- unitid
-
{"value"=>"Sc MG 320", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"20618", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1974-1979", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1974/1979"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1974
- date_inclusive_end
-
1979
- keydate
-
1974
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"The Wiz collection"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>"2 linear feet (5 boxes)"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\"> The New York Public Library Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture</span>"}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Broadway musical smash hit <span class=\"title\">“The Wiz”</span> was an all African-American production based on the Frank Baum classic <span class=\"title\">“The Wizard of Oz.”</span> Produced by Ken Harper, the musical opened at Broadway's Majestic Theater on January 5, 1975, and finally closed after an incredible 1,666 performances, on January 28, 1979. <span class=\"title\">“The Wiz”</span> garnered seven Tony Awards, including “Best Musical” of 1975, and its original cast album was also a success. A number of talented individuals were associated with the original production, most notably Stephanie Mills who got her “big break” in <span class=\"title\">“The Wiz”</span> when she was only 15 years old.</p> <p>It is interesting to note that <span class=\"title\">“The Wiz”</span> opened to mixed reviews, and attendance was lethargic during the first two weeks of performances. In fact, a closing notice was posted on its Broadway opening night as a result of the poor box office showing. Fortunately, Twentieth Century-Fox (the musical's backer) decided to put up additional funds, both to keep the show running, and to finance an intensive publicity campaign. While <span class=\"title\">“The Wiz”</span> was not the first Broadway show to use video commercials as part of its advertising strategy, its campaign was the most massive to date at that time. The television advertising, combined with enthusiastic word-of-mouth and black radio and press reviews, was extremely successful, and <span class=\"title\">“The Wiz”</span> went on to become one of the longest running Broadway musicals ever produced, grossing approximately $70 million in revenues.</p> <p>The popularity of <span class=\"title\">“The Wiz”</span> created a worldwide demand for the musical, and numerous road productions were performed throughout the U.S., and abroad in Canada, England, and even Japan. Harper also produced a movie version of <span class=\"title\">“The Wiz”</span> in 1978 for Universal Pictures, which starred Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, and Lena Horne. At the time of its production, the movie had the distinction of being the most expensive movie produced to date. An original movie soundtrack was also recorded and released.</p> <p>The collection was apparently gathered together by Ken Harper, and donated by Mildred Harper, his mother, after his death in 1988.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p><span class=\"title\">“The Wiz”</span> Collection documents various aspects of both the musical and the movie. There are two series; the first pertains to the Broadway musical, and the second, to the movie version. The materials in the collection span the period from 1974-1979.</p> <p>Newspaper and magazine clippings constitute almost all of the material in both series, however, a few pieces of additional documentation is included in the form of play scripts, screenplays, playbills, “The Wiz Scrapbook” (from the movie version), and a Tony Award nomination certificate presented to Harper for “Best Musical- Producer,” 1974-75. Photographs, posters, drawings, film and tapes are also part of this collection, but have been transferred to the appropriate divisions within the Schomburg Center and can be accessed there (see Separation Record p. 6).</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The The Wiz collection is arranged in two series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/scm/20618#c645046'>“The Wiz” Play</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The series contains an extensive amount of material about various aspects of the play. The Scripts subseries includes the first, third, and two different final drafts of the play. The Cast, Crew Members and Production Staff subseries is comprised of folders of magazine and newspaper clippings for various people associated with the play, including Dee Dee Bridgewater (who played Glenda the Good Witch), Andre De Shields (who played the title role), Geoffrey Holder (who designed the costumes and directed the play), and Stephanie Mills (who played Dorothy), and a separate folder for other personages, including Toto.</p> <p>There are two subseries of reviews; one for the New York production, and the other for various road productions. The New York Production subseries is divided into opening night, print media, and radio and television reviews; the Road Productions subseries is divided into folders for California, Canada, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Pennsylvania production reviews, with separate folders for radio and television, and assorted other production locations.</p> <p>The Play series also includes documentation for numerous other aspects of <span class=\"title\">“The Wiz”</span>: playbills; awards and nominations; anniversaries, records and statistics; Broadway production closing; advertising, promotion and marketing; performance schedules; production costs and investment capital; ticket sales and revenues; auditions and casting; and the original Broadway cast album, round out the categories of materials included in the play series. In addition, there is a folder containing information about the musicians' strike, which halted performances for 25 consecutive days in 1975, and a folder of Broadway and society column commentary regarding <span class=\"title\">“The Wiz.”</span></p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/scm/20618#c645096'>“The Wiz” Movie</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The series contains categories similar to those found in the play series, although there is a much smaller volume of material in the movie series. Scenes toward a screenplay, and the first, second, and third drafts of “The Wiz” are contained in the Screenplays subseries. The Cast Members subseries includes separate clippings folders for Lena Horne (who played Glenda the Good Witch), Michael Jackson (who played the Scarecrow), Diana Ross (who played Dorothy), and Nipsey Russell (who played the Tinman).</p> <p>There is also material about the movie's October 24, 1978 premiere, reviews, advertising and promotion, production costs, ticket sales and revenues, the original motion picture soundtrack, and “The Wiz Scrapbook,” a souvenir journal which consists of pictures and written pieces about the cast and production. Lastly, a General folder holds both major write-ups and passing references about the movie itself, the history of “The Wizard of Oz,” costume designs, musicals-turned-movies, and other topics in which the movie or cast members are discussed.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Gift of Mildred Harper.</p> <p>SCM89-65.</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>The following items were removed from:</p> <p><span class=\"emph\">Name of Collection/Papers “</span>The Wiz” Collection</p> <p><span class=\"emph\">Accession Number</span>SCM89-65</p> <p><span class=\"emph\">Donor:</span>Mrs. Mildred Harper (mother)</p> <p><span class=\"emph\">Date received:</span>July 19, 1989</p> <p><span class=\"emph\">Date transferred:</span>July 19, 1989</p> <p>The item(s) listed below have been sent to the division indicated, either to be retained or disposed of there. Any items that should receive special disposition are clearly marked.</p> <p> <span class=\"emph\"> <span class=\"emph\">Schomburg Art and Artifacts Division:</span></span></p> <p>1 poster - “The Wiz”; 6 posters - movie version of “The Wiz”;</p> <p>2 watercolor illustrations of “The Wiz” cast; 1 drawing of Ken Harper by Lebo</p> <p> <span class=\"emph\"> <span class=\"emph\">Schomburg Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division:</span></span></p> <p>3 cans of film (6 reels) “Positively Black”; 13 reel to reel tape recordings</p> <p> <span class=\"emph\"> <span class=\"emph\">Schomburg Photographs and Print Division:</span></span></p> <p>3 boxes</p> <p><span class=\"emph\">Processed by:</span>T. Stewart/D. Lachatanere</p> <p><span class=\"emph\">Date:</span>August 8, 1995</p>"}
- relatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Ken Harper Papers (4 lin. ft.) can be found in the Billy Rose Theatre Collection at the Library for the Performing Arts, New York Public Library.</p>"}
- note
-
{"value"=>"<p>Photographs transferred to Photographs and Prints Division</p>", "encodinganalog"=>"500"}
{"value"=>"<p>Posters and illustrations transferred to Art and Artifacts Division</p>", "encodinganalog"=>"500"}
{"value"=>"<p>Film and tape recording transferred to Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division</p>", "encodinganalog"=>"500"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"\"The Wiz\" Collection is primarily comprised of newspaper and magazine clippings, but also contains scripts for the Broadway production, as well as screenplays for the movie version. Other non-clipping materials include playbills, a Tony Award certificate of nomination to Ken Harper for \"Best Director 1974-75\", and \"The Wiz Scrapbook,\" a promotional publication about the movie."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"The Wiz collection, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Tamara Stewart; machine-readable finding aid created by Apex Data Services; revised by Terry Catapano.</p>"}
- date_start
-
1974
- date_end
-
1979