, SevenScribes, January 20, 20176, http://sevenscribes.com/wonderful-afrofuturism-wiz/

[3] “2017 Domestic Grosses,” Box Office Mojo, http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2017; “Annual Movie Chart – 2018,” The Numbers, https://www.the-numbers.com/market/2018/top-grossing-movies

Alternate View of OZ: The Wiz by Calvin Thrall

The image I’ve selected is a promotional poster for the 1978 musical The Wiz, an alternate take on The Wizard of Oz with an entirely African-American cast. To understand why this film exists, and why the fact that it exists is relevant, we have to examine the conditions under which L. Frank Baum created the original Wizard of Oz story in the final years of the 19th century. Baum was a member of the Democratic Populist party, and in the 1890s he ardently supported Populist William Jennings Bryan in both his 1896 and 1900 presidential campaigns – obviously, both were unsuccessful (Littlefield, 49). Henry Littlefield proposes that The Wizard of Oz is an allegory for the political climate during the time Baum was writing it: Dorothy is the common citizen, the cowardly lion is Bryan, and the Wizard represents the U.S. government leadership (the emperor has no clothes). Though Bryan’s dual losses in the presidential election proved that Baum’s Populist party was in the minority, The Wizard of Oz has a happy ending, with all of the characters realizing that what they were looking for was inside themselves all along. If Littlefield is right about the allegory, we can see The Wizard of Oz as a story that Baum wrote with the intent to empower and motivate his fellow Democratic Populists to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and perhaps be a bit smarter and braver the next time around. Baum was writing for a minority group that didn’t have the political or social clout that it desired.

Flash forward almost eight decades to the conception of The Wiz in the late 1970s. Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 are superfamous African-American pop stars in a nation that had only been desegregated fairly recently. It would be disrespectful to say that L. Frank Baum’s Democratic Populists were ever in a situation as dire as that of African-Americans in the mid 20th century; however, enough parallels can be drawn that I believe it is fair to say that The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz were created with a similar goal – to empower and encourage a minority demographic that lacks social and political power. The Wiz feautures a Dorothy who is from Harlem, not Kansas, but both locations were chosen with the goal of appealing to the common citizen as opposed to the elite. Additionally, the Wizard himself in The Wiz turns out to actually be a failed politician, which is probably a symbol for the numerous ways that the U.S. government has failed and mistreated African-Americans throughout the country’s history. If The Wizard of Oz was an attempt to rally and reinvigorate the downtrodden and few Democratic Populists, than The Wiz was an attempt to empower African-Americans, who suffered awful injustices at the hands of the government trusted with protecting it. Both works succeed in these goals while simultaneously delivering a fun, entertaining musical.

The Wiz at Theatre At The Center

The R&B musical adaptation of the book �The Wonderful Wizard of Oz� by L. Frank Baum first opened on Broadway in 1975. After celebrating the demise of the Wicked Witch of the East with the Munchkins, Dorothy is given the silver shoes of the Wicked Witch of the East and departs for the Emerald City down the yellow brick road. Along the way she encounters a hip Scarecrow, an uptight Tin Man and a mama's-boy Lion. Together they seek help from the powerful Wizard, who turns out to be a phony. Dorothy's adventures in the Land of Oz have been set in a dazzling, lively mixture of rock, gospel and soul music. Its Broadway run, for four years and over 1600 performances, was historic as a large-scale big-budget musical featuring an all-African American cast. The production features the music and lyrics of Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical and was later produced in the 1978 Motown/Universal motion picture adaptation starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Lena Horne, and Richard Pryor.

Thru - Aug 7, 2011

Price: $36-$40

Show Type: Musical

Box Office: 219-836-3255

Running Time: 2hrs, 30mins; one intermission

The Wiz Reviews

• Highly Recommended
• Recommended
• Somewhat Recommended
• Not Recommended

Chicago Tribune - Recommended ". All in all, Flaster's show gets the most crucial thing right: the tone. This is a happy, empowering, embraceable affair that pays homage to the show's history of providing an emotional link between urban, black America and the story of a rural, white town. And it laughs at itself."

Chicago Stage Review - Highly Recommended ". Director/Choreographer Stacey Flaster has infused nearly every moment of The Wiz with unbounded joy. Many years ago, the national touring production of Vinnette Carroll�s Your Arms Too Short to Box with God ran TV and radio spots that said something like, �So much singing, so much dancing, so much all out joy, you�ll be dancing in the aisles.� As a director, Flaster seems to have made that line of old ad copy her mantra. Her Jesus Christ Superstar last summer at Theatre at the Center and even her Nunset Boulevard earlier this year radiated joy out from the stage and into the hearts of the audience. As The Wiz depends on joy to keep it afloat, it is the perfect showboat for Flaster to steer."

ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended ". For the first time, I�ve enjoyed a production of The Wiz. Stacy Flaster�s vision and her cast�s clarity become truthful performances made for a fun, toe-tapping journey.� Somehow, Flaster got the funky material to become a fine show � with loads of heart (including one for Tinman!). Get to Munster to experience the� re-birth of musical."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended ". Musical Director William A. Underwood and his five member orchestra definitely have their groove on though, and the score is one of the welcome assets that have always made "The Wiz" feel like home to me.� In spite of a few clouds, Theatre at the Center's brightly colored and tuneful trip over the rainbow is well worth the taking."

Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended ". The foursome sing, dance, and tease like real friends on a road trip. Well, maybe more like real - AND TALENTED - friends. The entire ensemble is like a group of pals that are playing make-believe together. They radiate a true sense of fun. Each musical number brings tireless animation. At my show, there seemed like there was an audio issue on �Brand New Day.� I wasn�t sure if the orchestra was too loud, the singing too soft or the cast too tired. The song, especially for its content, just didn�t have the exuberance of the rest of the show."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended ". Vasily Deris,Marlon Washington, James Osborne, Chris Carter, N�Jameh Camara, Joelle Lamarre, Rebecca Pink, Reneisha Jone�ne Jenkins( who is also a part of the Yellow Brick Road duo), Danielle Davis and� John Pierce Taylor(the other part of the Yellow Brick road duo). These talented young people change characters and costumes on a regular basis and never miss a cue or a beat- they are the backbone of the musical, so I salute the ensemble- BRAVO!� Th�s is a wild evening of theater allowing us to use our knowledge of a classic tales and see it� transformed into a lively mixture of rock, gospel and soul music."

This show has been Jeff Recommended*

*The designation of "Jeff Recommended" is given to a production when at least ONE ELEMENT of the show was deemed outstanding by the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee.

Wiz, The

The Wiz. Book by William F. Brown. Based on L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls, except for EVERYBODY REJOICE (music and lyrics by Luther Vandross) and EMERALD CITY BALLET (music by Timothy Graphenreed and George Faison). The original Broadway production opened on 5 January 1975 and was directed by Geoffrey Holder, with choreography by George Faison. The production closed on 28 January 1979, running for a total of 1 672 performances.

Synopsis and Musical Numbers

On a small, ramshackle farmhouse in Kansas, Dorothy, a bright, energetic young teenager, is being scolded by her Aunt Em, a farmer’s wife who is disappointed that Dorothy isn’t ready to accept the adult responsibilities necessary to life on a farm. Despite her strict manner, it is obvious that Aunt Em cares very much for the girl (THE FEELING WE ONCE HAD). A tornado, played by a colorful mass of dancers (TORNADO BALLET) sweeps up Dorothy’s house, and carries it to the strange, mystical and magical land of Oz, where it kills the Wicked Witch of the East. The witch’s death causes quite a stir among the Munchkins and the Good Witch of the North, Addaperle, an extremely zany comic character. When Dorothy asks the Munchkins and Addaperle how she is to get back to Kansas they advise her to visit the great Oz (HE’S THE WIZARD).

A yellow brick road appears, played by four men in yellow and orange squared costumes, but Dorothy is frightened of the journey she must take (SOON AS I GET HOME). Her fears are alleviated by a friendly scarecrow perched on a pole in a cornfield whom she frees. He tells her about his dream to have brains (I WAS BORN ON THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY). Dorothy tells the Scarecrow that the Wiz could probably help him and the two decide to join forces with the “road” on their way to the Emerald City (EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD).

In a small patch of woods along the yellow brick road, they find a rusted Tinman who begs for some oil (SLIDE SOME OIL TO ME) and tells the two he wants a heart to make his life complete. They ask him to join them and the three set out (EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD – REPRISE). Their journey is interrupted by the Cowardly Lion who tries to convince them of his ferocity (I’M A MEAN OLE LION). He turns out to be under the psychiatric care of an owl and decides to go to Oz in hopes of finding courage (EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD – REPRISE). When the Lion shows his cowardice in a fight with the Kalidahs, a frightening witch like gang (KALIDAH BATTLE), Dorothy comforts him (BE A LION). When the four find themselves in a poppy field, Dorothy remembers the warning that Addaperle gave her about the dangerous Poppies. She warns everyone to leave the field but the Lion succumbs to the treacherous Poppies. Luckily a paddy wagon containing four mice from the “Mice Squad” comes in and rescues the four travelers from the sensual Poppies.

After many trials and tribulations, the group arrives in the futuristic Emerald City and meets its exotically and exquisitely dressed inhabitants. All the citizens wear green glasses as part of their apparel (EMERALD CITY BALLET). The four eventually meet the Wiz who makes a fantastic entrance riding in on set piece that looks like a giant tongue. He strikes a magnificent pose, which overwhelms everyone. The Wiz theatrically introduces himself to the travelers, who are thoroughly frightened by what they have just witnessed (SO YOU WANTED TO SEE THE WIZARD). The Wiz listens to their problems and though he appears very harsh with everyone’s requests, he is deeply moved by the Tinman’s song (WHAT WOULD I DO IF I COULD FEEL?). He agrees to grant their wishes if they kill Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West and the most powerful witch in Oz.

In Evillene’s perfectly dreadful castle, with its large ugly throne, covered with carcasses, the large, grotesque Witch harshly instructs her slaves, the Winkies, not to bother her for she is in a bad mood (DON’T NOBODY BRING ME NO BAD NEWS). When an unfortunate messenger has the bad luck to have to report on the presence of Dorothy and her friends the angry Witch kills the messenger and summons the winged monkeys. The scene shifts to another part of the stage where the monkeys do a wild dance, which includes the capture and eventual kidnapping of Dorothy (FUNKY MONKEYS). At Evillene’s castle, when Evillene starts victimizing the Lion, Dorothy hurls a bucket of water on the unsuspecting Witch, who promptly shrieks in horror, begins to melt and finally is reduced to a pile of smoldering cloth on the floor. The Winkies shout with joy at the death of their despicable Witch (EVERYBODY REJOICE).

The four return to Emerald City where they discover the Wiz is a fake. Dorothy and her friends angrily comment (WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?). The Wiz reveals to Dorothy and the others that he really isn’t a Wizard but a plain old nobody from Omaha, Nebraska who’s hot air balloon got swept up in a big storm and landed in the middle of a ladies social in Oz. These women, having never seen a hot air balloon before, expected him to do another miracle so he devised the green glasses that everyone wears. The four friends are puzzled until he explains that the miracle behind the glasses is what you allow yourself to see (IF YOU BELIEVE). The Wiz reaches into his magic storage chest and begins to hand out his miracles: a box of all bran sprinkles for the Scarecrow, which he dubs “all brain”; a large, red satin heart for the Tinman; a whiskey bottle marked O & Z, which he throws together in a chalice and has the lion drink for courage; and a promise to take Dorothy back to Kansas in the balloon he arrived in.

At a farewell launching where the citizens are bidding their leader goodbye (Y’ALL GOT IT!), the balloon accidentally ascends without Dorothy. Dorothy, in a fury, throws a temper tantrum which is interrupted by a puff of smoke and a dazed Addaperle who tells the foursome that her sister, Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, is on her way. She arrives in a large tent with an escort of 4 Quadlings and she tells Dorothy to rest her body and her mind (A RESTED BODY). Glinda then tells Dorothy she can go home if she believes in herself (IF YOU BELIEVE – REPRISE). Dorothy begins to sing of her HOME and is reminded by her friends that she can return to Oz by clicking her silver shoes and thinking of them. All her friends in Oz fantasy slowly disappear, leaving her alone. Toto, her dog, appears and Dorothy realizes that she’s home.

Mini Gallery

However, it is said that the yhrifr must be used wisely, as each wish comes with a consequence. The yhrifr is said to have a mind of its own and can twist and interpret wishes in unexpected ways. For example, if one wishes for wealth, they may find themselves inheriting a fortune, but at the cost of losing their loved ones.

This magical object is known to test the greed and true intentions of those who possess it. Throughout history, there have been tales of individuals who have been granted the yhrifr and the fate that befell them. Some were left broken and devastated by their own desires, while others found true happiness and purpose in their wishes. The tales passed down are a reminder of the power of choice and the consequences that come with it. The magic yhrifr remains a mysterious and elusive object, sought after by many but rarely found. It is said to have the ability to vanish and reappear at will, making it almost impossible to track down. Some skeptics dismiss the existence of the yhrifr as mere folklore, while others believe in its supernatural powers with unwavering faith. Whether the yhrifr is real or not, its legend has captivated and inspired individuals for centuries. It serves as a cautionary tale of the dangers of unchecked desires and reminds us to be mindful of the choices we make. The magic yhrifr continues to be an enchanting topic of discussion, inviting us to ponder the power and consequences of our own wishes..

Reviews for "Enhancing Your Life with the Magic Yhrifr"

1. John - 1/5

I found "The Magic Yhrifr" to be quite disappointing. The storyline was predictable and lacked originality. The characters were one-dimensional and I didn't feel any connection towards them. The writing style was also quite dull and I struggled to stay engaged with the story. Overall, it failed to live up to my expectations and I wouldn't recommend it.

2. Sarah - 2/5

"The Magic Yhrifr" had an interesting premise, but it fell flat for me. The pacing was slow and I felt like the story dragged on unnecessarily. The world-building was weak and I found it hard to immerse myself in the story. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. While the concept had potential, the execution left much to be desired.

3. Michael - 2/5

I was really looking forward to reading "The Magic Yhrifr" based on the hype, but it left me feeling underwhelmed. The characters felt underdeveloped and their actions often didn't make sense. There were also several plot holes that were never addressed, leaving me frustrated and confused. The writing style was also overly descriptive and it felt like the story was trying too hard to be profound. Overall, it wasn't the captivating experience I was hoping for.

4. Emily - 3/5

"The Magic Yhrifr" had its moments, but it didn't fully capture my attention. There were some interesting twists and turns in the plot, but they were overshadowed by a slow-paced narrative. The writing was decent, but I found it hard to emotionally invest myself in the story. It had some potential, but it lacked the depth and complexity I was expecting from a fantasy novel.

Harnessing the Magic Yhrifr for Personal Growth