The Wiz Gets a Second Wizard: Passing Strange Star Colman Domingo

Colman Domingo, one of the stars of the 2008 Broadway musical Passing Strange, will replace Orlando Jones in the role of The Wizard for the final six performances of the upcoming Encores! staging of the hit 1970s musical The Wiz. Jones will leave the production early to shoot his new ABC TV-series Crash Course, with Domino playing the part from June 29 to July 5.

Domingo portrayed several roles in Passing Strange and will reprise those roles in the upcoming Spike Lee film. He recently starred in Athol Fugard's Coming Home at Long Wharf Theater, and also appeared in the Broadway company of Well. He will also be seen in A Boy and His Soul at the Vineyard Theatre in September. Domingo is also a regular on LOGO's Big Gay Sketch Show, spoofing personalities from Maya Angelou to Oprah Winfrey.

With a book by William F. Brown and music and lyrics by Charles Smalls, the Tony Award-winning The Wiz is a rock and soul musical based on the beloved L. Frank Baum story of Dorothy and her adventures in Oz. The Encores! staging is being directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler, who previously collaborated on the Tony winner In the Heights.

The Wiz also stars Ashanti, LaChanze, Joshua Henry, James Monroe Iglehart, Christian Dante White, Tichina Arnold and Dawnn Lewis. Performances are scheduled to start at City Center on June 12.