The Wiz

WILLIAM F. BROWN (1928-2019) (Book) is a Tony Award nominated and Drama Desk Award winner of The Wiz, one of the most successful musicals ever to come to Broadway and a winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical of the Year. Other Broadway credits include The Girl in the Freudian Slip (author); New Faces of 1968 (head writer); and A Broadway Musical (book). Off-Broadway/ regional credits include Twist, How to Steal an Election, Damon’s Song, and The Nutley Papers. He has written and illustrated five books, as well as illustrating six others. Former President of the Theatre Artists Workshop of Connecticut.

CHARLIE  SMALLS  (1943-1987)  (Music  & Lyrics) began playing music at the age of 5 and by age 6 had earned a music scholarship to what is now the Henry Street Settlement. He went to Julliard at age 11, staying until he graduated in 1961. Mr. Smalls first adapted The Wizard of Oz musical into The Wiz, setting the tone for this iconic show, and winning him two Tony Awards and a Drama Desk Award in 1975 as well as a Grammy Award for Best Theater Album in 1976. He also composed for film scores for Drum and The Wiz. Mr. Smalls earned another Grammy in 1981 for his song “That’s What Miracles Are All About” on the Grammy Award- winning album to the Broadway show Lena Horne: The Lady & Her Music. He contributed two songs to the Grammy Award-winning album Lena Horne: The Lady & Her Music on Broadway. His legacy lives on as he remains an important and influential African-American voice.

Amber Ruffin is a writer, executive producer, and host of the Emmy and WGA Award-nominated series The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock. She is also an Emmy and WGA Award-nominated writer and performer for NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers. Ruffin was the first African American female to write for a late-night network talk show in the U.S. She wrote and performed on Comedy Central’s Detroiters and was a regular narrator on the network’s Drunk History. Next up, Amber is set to supervise and executive produce on the NBC put pilot Aunties created by Shantira Jackson. Ruffin was previously a performer at Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, the iO Theater and the Second City in Chicago. In addition, she was a writer/performer for the 2018 and 2019 Golden Globe Awards and has written for the series A Black Lady Sketch Show. Ruffin is a New York Times bestselling author, along with her sister Lacey Lamar, of You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories of Racism, published by Grand Central Publishing. Recently, Ruffin was named to the 2021 TIME100 Next List, TIME’s list of the next 100 most influential people in the world. Amber has collaborated on campaigns with the CDC, Hologic, and more.

Schele Williams is a director committed to cultivating new musicals and devised work with authentic representation on stage and off. Profiled in Variety’s Top 10 Broadway to Watch, she is currently directing the upcoming Broadway revivals of Aida (Disney Theatrical Group) and co-directing the Broadway-bound production of The Notebook. She will also be helming Hidden Figures, currently in development (Disney Theatrical Group). Schele has directed at regional theaters and festivals across the country and has a long history of work on Broadway in Rent, Aida, and Motown: The Musical. Passionate about pairing social justice with the arts, Schele is a founding member of Black Theatre United, an organization committed to dismantling systemic racism on our streets and stages. She has been a member of Broadway Inspirational Voices for over two decades and serves as Chairperson of the Board, and also serves on the board of Broadway Care Equity Fights AIDS. Schele is the author of the children’s book Your Legacy: A Bold Reclaiming of Our Enslaved History, recipient of a 2022 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor.

JaQuel Knight is a director, creative director, entrepreneur and critically acclaimed, award-winning choreographer known for creating some of the most memorable moments in dance and entertainment history. His rise to global recognition came at the age of 18, when he created the choreography for Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).” As a choreographer, JaQuel has lent his creative expertise to projects such as Beyoncé’s Black Is King film and Homecoming documentary for Netflix; the Shakira Super Bowl Halftime performance with Jennifer Lopez; and Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” video. Additionally, he has worked with artists like Marshmello, Cher, Britney Spears, The Chicks, Miley Cyrus, Pink, Zara Larsson, Victoria Monét, Ben Platt, Kanye West, Pharrell, Diddy, N*E*R*D, and Big Sean. As a director, JaQuel has worked on projects for Megan Thee Stallion, Pharrell, Chance the Rapper, Zara Larsson, Muni Long, and more. JaQuel served as creative director and choreographer for all things Megan Thee Stallion in 2020, and Diddy this past year, and is gearing up to direct his first feature film. In 2013, JaQuel launched his own production company, J.K. Creatives, Inc, which oversees artists, songwriters, and producers, and produces music videos & short films. J.K. Creatives houses its own media department, where JaQuel creates and develops content for TV, film, and digital, from scripted features to non-scripted competitions and series. He also operates his eponymous non-profit organization, The JaQuel Knight Foundation, targeting community focused initiatives aimed to build, uplift and inspire the next generation of artists. He is recognized as the first pop/hip-hop commercial choreographer to copyright his choreography with “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” and has launched Knight Choreography and Music Publishing where he and his manager work to ensure that choreographers and songwriters receive royalties for their compositions.

JOSEPH JOUBERT (Music Supervision, Orchestrations, & Music Arrangements). Grammy and Emmy Award nominee. Credits include Broadway’s The Color Purple; Caroline, or Change (Roundabout); Motown The Musical (music director); Disaster; Leap of Faith. Off-Broadway: Carmen Jones, Violet, Hercules (Paper Mill). TV: “Smash.” Film: Respect, Nights in Rodanthe. Recording: Patti Labelle, Ashford & Simpson, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Cissy Houston, Jennifer Holiday, Norm Lewis, Tom Kitt, Fantasia, Stephanie Mills.

Broadway: Parade, Paradise Square; Prince of Broadway; She Loves Me; American in Paris; On the 20th Century; You Can’t Take It with You; Bridges of Madison County; How to Succeed; 13; The Color Purple; Caroline, or Change; Nine; Thoroughly Modern Millie. Off-Broadway and West End credits.

Kirk Cambridge Del-Pesche (Makeup Design): Multiculturated Vincentian born Naturalized American. Make-up designfor Broadway: Trouble In Mind, Clyde’s, Skelton Crew, Birthday Candles, Skin Of Our Teeth, For Colored Girls, Strange Loop, POTUS, Into The Woods, The Piano Lesson, Ain’t No Mo & Camelot.Off-Broadway: Merry Wives, Sand Blasted, Confederates, Into The Woods and Melissa Etheridge – My Window. Regional: Disney’s Hercules. Opera: This Little Light Of Mine. National Tour: Into The Woods.

ALAN MINGO JR. (Associate Director/The Wiz) Mingo not only lights up the stage with his critically acclaimed run as The Wiz, but he is also lending his decades of experience behind the stage putting on his Director’s hat keeping the show shining from night to night and city to city.

Best known for his Award-winning performance as “Lola” in the Canadian and Broadway productions of Kinky Boots (Dora Award Winner, Best Leading Actor). Audiences may know Alan as “Maura Lee Karupt” in DC’s Doom Patrol on (MAX). He is currently starring in a newly released film as Maxi in “I’m Not Gay A Musical” available on all major Streaming platforms.

Mr. Mingo’s other Broadway credits include: “Sebastian” in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and “Tom Collins” in Rent. Alan’s Broadway National Tour credits include: “Donkey” in Shrek the Musical, “Seaweed” in Hairspray, and “Simba” in Disney’s The Lion King. His other TV credits are: ”Honey” in The Deuce (MAX), “The Queen” in Tales of the City (Netflix), “Benjamin Carter Judges” in Ray Donovan (Showtime), Marvel’s Jessica Jones (Netflix), Frasier (NBC) and Law & Order (NBC). Regional credits: Zaza/Albin in La Cage Aux Folles and The Wiz in The Wiz (Sacramento Music Circus), “Sergeant” in Pirates! or Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder’s (The MUNY), “Papa Ge” in Once On This Island (Paper Mill Playhouse), A Christmas Story: the Musical (Kansas City Repertory Theatre) and The Wiz (La Jolla Playhouse). Proud Alumni of University of Maryland, B.A. and UC, Irvine, M.F.A. IG: @AlanMingojr

ASHLEY SELDON (Associate Choreographer), a Washington, D.C. native and University of the Arts alumna, is a dynamic, classically trained dancer who has toured with legends like Beyoncé, Rihanna, Usher, Pharell, and Megan Thee Stallion. She assisted choreography for The Wiz on Broadway and continues to shine across TV and stage. Most recently, she co-choreographed Mariah Carey’s Vegas residency, The Celebration of MiMi, and her latest Christmas tour.

ALLEN RENÉ LOUIS (Vocal Arrangements, Music Arrangements) is a Grammy nominated Haitian-American producer, arranger, composer, and creative director. His artistry is deeply rooted in his cultural background and church upbringing. He has recently collaborated with Yale Repertory Theatre, National Theatre of Parramatta, Australia and The American Theatre Wing. Louis is currently the Artistic Director of the Grammy Award-nominated and Tony Award Honors recipient Broadway Inspirational Voices. 

ADAM BLACKSTONE (Dance Music Arranger). Multifaceted musician, Tony nominated, Emmy- winning music director, and CEO of BASSic Black Entertainment. His Legacy albums received 2023 and 2024 Grammy nominations. His credits as MD include “The Super Bowl Halftime Show”, Oscars and NBC’s “That’s My Jam.” For this project, Blackstone partnered with musician and super producer Terence Vaughn (Hamilton, Grammy’s, SuperBowl).